Chang Beer, Thailand’s Number 1 Beer. Brewed by Thai Beverage

Chang Beer

www.changbeer.com

Brewed by Cosmos Brewery (Thai Beverages)
Style: Pale Lager
Ayutthaya Province, Thailand

Chang, which is the Thai world for ‘elephant’, is brewed at Cosmos Brewery in Thailand.

Considered to be “Thailand’s Number 1 Beer”, if they dont mind saying so themselves, even though Singha might have something to say about this bold claim!

Brewed by Thai Beverage/Cosmos Brewery, Chang Beer was launched in 1995 at their brewery in the Bang Ban District of Ayutthaya Province, in central Thailand, North of Bangkok.

Thai Beverage, better known as ThaiBev, is Thailand’s largest beverage company, and also has significant operations in Europe, producing malt Scotch whisky, vodka, gin, and liqueurs with over 20 distilleries in Scotland, France, Poland, and Ireland. Chang beer is exported to 20 countries, and can be found in many Thai and Asian themed restaurants all over the world.

Chang Beer was voted ‘Asia’s Best Premium Lager’ at the World Beer Awards 2012 and is the official sponsor of Everton Football Club, for their sins, having their logo on the front of the teams shirts.

Review: 330 ml Bottle of Chang Beer Export: ABV: 5%

With a nice logo of two big elephants facing each other on its label, Chang is the Thai word for elephant, an important animal in Thailand as a symbol of both power and peace.

On pour we get a nice clear yellow colour, with a big frothy white head that is decent enough, and which settles down but maintains. A lot of carbonation, very bubbly and lively.

No real lacing.

Overall, not a bad looking beer

On the nose I get an initial sweet piercing smell of lemon but overall not so strong, very faint.

A beery smell, sweet grains, hay, lemon, malts, all good on the nose, but as I mentioned not so strong…..

Taste is bittersweet, soft, clean and relatively easy to drink. Some light grains, but not enough to really get excited about.

Bit of an aftertaste, all bitter. Stringent sweet malts

Too sweet for my liking, and the tastes are not well balanced.

Not a great beer, very little to actually taste. Ok it is a little sessionable, but overall it is not really enjoyable. Bland. I am not a fan.

Apparently the home brew version is meant to be better than the export version, brewed with rice rather than malt, and is a 6.4% strength lager. Perhaps another inspection is needed, on a beach in Pattaya supping an ice cold beer enjoying the sun……