Thailand

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Boon Rawd, Singha (Thailand) This deceptively powerful lager-type beer is brewed in Bangkok, and has a pale gold colour and quickly dissipating white head. The nose is all fresh, grassy, aromatic hops with nettle and briar notes. On the palate It has a full, creamy complexity, with an initial hint of honeyed sweetness soon overtaken by an overtly hoppy character, giving lots of bitter herbal flavours with a cut of lemony acidity. Fresh, yet substantial, this wears its 6% ABV well. Smaller bottles available. 6.0% ABV, 66cl, ?2.25, Waitrose, quite widely available.

Boon Rawd, Singha Gold (Thailand) This is the "light" version of the regular Singha lager, with lower alcohol and calories. The beer pours a medium gold colour with a thin white head. The initial aroma is quite hoppy, with a leafy note over a doughy character and some honeyed notes as well as bright, orchard fruits. On the palate it is quite light-bodied, with a prickly effervesence and moderately hoppy tang. The sweet malt shows through in a slighlty under-hopped and neutral finish. 4.3% ABV, 33cl, ?1.09, Onlyfinebeer, quite widely available.

Chang, Beer (Thailand) Brewed by Inbev in Thailand, Chang is said to be influenced by "The deep well water used in production," which has "the perfect mineral composition for brewing beer." It is also forumulated with the spicy flavours of Thai cuisine in mind. The beer pours a pale gold with a fairly fast-dissipating head. It is brewed from 100% barley (no rice in the current recipe) and the aromas are mildly floral with clean lemony fruit tones, though no real fireworks. In the mouth it is fresh and quite full, with a touch of mid-palate sweetness soon freshened by a touch of hoppy character, but more by good acidity. There is a little toffee sweetness persisting in the finish, but this moderate carbonation lager does have the lightness and tang to match Thai cuisine rather well. 5.0% ABV, 64cl, ?1.99, Tesco.

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