Beer that brew traditionally taste like beer and the consumer feel alienated by it. This is in fact the truth on beer in this millennium as we are only feed with big commercial brand.

Beer started with basic 4 ingredient which is Water, Hops, Malt and Yeast. Yet now a days, chemical are added in, to get the balance or the consistent of the taste. Is easy to brew a beer, but is very difficult to brew a good beer.

During the 80′s Europe export a lot of craft beer over to America and look at it today. The American have created their owner craft beer. The next market that will change will be the East which I believe will be the next beer change.

Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia are coming out more and more microbrewery. This is good news to the South East Asia region. Australia is one country that leading the pack in asia follow by Japan and New Zealand. China is too big to really justify for now but they do have a lot of good microbrewery there as well.

So what is beer, commercial big brands or craft beer? Why consumer don’t really like craft beer. The No.1 reason is the taste, many commercial beer are quite tasteless. So when the craft beer pack with flavour and character, consumer got confuse and not sure the taste of beer. Normal consumer still prefer the beer to be blend and carbonated.

Education will come in slowly but with high taxes in Malaysia, craft beer is still too far away from getting it there. But can see the growth in KL in healthy way. I hope other state in the country will slowly catch up. Beer have many types and many taste. The beer we drank for all this year are just a few brands around.

In real fact, what is the taste of beer? Will we grow from accepting good tasty beer?

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I found out many of us don’t really like to try out new beer until the beer is promoted or recommended by people. We got a lot of beer in Malaysia that many don’t really know it existed. Is not easy for Malaysian to name 10 beer brand that sold here.

I found out a few reason, why Malaysian don’t try out new beer?

1. Price
Price is always the issue, imported beers are very expensive especially if you drink it at the outlet. The price easily range from RM15 all the way to RM40 depending what type of beer it is. That’s why people normally avoid to try out new beer. Drinking imported beer will cost you a bomb, that’s is why people stick to the brands they know off.

2. Taste
In Malaysia market, the people only used to certain taste of beer. Normally the one with some bitter and refreshing that is basically only cover 1 type of beer which is pilsner or lager. There are many different type of beer that basically come with many different taste. Some bitter, sweet, roasted, fruity, cherry…. so far and so on. Many are not willing to try because they fear it may not be the taste they like, plus it waste their $$$ if they don’t like it. Fair enough.

3. Is not easy to find
Not many people out there actually go for beer hunting. We used to do that a lot before we start up Beerbeer. We still do so, but not as crazy as last time, because many importers don’t bring in good stuff. Just some commercial stuff that are famous in certain country which doesn’t even worth to pay for. Most outlet also don’t carry them as it’s not something very salable or can make it in volume.

4. Bottles
Consumer in Malaysia prefer to drink from the draft. Reason behind is draft taste more fresh. People are more willing to try from the tap more then the bottles. Bottles are consider 2nd class after draft. Not all beer are good in draft but not many consumer know that. If champagne was serve in draft, I bet not many will buy from the bottles.

5. Satisfy
Many actually satisfy with what they are drinking. Not trying out new stuff as people are contented with the taste they familiar. Something different can sometimes trigger an objection in opinion. Many have an opinion that a beer is a beer and a stout is a stout.

I guess you need people that have high curiousity  to try out new beers. Normally the female drinker have more tendency to try new beer compare to the guys, as the guys always like to stay on their comfort taste.

The big question, is it important to try out new taste?
It is if you like drinking beer, so you know what beer to drink at what condition. But again, is not really a big deal as many will still stick to what they like, trying out new beer is just adding options which sometimes can be good, sometimes can be bad. There are no proper answer to the question, is just – where you stand. So trying more beer? Cheers!

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People always ask me about my favourite beer, to be exact I have a lot of favourite beer. But is all depending on when I enjoy it. Not all the time I like bitter beer or thick body, sometimes I just like simple beer.

So what consist of good beer?

Taste
Needless to say, taste is very important. What type of taste are you looking for. Roasted, cherry, woody, malty, aromatic, floral…etc. You can find many different taste in the beer, some like the roasted malt smell, some like the floral and some like the citrusy hops fragrance. Each of this is very individual. If you pair your beer with food, you must first know how the beer taste like.

Body
There are light body, half body or full body. Light body will be normally the lager or pilsner beer that we usually drink, light in flavour and thin in texture. Then we have half body like ale which have more things to taste and thicker texture to it. Then come the full body like stout and potter or those beer that age in barrel. Normally the taste is strong and the body is quite thick. Of course this are just the basic explanation.

Character
Character is mostly mean to differentiate of the beer. Like certain beer have certain character to it that you will always tell this is what beer. Like wheat beer have it’s own character, pilsner malt have it’s own character. This is more like the trademark to the beer type. Sometimes is the colour of the beer, some have crystal yellow, some are dark brown, some are black. Then you have transparent crystal and cloudy character as well, depending on the brew master what they want to produce.

Carbonation
Basically is the bubble and gas in the beer. If the beer is without carbonation, the beer will be flat. The carbonation play an important role in maintaining the character of the beer. Some beer are very carbonated to give you the refreshing feeling or some just slow carbonation that give you the thick body kind of texture. Carbonation provide a different texture to the beer as well and create the feeling for the beer.

Enjoyment
Of course the important thing about drinking is to enjoy. Many people always forget about that part. Drinking beer is not to force in but enjoy the flowing of the beer. If you enjoy the beer, you’ll enjoy the day. Must always remember to drink beer with good company, that will create good fun as well.

What your favourite beer is not really an issue, the best beer to you is the one that you love to drink, it doesn’t really matter what brand or what type, the best is do you love the beer you drink. That beer to you is the best beer for sure. Cheers and enjoy your beer!

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I used to said beer really bitter, and I don’t like the taste. Now beer to me is sweet. I like the taste and the aroma. Which many said bitter, I said sweet. Is weird how a taste bud will change? For me all the beer now taste sweet, compare to the early years when I started to drink alcohol.

How can this happen? Is there any logic behind it? I have this theory like durian for those who like, it taste wonderful and for those who hate, it taste like shit. I guess this is the same theory, when I understand the drink and love the drink, the drink taste sweet to me, as what my brain can accept it.

Like durian is really smelly to some people, they even said it taste like shit. But to the durian lover is really a taste to crave for. I guess you know what I mean, if you like it, you taste it differently, if you hate you, your taste bud will kill it. Maybe is a body defense mechanism that act this way. So if you tell yourself to love it, then maybe beer will also taste sweet to you. Have a try, maybe it will work. Remember the saying when you love someone their fart will even smell good. Cheers!

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Many of the drinker out there don’t like to amid that they go for brand and not taste, but in actual fact we all go for the brand not the taste. The brand loyalty of the customer do sometimes surprise me. For instance Tiger fans will condemn how bad Carlsberg taste like, vice verse from Carlsberg fan to Tiger fanatic.

I myself have a few favourite brand, although I always hunting for new brand. I looking for new taste too. I don’t think I like all the beer I drank, but I do think some beer stand up more on certain occasion. People don’t need to agree with me, as everyone have different taste. Some may said Hoegaarden witbier is the best, the other will curse and said that the beer is blend. Hence not all the writer in Beerbeer agree on the taste too.

For me brand is important as well as the taste. For instance young adult will always order Heineken, as the brand stood stronger then most brand. Tiger is slowly eating up the market as the brand stand firm as the best taste beer in the region. Of course some of us prefer the neighbouring beer like Chang, Singha, Lao and Bintang, but how can this brand built to us if they never stamp their mark in our country? Can it be really taste that effect the result?

I quite doubtful about that, as some just like to be different. As a friend of mine said that those who drink expensive beer are just a bunch of show offs. But I disagree, as I find those expensive beer like Paulaner, Hacker Pschorr, Weihenstephan are all great beer to drink. They are smooth, good aroma with taste, perfectly balance and perfect pairing with food. As of Tiger or Carlsberg I can really go by jug, but I try to control not to drink too much. For me those beer is just a drink like Teh Tarik in the mamak.

What’s your favourite brand? Thanks God we stay in Malaysia that we don’t have many brand to choose from, limited big boys to fight. That’s why when I go out to drink with my friend, when they ask me to recommend, I will always ask what is the taste they looking for. This way, I can at least get the right beer for them when we go hunting for beer. Less brand mean easy hunting.

Not many people will sit down and enjoy their beer, as beer is something to gulp in and make you high. No one really bother how the beer taste like, some people like Carlsberg, some people love their Tiger. Either way, brand is still the winner. Not many people in Malaysia really enjoy their beer, they just want to drink for fun. They don’t normally find their taste, they find the brand.

For instance Brussels Cafe in Jaya One (Malaysia), so many people think it’s a German pubs. But actual fact is Belgium not Germany. Many think Hoegaarden come from Germany, but actual fact is Belgium. Many people think Witbier mean wheat beer, but actual fact witbier mean white beer, they are made of barley malt. Too many actual fact to share. For people who knows, we have the inner laugh when someone come to us that this wheat beer taste good while holding their Hoegaarden. A bit of beer knowledge while drink your favourite beer will do good too.

A good friend told me, it doesn’t matter what brand they serve, as long is Happy Hour, the price is cheap, hell ya… just bring it. I totally agree with this friend “brand my ass, taste my bull shit”, cheap beer is the king of all beer. Not many will pay for RM30 per pint for everyday drinking, but RM30 a jug many will jump to the wagon. At this stage, Brand win against Taste, but Cheap Beer beat them flat. Cheers and happy drinking!

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