North East Beer Review

Another bargain beer this one, again from Herons for 79p a bottle. I have previously tried the original Tsingtao many different times but this is first time I have seen the premium version called Tsingtao 1903. I thought as always in my quest to try as many different beer as possible to give it a go. So what I think of this Chinese based beer, to find please observe the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict. Cheers

Founded by Germans and Brits in Qingdao

Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 in the coastal Chinese city of Qingdao. Qingdao at the time was a German leased territory in the Shandong Province and thus, was founded by German and British merchants under the name Germania-Brauerei Tsingtao Co. The brewery was established to produce a pilsner, using German brewing methods and equipment brought by merchants. The first batch of beer was served in December 1904 and quickly became one of Asia’s most recognisable brands.

Due to utilising imported techniques and ingredients and local spring water from Laoshan Mountain, it quickly gained a reputation internationally and even won a gold medal at the Munich International Expo.

Today, Tsingtao expanded and became a prominent producer of beer within China. It continues to export globally to over 100 different countries and is listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Currently, it is among one of the largest brewing organisations around the world.

Tsingtao 1903 was created to celebrate the founding year of the company. This is classed as a premium line and continues to utilise German brewing practices such as a longer fermentation process and the use of high quality barley and hops. 1903 was quickly added to the brewery’s heritage range with some honouring one of the first brewmasters called Hans Christian Augerta. Tsingtao 1903 carries an ABV of 5%.

A golden pale pour

Tsingtao 1903 pours clean and lager-esque golden colour. This is typical of a German style lager. A fine white head formed which dissipated quickly and there was little to no lacing present. The carbonation was lively with a constant stream of bubbles present. Overall, a lively and typical lager pour.

A light and clean flavour profile

Aroma

The aroma of Tsingtao 1903 is a light and clean. It begins with a malt note which is that of subtle toasted grain. There is a moderate amount of sweetness reminiscent of bread. The hop usage adds a herbal nature which compliments the bready notes. Overall, a clean and herbal aroma.

Taste

On the palate, this brew offers a light malt sweetness which gives notes of grain, bread and biscuits. This is quickly rounded off with the hop addition which adds a herbal, clean and dry finish. The bitterness is restrained but still present. The mouthfeel was that of a light and crisp lager. Overall, an ok lager and definitely worth the price paid.

Time for my verdict

This beer was really purchase to add to my spreadsheet of tried beers and because it was cheap. This was not a bad lager by any means and I would recommend it as an easy drinker. Is it as good as others let’s say German brewed lagers? No, but it’s a lot better than the sugary dross we get in the UK thats for certain. So to summarise, this was crisp, lager and did what you would expect from a lager. Not brilliant but certainly palatable. Overall, I rate this a good 3 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I purchased this beer from Herons for 79p. Bargain place for dirt cheap beers.

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed this review you will love my review of another beer purchased from Herons in the form of Favela Ipanema.