Tsingtao is a sweet beer with notes of apples and honey
Lukas Halloran |Staff Photographer
Tsingtao is bottled and imported from China to the United States and is sweet and not too heavy.
If you’ve been one of my weekly readers, you may have figured this out by now: This column has been all over the world. From the Dominican Republic last week, to New Zealand a few weeks back, to England the first week, I’ve done our fair share of traveling around the world through beer.
Now, we can add China to the list. This week I decided to try Tsingtao, one of the bestselling beers in China.
Unlike a lot of beers that have traditional tastes but are brewed in the United States, Tsingtao is actually brewed in and imported from China.
On the pour, it’s immediately obvious that this is going to be a very carbonated beer. It produces a deceiving head — thick right away, only to disappear completely within 30 seconds. Tsingtao has a very golden yellow, translucent look to it. You can see columns of carbonation streaking upwards through the glass.
Tsingtao smells like a typical beer. I smelled a bittersweet aroma, but I couldn’t pin it as anything other than the typical beer smell. I had no clue what it would taste like from the aroma, other than an inkling of sweetness.
I was right about the sweetness, and man, it was delicious. Tsingtao isn’t overly sweet, but I definitely tasted a combination of apples and honey. It has a very strong, bold initial flavor that will wash away with a quick finish, leaving you with a pleasant dryness in your mouth. As you may expect from simply looking at the beer, it’s very fizzy.
I would order Tsingtao happily in a variety of situations. It’s not heavy like a porter, it doesn’t have an overpowering flavor like an IPA, and it’s better than a Bud Light or Coors Light.
Try it at a happy hour with some traditional bar food, have a glass with dinner one night or try one when you’re just hanging out with a group of friends. Tsingtao is an extremely versatile beer that works well in most settings.
Out of all the beers I’ve reviewed, Tsingtao is definitely one of my favorites. You won’t be able to get one at DJ’s, but the next time you can order it, give it a try.
Published on March 31, 2016 at 12:01 am
