Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle from the brewery. The nose is viscous, herbal and malty-sweetish. The beer starts intense with a mixture of sourness and malty sweetness. Interesting refreshing herbal, very viscous. The medicine-like herbal aroma last long in the mouth, very interesting but very well balanced. No alcohol tasteable, only hints of warming in the end. Dried plums, dates, caramel without being too sweet. Great complex dried fruit with interesting herbs. Nice intense viscous malty herbal aftertaste. Not too sweetish, quite easy to drink for 12%. round and intense. Great stuff!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
Bottle from Bottle Shop at home. Dark dark brown pour with densely bubbled tan head. Aroma is slightly sour underneath the roasted malts - like a Tsingtao underneath a stout. Not that nice. Taste follows. Some chocolatey notes from the malts and then an acerbic sourness. Body is light and fizzy. Sort of disappointing, especially after the pleasantly surprising Pale Ale by Moonzen. Would not get again, especially when it's HK$50+. Tastes mainly like mass market low ABV stouts which just layer roasted notes on top of somewhat boring flavors.
HKdIPA (1437) reviewed Thundergod (雷公) from Moonzen Brewery 10 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle from Bottle Shop at home. Golden amber pour - clear. Aroma is malty with crisp hops. Taste is like apple soda - not super apple-y but has that sensation. Very fruity for a not-that-hoppy or bitter pale ale. Some mango. Very crisp. Pleasantly surprising in the amount of flavor for a light pale ale. Nice - would get again if it weren't so expensive.
HKdIPA (1437) reviewed Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) IPA from Moonzen Brewery 10 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Birthday bottle from Steph (bottle #2 so maybe not so fresh?) at home. Hazy (very hazy) amber brown pour. Aroma is honey malt and floral hops. Taste follows - honey cereal malt, floral then pine bitter hops. Some hints of booze. Lasting booze and bitterness. Solid IPA. Would be great to try a fresher one as that might be worth the high price (~HKD50 retail), as is not worth it but good to see local breweries producing good quality.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle from the brewery. Floral fruity beginning. Fresh, smooth and mild. Easy to drink, nice yeasty-smooth. The chrysantheme is nice floral there, flowery fresh with a nice and slightly yeasty fresh body. Round and smooth. The aftertaste has nice fresh-fruity and slightly sweetish floral aroma, bitter hints and a nice soft bouquet. Nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5.5
Bottle from the brewery. This beer starts smooth and dry. Fresh smooth yeast on a nice dry body. The Jasmine is smooth and floral in the background, fresh, floral. Not as intense as the others, but probably the Jasmine is not as intense as the other flowers. The aftertaste is round and smooth, floral-fresh, sourish Saison-style tart with a nice floral background.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle from the brewery. Great rosé colour. The beer starts great tart and fresh. Floral fruity and Saison-typical tart. Great combination, fruity. Hints of cherries, plums, very light and soft but still very deep. Fascinating smooth floral fruity fresh aftertaste with a cherry-yeasty like body. Great creamy tart stuff.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Bottle from the brewery. The beer is in the nose typical Osmanthus flowers. Very nice and slightly sweetish. The beer starts light and fresh. Nice smooth and slightly sweetish body with a nice layer of Osmanthus on top. Not too intense, but nice and floral. Great combination that fits! The aftertaste is moderate smooth, not too bitter, great round and smooth. Nice and floral. Great stuff!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle in Hongkong. Smooth chocolate nose. The beer starts fresh and malty. Fresh and easy to drink, chocolate, roast, nice malty bitterness. The body is round and dry. Sourish hints that fit in great. Hints of plums, great chocolate, nice smooth milk chocolate on a slightly bitter aftertaste. Great beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle in Hongkong. Herbal fruity nose. The beer starts fresh smooth and quite easy to drink for the 8%. Herbal aftertaste with a moderate bitterness, malts, dry with dusty hints. Fresh and smooth, slightly warming, malty. Typical Scotch Ale with a herbal touch. Nice.