Been saving this one since the last time I went to Singapore, and a few hours before I leave again for Singapore - I figured I’d try this. Horrible aroma when the can opens - yep, its definitely ginseng. Deep black coloured body, about 90% opaque, with a nice frothy light brown head that leaves a nice lace on the side. Aroma of strong as hell Korean ginseng, oatmeal, alcohol, nuts and more ginseng - really overpowering stuff. Full-bodied; Very creamy, almost milk stout taste with only minor hints of the ginseng, some caramel and nuts to top off the beer and a dose of dry oak at the end. Aftertaste definitely has the ginseng, but not killing out everything else. Some alcohol and bitterness persists, but the maltiness prevails, along with that pesky ginseng. Overall, a pretty awful beer at first, but somehow it mellows out or I’m getting used to it or something? A decent beer - definitely an interesting one, and easily seen that this is a well crafted beer, even if you don’t like ginseng. Needless to say, I’ll probably cozy up to one of these at a hawker stall and bring some back to show other people. I sampled this 33 cL can purchased at a 7-11 (they are everywhere) near the Somerset SMRT station in Singapore in August 2007 sampled at home in Washington on 30-October-2009.

33cl Can in the airplane to Singapore. ABV was not stated on the can, but I’m not surprised by the 8%. Black colour, beige head. Aroma of roasted malts, moccha, liquorice, berries, bit of sour cream. Flavour is the same with a bit of liquorice root and coffee in the finish. Light to medium bodied, good stout.

33 cl bottle, at Flat Top Grill, Lombard, IL. I’m adding some far-flung countries to my Geo Stats this month. And maybe because the bottle has been in a restaurant cooler instead of spending months on a grocery store shelf, or maybe because I’m drinking it with hot and spiced-up stir-fry, but this makes a good impression. Straw colored lager puts on an entertaining bubble dance when poured. Smell shows no obvious defects, just some light malts. Taste to me is quite passable. Wouldn’t be surprised to find it’s lightened with rice, but I couldn’t detect any adjuncts. Just some light malts and a low level bitterness, delivered with a slightly fizzy mouthfeel. Went down nicely, although a spicy stir-fry might cover a host of sins.