Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small can from Cold Storage supermarket on Joo Chiat Road, Singapore, and drunk at home here in Taipei. Aroma: very nice, delicate and floral. Appearance: opaque amber with a shade of lemon, one finger snow white froth. Palate: medium-bodied and sticky, fizzy carbonation; lingering aftertaste with some astringency. Taste: medium-sweet with astringent notes, biscuit and a hit of marmalade. Quite quaffable.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small can from Cold Storage supermarket on Joo Chiat Road, Singapore, and drunk at home here in Taipei. Aroma: over-ripe pineapple, though sweet and quite fresh. Appearance: semi-opaque honey amber with a generous cap of snow white froth. Palate: medium-bodied and a little bit sticky on the tongue, rather fizzy carbonation; finishes with a nice chewy mouth feel. Taste: medium-sweet with a pleasing biscuit flavoured backbone; fruit doesn’t really come through on this one, but it’s quaffable nonetheless.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Fairprice supermarket at MRT Paya Lebar, Singapore, and drunk at home here in Taipei. Aroma: very bold, the label mentions lychee, which really jumps out at you. Appearance: opaque bronze, negligible lacing. Palate: medium-bodied and rather oily, average carbonation; pretty dank at the finish. Taste: lightly sweet with astringency, butter, Parma violets. Like a N. American IPA, punches well above its weight, drinkable.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Fairprice supermarket at MRT Paya Lebar, Singapore, and drunk at home here in Taipei. Aroma: very fresh yeast, slightly floral. Appearance: semi-opaque honey amber, well-aerated - lots of tiny bubbles; a full finger of off-white froth dissipating gradually. Palate: light-bodied and slick, carbonation is on the fizzy side; slight astringency at the finish. Taste: lightly sweet, a pleasant and unmistakable buttery hit, not the slightest suggestion of jasmine rice. I liked this, at 4.7% ABV I could imagine drinking two or three.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Antarabangsa off-licence, drunk in the hotel at Teluk Bahang, Penang. Aroma: it actually does smell of mango, with a hit of pineapple too. Appearance: totally opaque Orangina, no head to speak of. Palate: light-bodied and lightly astringent, rather fizzy despite the appearance; finishes with astringency and a lingering hit of fruit. Taste: medium-sweet with some astringency, plus butter and some almond. Any taste of mango is masked by a generic tropical fruit flavour. Drinkable though rather one-dimensional.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Antarabangsa off-licence, drunk in the hotel at Teluk Bahang, Penang. Aroma: tropical fruits, very fresh pineapple predominates, really good. Appearance: semi-opaque honey amber, 2-3mm. Off-white head. Palate: medium-bodied and rather astringent, carbonation is on the soft side, pretty clean finish. Taste: lightly sweet, peppery astringency outweighs fruit, aroma trumps flavour. At 8% ABV I was expecting more.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Antarabangsa off-licence, Georgetown, drunk in the hotel just down the road. Aroma: only lightly aromatic, roasted, some coffee. Appearance: opaque cola, negligible head. Palate: medium-bodied and slick, carbonation is unexpectedly fizzy, the finish is rather abrupt. Taste: well-roasted with some sweet notes; not very chocolatey but some coffee flavour comes through. This one leaves no lasting impression and is rather lacking in character.

Penang > Singapore rail excursion: a small bottle from Antarabangsa off-licence, Georgetown, drunk in the hotel just down the road. Aroma: very interesting, liquorice meets malt loaf. Appearance: opaque cola, negligible head. Palate: full-bodied and oily on the tongue, soft carbonation, finishes long and nicely warming. Taste: well-roasted with sweet notes; marzipan, dark chocolate, sherry. This is rocket fuel, complex and very satisfying.