33 Export - VBL Tien Giang Limited (Fosters)

Durge

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A clear golden brew that shows lots of bubble activities throughout and clinging to the sides of the chilled pint glass. The modest head is snow white but holds on reasonably and leaves similar traces of lace. The aroma offers a mild but balanced rice/wheat grain. Very clean, nothing unusual but fine for the style. The flavor brings fairly simple wheat and light malt with a rice-lemon theme and maybe even some sweet corn and a cardboard kiss. But it’s a light bodied beer with a fairly dominant carbonation that makes for a very bright, crisp feel. Very refreshing, perhaps overcarbonated and a little under-flavored. But adequate to wash down your Viet Namese chow.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:36:32 | More by Durge

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.83/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a crystal clear pale yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a half finger tall soapy white head that quickly reduces to a very thin layer over most of the surface of the beer and a ring at the edges of the glass. Light lacing is observed.

S: The aroma of this beer is just like that of an American Adjunct Lager rather than a Dortmunder/Export Lager. There is a heavy presence of adjunct malt sweetness - leading with rice and some lighter amounts of grain.

T: The taste follows the smell but underneath it all is a metallic taste. The flavor is dominated by the adjunct malts - mostly rice but also with a heavy dose of grain. The beer has a decent amount of sweetness and I get something akin to apple juice as well. There is some light bitterness in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Some very light dryness in the finish.

O: The slightly metallic taste is definitely off-putting in this beer and to me makes it less than enjoyable and not a sessionable beer. I do not want to have more than one of these, never mind more than one in a single session.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 22:01:58 | More by dbrauneis

bogus564

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 fl. oz, poured into a tall pilsner glass.

It wasn’t a particularly good Valentine’s Day for this author, for a couple of reasons; (1) I don’t have a valentine right now; and (2) I underwent a prostate exam. This is a good time for a beer or two.

A: Golden in color, actually more gold than yellow – that’s a pleasant surprise. It produces a 3 cm head with a careful pour, and it holds much longer than most beers of this type. The head is wheat-colored, and dissolves into lace. It’s also very, very bubbly. I’m starting to wonder about this one…

S: As I’m reviewing, I usually set the glass down about 18 inches from my nose after I pour it. In quite a number of cases, I can smell the beer from that far away. With this one, I can’t smell a thing; I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Nose in – I’m suddenly teleported to my Army days, when I was stationed in Korea. This is what beer smelled like there; very grassy and hoppy, with a citrus note in the background. Wow.

T: At this point, I’m committed, so I’m going in for a taste. Man, that’s disappointing. All the ingredients I smelled are there, but in weak proportions, and they don’t play well together. What a bummer. The balance is off, and that’s noticeable immediately. Yuck.

M: Mouthfeel is not even good. It’s light in body, the carbonation is kicked up to the point that it foams in your mouth, the palate does not like this, and the finish causes you to make the kind of face that makes people think you smelled something you didn’t like. I’d like for my mouth to forget this particular experience.

O: I wouldn’t drink this beer again on a dare, or if paid less than twenty bucks per sip. You wouldn’t believe how many potato chips I had to eat to nullify the effect on my tongue. I know this doesn’t make me popular with the maker, but that’s my true opinion; better luck next time. I’m immediately going to another beer. Until the next time.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:26:58 | More by bogus564

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +43.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"33" Export has a medium, stark-white head and a clear, golden appearance, with lots of lacing and little fine particles floating about. The aroma is of toasted barley and subtle spice. Taste is of toasted barley malt, grain, sweetness, and a light hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is watery and relatively thin, and "33" Export finishes crisp, refreshing, and easy drinking. This is a very good lager.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 21:23:58 | More by RonaldTheriot

kenito799

New York

2.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served at Nha Trang restaurant, Manhattan

Typical golden lager color with typical active carbonation and not much head.

Aroma fresh and clean, not skunked, malty.

Refreshing and crisp on the palate, not a bad example of the adjunct lager style, certainly a better choice than Tsingtao for you Asian food accompaniment.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 19:39:17 | More by kenito799

jerryjeff

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm not as down on this beer as the other reviews here. Compared to american adjunct lager (which seems more appropriate to me than dortmunder) this is pretty decent. I don't know about paying much of a premium for it but I do think it's good for what it is. (Definitely better than Hue, the other beer from Vietnam I've tried).

Aroma
Light sweet malt with possible hints of caramel, maybe a bit of grassiness from hops

Mouthfeel
Higher carbonation, but still a bit watery on the palette. Only light bitterness with no real aftertaste.

Appearance
Pale straw/light golden with a stark white head which quickly dissipated.

Taste
Hints of light grassiness and a bit of a twist of light malt, maybe hints of caramel in there.

Drinkability
Rather, this is a beer for an evening although you certainly won't be overwhelmed by the flavor.

Overall
I'm not quite sure how to compare it. To american adjunct lager this is a highly drinkable beer which is non-offensive without strong adjunct flavors. Highly drinkable and good for a session.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 02:46:30 | More by jerryjeff

drpimento

Wisconsin

1.15/5  rDev -58.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Oh man, this isn't too good. Got a cold bottle, poured a small, off white head that quickly settled down to a light scummy cover and lots of lace. Color is a pale yellow with varying size bubble trails. Aroma is super mild, a little fruit, and maybe malt. Flavor is dominated by carbonic tang with a little malt, fruit, some mineral, and adjunct flavors. Body is watery and carbonation very sharp. Finish is like flavor and too long. Can't drink anymore.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:52:51 | More by drpimento

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz

Pour is light gold with a medium white head that dissipates quickly.

Smells of dry barley and adjunct malts.

Taste follows, crisp dry barley and rice or corn.

Feel is thin with stinging carbonation.

Actually not bad for a food pairing. But not much different than other asian lagers like tsing tao either. Quenches thirst though.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 18:03:45 | More by Cylinsier

metter98

New York

2.65/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: The beer is clear deep yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that died down relatively quickly and left delicate lacing on the surface and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of adjunct malts in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and is filled with flavors of adjunct malts such as corn and rice. There are also some hints of apple cider and mineral flavors in the finish.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of dryness in the finish.
O: The metallic nature and strong adjunct natures don't make this a beer that I would want to try again.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 20:32:11 | More by metter98

gregb13

California

3.33/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had a couple bottles of this tonight ice cold along with some spicy Vietnamese cuisine (a nice pairing!). Pours a typical macro lager; nice lacing and head retention for the style. Smell is faint but pleasant; lightly sweet and grassy/earthy. Taste follows the nose. Goes down very easy; extremely crisp. Not bad at all as an accompaniment to spicy food (bbq would also be excellent with this). I could also see tossing a few back on a humid day in the delta.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 03:37:12 | More by gregb13

ZenAgnostic

Texas

2.53/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. FILL: 03/11/10. EXP: 03/11/11. Dates stamped on neck.

Appearance - Clear pale straw/gold body. Thin white head with good stick and low retention.

Smell - Corn and slight alcohol. Traces of dark fruit.

Taste - Bone dry throughout. Stale, metallic finish. Some corn hidden underneath it all.

Mouthfeel - Smooth except for some acidic and astringency.

Overall Drinkability - I'd definitely like to try a fresher batch of this to give it a more accurate rating. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, especially from the horror stories I've heard about vietnamese beers. Worth a shot. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 21:17:30 | More by ZenAgnostic

bat6

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

currently traveling through SE Asia and sampling the local offerings. the beers here are almost exclusively light-bodied lagers specifically meant for fast quaffing in blazing heat and humidity. this is one of them, so all ratings are relative to my understanding of the style.

A - clear pale gold, nice head, short retention

S - virtually none, maybe light grain & grass. very crisp

T - virtually none, meant to be drank cold. i've learned to differentiate the "quality" of these beers by how they smell and taste as they get a little warmer. this one gains a little malt sweetness as it gets warmer but no slick corny sweetness or sour notes

MF - crisp, light, good carbonation

O - this beer does exactly what it's supposed to: goes down refreshingly fast and easy, whether by itself or w/ hot spicy food. it's definitely not meant for over-analysis

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 12:41:01 | More by bat6

rwathree

Iowa

2.08/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: golden color with some reddish-brown hues. Good clarity. Insubstantial head disappears quickly and leaves little lace.

S: lightly toasted wheat, vaguely floral hops, maybe the slightest alcohol presence. The aroma profile is like a very subdued American wheat ale.

T: holy shit, something bad happens as this beer goes down. Each sips starts out pleasantly enough, with a slightly sweet, bready flavor - there are even some citric notes - but it turns bitter at the end. The aftertaste oscillates between burnt toast and metal.

M: Good carbonation, appropriately light in body, but it leaves behind a pasty residue.

The 33 Export presents itself nicely enough for the most part, from bottle to color to aroma, but it fails badly in the taste category. Simply, this beer gets rotten pretty fast, and that's what I take home from this beer, especially when there's this lingering aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 03:14:01 | More by rwathree

notchucknorris

California

3.4/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found this at a random Pho place in Vista.

A: Gold color with a pretty quickly receding fluffy white head.

S: Grain, pale malt and a little bit of honey. Slight bit of something bready as well.

T: Smooth and a little sweet. I'd rank this right around Singha as the quality is around the same and the taste is similar. Honey, cereal malts and a little hint of grassy hops. It went pretty well with my pho.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 03:35:36 | More by notchucknorris

aasher

Indiana

2.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This one pours a thin bright, bright gold in color with a very light, white head. It smells of light pale malts and is very spritzy, as if overcarbonated. It tastes really subdued and features most faded pale malts, maybe some light honey, and it has a light bitterness. It is very, very light and finishes quickly as well. It's watery thin and essentially a lager I assume a lot of people drink a lot of. It's just ok, nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 01:14:26 | More by aasher

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.9/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Big white head floats atop a clear golden colored lager.

Very light aroma consisting of light sour almost bitter hops and a very light sweet malt background.

Taste is similar with la light sour almost bitter hops with a slight sweet malt background.

A light dry aftertaste with a slight hint of sourness but nothing bad.

Basic lager similar to about 35 or so American beers that are pretty much trying to copy each others basic lagers.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 22:07:07 | More by LXIXME

GallowsThief

Florida

3.1/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured out of a 12 oz. bottle into my Duvel tulip.

A – Perfectly clear golden yellow pour with just a slight bubbly white head that recedes in a flash.

S – Extremely light smell. Malt and touch of sweet.

T – Sweet malt is quickly evident. Touch of hop bitterness. That is about it.

M – Light and crisp. Good carbonation. Clean feel.

O – Feels like you aren’t drinking a thing. It doesn’t taste bad because it doesn’t really taste like anything. That being said its perfectly adequate and you can have a few of these and never feel it.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:49:38 | More by GallowsThief

biggred1

Indiana

2.7/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear, light golden with a shock white head that leaves scraps of lace on the glass as it falls. Untoasted grain, corn grits and faint green apple skin in the nose. Grainy, husky and slightly sweet to start with some creamed corn-like flavor that turns dry with some cracker flavor in the finish. I think this beer is imported for the sole purpose of filling a need for Vietnamese restaurants and giving Vietnamese Americans a taste of home, it doesn't do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 02:06:06 | More by biggred1

PorterLambic

Florida

2.42/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a bright golden color with a slightly fizzy head of white that dissipates quickly.
Smell is maltier than expected with notes of hops and wet cardboard.
Taste is hoppy though not overly so. Malt is well presented with minor notes of apple and grape.
Medium light body with solid carbonation. A decided tang up front but it mellows well enough. A middling example but not swill.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 02:27:52 | More by PorterLambic

taigor

New York

2.03/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from bottle into a regular glass.

A - Poured clear golden color with no head at all.

S - Faint smell of grains and slight metallic skunk.

T - Mostly skunky with slight bitterness but very unimpressive.

M - Light bodied with medium carbonation.

D - Could be easily consumed but due to bad taste would not recommend it to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 16:28:53 | More by taigor

therica

Maryland

2.45/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Found at Orchid Garden Asian Restaurant in Hagerstown MD tonight.

A= light golden, some white head when poured, minimal lacing.

S= typical Macro-style corn/rice lager with a light floral scent that I eventually identified as ginger.

T= ginger ale, pure ginger ale with a slight spice to it, somewhat akin to a ginger-beer but not as strong. Mostly just ginger ale with slight bitterness.

M= over-sweet, the slight bitterness but dominated by ginger ale on the tongue and palate.

D= I couldn't get beyond about a third of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 05:47:02 | More by therica

Mebuzzard

Colorado

2.9/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Well son of a gun, this beer doesn't look too shabby. Pale golden pour with a very white, fluffy head. Quite a contrast of colors, and quite nice. Some lacing as it drinks.

Ok, aroma is meh...Mostly faint corn husk and some overripe apple. Not bad, but not good. Expected from a well-traveled beer, but not for style.

Weak flavors, but nothing horrid. I'm guessing the brown bottle helped a bit here. That subtle apple is there, with corn husk--green--and some very faint florals. The feel could use some carbonation or a bit of a snap to it. Easy drinking at first, but it kinda wears on ya.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 07:52:29 | More by Mebuzzard

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours gold with a white head that dissipates quickly and left only a tiny amount of lacing.

S-I couldn't really detect anything on the nose but trace amounts of malts with a hint of hops.

T-Malty with some hop presence. I also noted some chalky notes as well. It is very crisp, clean, and refreshing.

M-Thicker than expected and nicely carbonated.

D-Very drinkable. This is the first example of this style I have tried and it exceeded my expectations.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer with my Thai food last night. It was much better than the Tiger Beer I had just before and would recommend it as an easy drinking alternative to American Macro swill.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 21:12:56 | More by thegodfather2701

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer pours a golden clear body with a sea of big bubbles popping at the surface. There is a snow packed white head that last for a good while.
S- This beer has a light floral perfume note that is almost like dry soap but is much more pleasant. Otherwise it is pretty clean in smell.
T- This beer has a water flavor that leads to a dry sulfur note with a faint green apple hard candy quality in the finish.
M- This beer has a light mouthfeel
D- The watery flavor is strong with the supporting flavors a bit odd and the apple grows as the beer warms but no hops or malt flavors come through to cover or support it.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 22:03:56 | More by rhoadsrage

NicholasCasber

Iowa

3.2/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This beer seemed like any other american light lager when poured into the glass, almost piss yellow, and barely no head after a straight pour.

S: The smell wasn't overly strong, you can tell it's a rice brewed beer.

T: The taste was actually one of my favorite parts of this beer, it started nice, the sad part is, that it ended with a very metal flavor, which isn't what I'm looking for in my beer.

M: The mouthfeel was fairly watery, but for a rice beer, it felt fairly full.

D: I'd rate this higher if it wasn't for that metal after taste.

Overall, interesting pick, I wouldn't rate it at the high end in comparison to some of the Asian beers I've tried, Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 02:03:53 | More by NicholasCasber