Hue Beer - Hue Brewery LTD

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.19/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25

Had this at a bar in Hue. Bottle was marked 'export' as well. From notes.

A - Poured gold and bright with good carbonation. One finger of white head was gone fast and left no lace or retention.

S - Really mild. Honey and grain.

T - Chemically corn. Grain and honey as well. Flavour began quite offensive with that cleaning product thing going on. Mellowed out further down the road with more honey and grain.

M - At first this was a little hard to get down but it became a little easier furthern on. Good carbonation, lightish body and a little dryness after a heavy adjunct sweetness.

O/D - Not something I'd want too much of. That chemical note was really offputting, but it was smoother as it went on. Not one of Vietnam's finest, but definitely not its worst.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 13:12:11 | More by tbeckett

UCLABrewN84

California

2.33/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

Pours a clear golden-yellow with a foamy white head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and vegetal aromas. Taste is much the same with sugary and metallic flavors on the finish. There is a very mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a poor beer with some aromas and flavors that make it pretty much undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 03:15:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

Gila

1.31/5  rDev -45.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.25

I'd never heard of Hue beer before tonight when I saw it on the menu at a local Vietnamese restaurant. I remember images of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnamese war and the street battles that occurred in Hue. My cautious side said to order something that I already knew was good, but my adventurous side got the better of me, so Hue it was.

Oh, wow! Not so good. This import, I swear, must be one of Vietnam's ways of getting back at us for what happened in Hue. However, I can't say that I'm sorry that I ordered it since it's provided me with a new baseline for judging awful.

The initial pour from the heavy bottle into the glass looked adequate — not promising, but adequate. It was a very light but vivid yellow with a thin, but average amount of foam. Bringing it up to my mouth, however, the smell of sour, yeasty, and slightly decaying skunk drifted into my nostrils. I had to, first, sit it down, shake my head, then work up to actually tasting it.

Once past the foul odor, the taste was somewhat better, but only in comparison to the offensive aroma. The taste was a weak, flat and incongruous mixture of clashing flavors that rapidly decayed into a slight metallic aftertaste. Admittedly, there was a hint of actual beer flavor mixed in with what I can best describe as a fermented concoction of boiled rice and corn strained with a dirty sock into a bucket of composted grass clippings. Holding my breath while drinking it provided me with the several attempts necessary to empty about half the glass before giving up.

I'm rarely unable to finish a beer, but this was one of those times. Although some here have given it an average ranking, I think that mostly provides evidence that different people experience tastes in vastly different ways, 'cause I honestly can't imagine anyone liking this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:57:16 | More by Gila

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.94/5  rDev +22%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Bottle (£1.39 from Chung Yong Supermarket, Glasgow):
Golden with a 0.5cm white head that has slightly foamy texture. The beer is pretty clear with a lot of bubbles rising to the surface. The head also stays pretty well with no visible reduction.

Light with some corn and grassy hops, there is a bit of bread and some basic lager adjuncts coming through. There was also some light lager malts as well with a touch of skunk.

Light hops, a grassy flavour with some bread and light lager malts. There is some very light citrus and a touch of grain. As expected this one was a basic lager taste.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation and a very slightly gassy feel and is refreshing at least.

Okay for what it was, a mass-produced and very cheap (at least in Vietnam anyway) pale lager that hits the spot, particularly in a hotter climate. It's by no means great but it is worth a try more for the novelty of trying a Vietnamese beer when you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 09:52:21 | More by flyingpig

thegodfather1076

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +46.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer was served out of a 12oz. bottle dispensed into a glass....

Presentation - Very eye catching label with OK artwork. Has a gold foil wrap around neck and cap. Really looks like it came from the Orient.

Appearance - Pours out a crystal clear golden yellow with a 1 finger fizzy white foam head. Moderate carbonation rising from the glass.

Smell - Smells of earthy grassy hops mixed with bread-like corn-like malt aroma. Almost has a faint white wine aroma.

Taste - Tastes of rice malt flavor with hints or corn malt flavor. Slight hop bitterness mixed with a faint white wine flavor on the back end.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied despite medium carbonation. Very light, crisp, and smooth.

Drinkability - Refreshing with a light feel that doesn't fill you up. Drinkable on a hot day

My first time having this and first time having anything brewed in Vietnam. A very unique taste unlike anything I have ever had. Very refreshing and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Now I have a go to beer if I ever find myself in Vietnam or more likely at a Vietnamese eatery.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 22:16:34 | More by thegodfather1076

rangerred

Tennessee

2.73/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a very pale yellow with a tiny fizzy head.

Smells of sweet grain along with a little bit of lemon. Somewhat promising

The taste starts off decent with some sweet bready grain typical of cheap Euro lagers. This doesn't last long however, as a harsh bitterness takes hold. The grain fades away into nothing but bitterness. The mouthfeel is sticky but dry at the same time. Not a very pleasant finish.

Overall this beer wasn't all that enjoyable. I could drink it again but probably wouldn't.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 22:58:11 | More by rangerred

jerryjeff

Tennessee

2.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Aroma
Very light grassy scent that is pretty vibrant, think there are some adjuncts there somewhere. Slight sweetish malt, this really smells like a BMC to me.

Mouthfeel
Medium/higher end of carbonation some slight bitterness. Kind of watery, I think the carbonation is meant to attempt to try to hide some of this but doesn't do that well

Appearance
Pale straw in a goblet glass. Poured to slight head that left quickly although maybe some slight lacing with the little that's there

Taste
Some bitterness with a sweetish undercurrent that isn't very pleasant. It really tastes a bit like Stag to me, although I like Stag more.

Drinkability
Fairly, it's meant to be a drink a bunch/sessionable beer but there's a taste in there I don't care for much that's kind of sickish sweet

Overall
average if I'm comparing to american pilsner with the added expense of purchasing this it's definitely not worth a premium.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 00:58:11 | More by jerryjeff

mrfrancis

Kentucky

2.73/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Poured a clear yellow with a thin, fizzy white
mousse that hardly left any lacing at all. Looked like a standard commercial lager. Nothing special.

S: Very faint aromas of grassy, citrusy hops and bready malt. Very generic and sterile, but not as offensive as some beers of this style.

T: Initially malty and dry with notes of biscuits, crackers, rice paper, straw, grass, and lemon. The finish was quick and quenching with grassy hop notes and a bit of a sweet, bready flavor. I did not detect the corn adjunct notes that many other reviewers found.

M: Light-to-medium bodied and dry, but surprisingly lacking the crispness of many pale lagers. Kind of flabby for a beer of this style.

O: I can't see myself having this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 17:03:49 | More by mrfrancis

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

355ml Bottle

Appearance - Clear gold/yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is a fair/good amount of lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, malts, corn, light hops

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. I can taste grains mixed with malts and some cooked corn. It finishes with a grainy and malty aftertaste with a very small amount of hop bitterness.

Overall – Well, it was better than I thought it was going to be. The bottle label looks like something that was homemade on a cheap printer. There is nothing offensive about this beers taste but it is also unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 19:14:51 | More by spinrsx

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev +46.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

How could I not? Sucker for the label art. From Vietnam via Texas. 12oz into pint glass with some onion rings. Gold foil indicates that this is a 'fancy' beer.

A- Crystal clear yellow pour, pale pale pale, with a surprisingly big and attractive head. Sticky foam, snow-white in color.

S- Pears. Very faint.

T- Mild pear fruitiness.. some honeysuckle... some wishy washy grains. Not too many flavors, but they're all light and crisp.

M- Adequate carbonation, crisp on the tongue. Impossibly light body..

O- Moderately tasty, easy to drink, refreshing. Wouldn't mind plowing through a handful of these on a hot day. Better than expected.

618

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 02:11:35 | More by ShogoKawada

jera1350

Minnesota

1.25/5  rDev -48.1%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Thought I would try out a Vietnam beer seeing that I only paid 99 cents for a bottle.

I have never seen a beer so light and clear in color. Thin white foam on top. The biggest problem is that there is some small and almost fuzzy looking things floating around in the beer. Yeesh!

Smells of adjuncts. Corn sweetness with even just a little hint of citrus. Light and cheap grain smelling.

Some promise to start, but then drops off quickly and turns downright offensive. Starts out with corn sweetness, turns to nothingness and then finishes with an extremely bitter, yet bland taste. Almost aspartame aftertaste.

Thin, watery and flat.

This really is a bad beer and should be avoided at all costs. Hopefully this isn't the best Vietnam has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 00:05:10 | More by jera1350

fizzy

Minnesota

2.2/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

In about month I will be in Vietnam and plan on trying some of their local beers. Thank goodness I tried this one before I left.

The beer pours yellow, like most beer, but what is that odd little stuff floating around in there?

I really didn't think that anything would beat out Cold Spring Brewery brands for the bottom of the barrel, but Hue succeeded.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 23:12:03 | More by fizzy

secondtooth

Indiana

2.8/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Didn't expect much from this one, being shipped from thousands of miles away and likely sitting in a warehouse somewhere for who knows how long. This golden lager pours with large lacing and bits of scary sediment. The nose is yeasty and corny. Nonetheless, the taste is fairly crisp, with a definite adjunct character, and a slightly hoppy zing. Better than expected, but not one to pursue, either.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 00:08:39 | More by secondtooth

HiLLWiLLiam

Mississippi

1.13/5  rDev -53.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I thought it would be cool to try a beer from Vietnam. I wish I could rethink that decision. Think about the pee that incubates in the bottom of a construction site urinal after two weeks and you have Hue Beer. As my friend Fred Savage would say, I definitely payed for the import. Piss-ass beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 02:28:23 | More by HiLLWiLLiam

jsprain1

Minnesota

2.05/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Pours a golden yellow with a pretty large head. Head dissapates quickly but is better than average for AAL
S- Aroma is a very faint grain aromatic.
T- Very sweet. A bit of faint corn, rice, and just a hint of vinegar. The flavors didn't mesh well and the sweetness didn't help.
M- thin, undercarbed.
D- This beer is a below average beer. Even for AAL's. Just not one I can get into.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 07:02:11 | More by jsprain1

adamette

Ohio

2.45/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Poured from the 12 oz. bottle that I bought as a single at Heinen's in Willoughby Hills, Ohio a few weeks ago into my DFH pint glass.

A Translucent light straw yellow body under an initially generous 3 inch meringue like head but that dissipated down to a single layer of bubbles. The look is very close to water but the nice head that leaves o.k. lacing makes it about average overall. 3.0

S Distant corn malt, some barley, no hops detected by my nose. 2.0

T Really thin, bad Adjunct lager style that is very close to water. It is difficult to believe that this beer has less taste than BMC but I think that it does. 2.0

M Thin like water, not impressed. 2.0

D Very good but I will not test that quality any time soon. 4.0

Notes: My first Vietnamese beer is a big disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 02:13:37 | More by adamette

Vancer

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Gold capped 120z bottle, no dating on the label. Imported through Texas Not a good start, but lets give 'er a go.

Pours a very light straw yellow into the Bitburger glass, minimal white heading. Also minimal aroma of grainy malt - very subdued.

The quaff? Ya know, not too bad at all. Of course, just a light and sweet tasting pilsner with perhaps a corn backbone, but no aftertaste - crisp and clean. No problem finishing one after mowing - in fact, tasted darn nice. Wouldn't go after it again with the import price, but enjoyed this one today.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 22:52:47 | More by Vancer

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.4/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Brown 350ml bottle ABV of 5% and according to the rear label brewed from Purest water, barley, rice, hops...

Best before 26 Dec 09, drank on a glorious afternoon in June 09. Poured into a Corsendonk Grand Cru stemmed tulip glass. Strong Chedder with cellery salt and a hot gooseberry chutney were taken with the beer, after the initial notes.

Looked OK, medium to light golden lager colour, thin white head. Clear and bright impression, I then noticed small particles flaoting within.

Stale sort of smell, dirty dishcloth or dirty glass type of smell, not pleasant at all.

Tasted like most rice lagers, bland and fairly dry. Ideal for quenching a thirst after some hard labour, but not a lager I'd drink on a regular basis. Sadly the small gets me everytime I take a sip.

Not a great lager, but it is another country added to my list that is taking me drinking around the world, this is country number 61.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2009 16:19:26 | More by BlackHaddock

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

1.98/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

straw coloured, a little foaming white head. Aroma beery-malt, not impressive. Taste is fizzily carbonated beer, fairly basic. Not worth travelling to Nam for, good thing their numbers in Montreal justify bringing bottles here. Almost undrinkable, and below average mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 03:48:00 | More by northyorksammy

wagenvolks

Texas

2.6/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

355ml bottle into a Meantime snifter.

Pours a like your typical adjunct lager---crystal clear, pale straw hue with a minuscule eggshell-white head that retains (surprisingly) well. Aroma isn't great, but better than average for the style, with notes of rice, white wine, crystal malt, and a vagueness of floral hops.

Tastes like carbonated water with faint traces of rice and pale malt. It isn't an unpleasant flavor, it's just that there's not much of it. Surprisingly decent aftertaste of hops and white grape juice. Mouthfeel is light-bodied, well-carbonated and crisp, with no harsh adjunct-y off-flavors or sensations. Again, Hue Beer isn't the best in the world, but as a lawnmower beer I'd probably pick it over any BMC product.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 05:40:48 | More by wagenvolks

Bierguy5

Ohio

2.2/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 oz., foil capped bottle. Pours a very pale gold color. Almost no color at all. White rocky head holds for a minute or so, then fades away. A few streaming bubbles coming from the bottom.

Very pale, grainy aroma. A bit of cooked corn. Nothing in the way of hops in the nose.

Very pale flavored. a bit sweet. Clean, with not much character at all. A bit of an odd, earthy finish.

Light body, with a good amount of carbonation. Very weak.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 22:24:46 | More by Bierguy5

mrmanning

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a sparkling gold with an average one finger of frothy white head. Nose was pale malts, some grains, some lemon and a smidgen of hops. Tasted mostly of sweet grains and a touch of grassy, bitter hops. Spritzy and clean finish. A lot better than I expected it to be.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2008 01:01:10 | More by mrmanning

JDV

Texas

1.38/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 1 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Pours a very clear light yellow and looks very watery. Smell is sourish malt and pretty unappealing. Taste is very bland and slightly malty with some definite off flavors of some kind. Bitterness that doesn't seem like it should be there almost...Very bad pale lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 18:41:34 | More by JDV

barleywinefiend

Washington

2/5  rDev -17%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured a yellow urine color with no head. Terrible, stay away. It tasted like an overgrown Natural Light. Smelled of grain, some other things and the mouthfeel was just malty, grain and water. It was really as bad or worse than American macros. Stay away.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2008 15:32:48 | More by barleywinefiend

bluemoonswoon

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle with some heft to it, poured into a pilsener glass, no freshness date.

A: Pours a crystal clear straw yellow with a creamy one and a half inch, creamy white head, good solid ropes of carbonation bubbling up from the bottom and does wonders for head retention which eventually bubbles away into a loose cap. Could have benefited from some extra lacing because there is not much here.

S: Strong dextrose and toasted, almost burnt maltiness, corn is there to be sure, but really not as bad as the other reviews on here seem to indicate, nothing special but there are worse noses out there to be sure.

T/MF: Buttery apple (no corn at least) that gets more bitter as it lingers on the palate, there is a bit of grassyness here as well that might benefit from a bit more carbonation as the body here is a bit too light for the lack of carbonation it displays, the finish is bitter and drying and leaves a husky flavor across the tongue.

D: This beer is not as bad as people make it out to be, a bit above a macro lager, but not really anything more than that, it is easy to drink and on a hot day (perhaps in Vietnam) would be quite refreshing, but as it stands, just an average beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2008 21:32:15 | More by bluemoonswoon