Chang Beer (Export) - Cosmos Brewery (Thai Beverage Plc.)

krazyboi

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12. oz can into regular glass cup.

A: Very little head formed and recedes very quickly leaving little to no lacing. Light yellow golden color.

S: Honey, grains, very silght citrus hops, yeast.

T: Pineappley, malty, biscuity, yeasty, slightly bitter aftertaste.

M: High carbonation that stings nicely, light.

D: This is a decent beer for the price. Probably one of the better brews that's brewed in Thailand. Hard to choose between this and Chang Extra. This one is more expensive, a bit more refined in flavor, but has lower alcohol content than the Chang Extra(6.5%). Try it and see for yourself!

Serving type: can

11-29-2011 14:51:44 | More by krazyboi

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.95/5  rDev +86.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

11.15oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottom of back label stamped BEST BEFORE 032812.

Appearance - Clear super pale straw body. Big loose rocky white head with decent to low stick and decent retention.

Sound - Sounds like Rice Crispies. For real. Had to add this category just this once, for this beer.

Smell - Smells strongly of honey. Also some faint corn undertones.

Taste - Smooth. Honey. Malty. Sweet. Balanced. No off characters. Very light.

Mouthfeel - Light. Extremely clean. No off characters whatsoever.

Overall Drinkability - -Possibly the best American Adjunct Lager I've ever had, and it's not even made in America! Keep in mind I'm rating in style here. Absolutely great in style. I'd almost dare to say I hate AAL's, but I actually really like this beer. The delicateness and balance of the flavors reminds me of the Westvleteren Blonde. I don't make these comments lightly.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 23:12:13 | More by ZenAgnostic

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: clear. pale yellow. very pale. head is white and bright and doesnt have a lot to work with. however does leave a rim of head and some lacing.

S: grain and a lot of sweet corn. a little buttery. has an aroma, but wayyyy too much sweetness.

T: similar to the nose, but a little less sweet. corny. some bitterness is actually in there, but not really hoppy? finish is dry and crisp.

M: average carbonation on a light body.

D: easy drinking, poundable brew. say what you want, but for an adjunct lager, this isnt that bad. any bits of flavor are a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:11:31 | More by Jimmys

BoitSansSoif

France

2.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Pale yellow w/white head, no retention.

S-Grass and floral hops, very faint pale malt.

T-Faint malt with light corny DMS flavor that becomes more apparent w/each sip.

M-Light body and carbonation, slightly sweet corny flavor throws off balance, which is delicate due to an overall lack of much taste.

O-Best served on a hot sunny day in Thailand, otherwise better off with something else.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 16:17:16 | More by BoitSansSoif

hustlesworth

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

A- clear golden with a dense creamy topped white head. much better looking than other adjunct lagers and euro pales. actually there's a slight haze to the brew. foam retention is pretty good but only leaves some minor spotty lacing.

S- i can smell the yeast in this one. mild lemon and coriander notes sneak around with a cookie sweetness and grass. a good swirl releases a bright flash of hops, but i wouldn't go so far as to call the aroma hoppy.

T- cardboardy pale malt and lemony grassy hops are the main flavor components here. there's some sweetness and a very light bitterness in the finish but overall seems watered down which of course, this style of beer usually does.

MF- totally undercarbonated, the bubbles are almost nitro-soft and that doesn't work well. without scrubbing bubbles, chang has a rubbery vinyl feel.

D- would be much better with more carbonation. by the way this beer looked initially, i expected something better and closer to a pils. as far as asian pale lagers, i'll go with a rice lager like sapporo before chang.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:20:02 | More by hustlesworth

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

2.03/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Got this on a whim. I've wanted to try Thai beer for a long time, but have never gotten around to it.

Vigorous pour out of an enormous brown bottle while watching BBC America on a wednesday night and eating some quesadillas yields a uriney-straw color with a white head made up of large white bubbles that recedes to nothing and leaves zero lacing.

Bits of wet grass and a hint of grains on the nose. That's it.

Really truly hardly any taste. Does it taste bad? No, but there's just zero taste there AT ALL. I started eating some string cheese (yea, I'm a high roller) with the beer, and that didn't really get me any where.

I still don't care for the mouthfeel category. What did it feel like in my mouth? Bubbly water? It was carbonated appropriately for the style. What else can I say?

Overall this is an incredibly accurate representation of the AAL category--bland and uninspiring. Will not be drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 06:08:26 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

chinchill

South Carolina

2.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Heavy 330ml brown bottle served in a pint glass. Best by date of July 2011, so it is a little past the 'best" date but the bottle has been in my refrigerator for some months and showed no sign of being over the hill.

Pours a light yellow straw color; clear with a 1+ finger sudsy head that quickly reduces to a ring and a small thin island. After a couple of minutes almost no visible carbonation.

Aroma: smells like corn or rice were used rather than, or in addition to, malt. A trace of hops. Not bad; but not promising.

Taste: A light beer. I haven't had an American light beer in a long time, so I can't really compare, but I think this would be a good one. ... rather faint praise, you'll note. Actually, there's a bit of flavor in mid-taste but it appears and disappears quickly, leaving a mild and short-lived hop-tinged lager finish and aftertaste.

Very light body with good, medium carbonation. Some dryness in the finish.

Not much to recommend this one, although it doesn't have any obvious flaws and works as a good beverage to accompany a meal.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 00:47:41 | More by chinchill

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.1/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Clear straw with large foamy head that sinks to a finger sized white one.

Yeasty & skunky with some grain & citrus hops. Averager, not much of note in the aroma.

Sweet with the flavour being made up of mostly corn & other adjuncts. A grassy hops taste & a bit of honey.

Really thin bodied & very smooth, almost watery. The carbonation is quite high as well but overall it's not bad on the palate & it is easy enough to drink.

An excellent session beer. Not as good as the domestic version but a solid beer none the less.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 21:53:14 | More by flyingpig

Kemmerlin

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: gold straw color with absolutely no head poured on a hard pour.
S: light lager yeast and slight biscuit but really lacks depth.
T: has the typical American macro lager taste much like a Budweiser. Overall average for the style.
M/D: light and watery just like a macrolager. Of course it's drinkable but really good for parties.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 21:34:27 | More by Kemmerlin

Sunnanek

Sweden

2.53/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours straw-colored with a rather large quickly sinking white head that leaves decent lacings.

S: Mild smell, typical of the style. Light sweet malt and corn with faint hops in the back.

T: Sweet malt, not that corny. Kind of flowery and candy-like.

M: Light body, strong carbonation and short aftertaste. Creamy smooth.

O: A rather nice Adjunct Lager, not too watery.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 19:29:31 | More by Sunnanek

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

2.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

330ml bottle 5,0% Abv.
Served cold in a pilsner glass.

Appearance: Very light golden body with a large white head that disappears pretty quickly and leaves a little lace.

Smell: Not much in the way of smell, but far less offensive than most lagers I have had recently. Light sweet adjuncty aroma and a touch of grassy hops.

Taste: As with the smell, very bland but not offensive in any way. Pretty sweet, light grain and some hops to finish (grassy flavour but without much bitterness).

Mouthfeel: Light body with decent carbonation - not exponentially over carbonated like most lagers.

Overall: I am surprised, one of the few lagers I have had in recent months that I didn't struggle to finish. I could drink this with a good curry and be quite happy.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 19:31:57 | More by Thehuntmaster

Durge

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A light golden yellow color with a modest white ring on top and fair lacing on the chilled pilsner glass. The aroma is firm wheat and rice/corn sort of breadiness. The flavor follows suit with grainy goodness in a medium light bodied brew with plenty of light but lively carbonation for a refreshing feel. There is an interesting grape idea mixed in but basically this is just another international generic “beer” that is plenty drinkable and goes good with food. Feel free to have one but I doubt you’ll be motivated to stock up.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 03:53:41 | More by Durge

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours pale yellow with a decent foamy white head. Good clarity, no lace.

Sweet grass, some light malt in the nose. Some mineral notes, but real lean here.

Dry, thin, lightly bitter, with some bitter grassy malt. Some corn and mild grain. Dries out. Light flavored -- no depth.

Lighter bodied. Good carbonation. Not hated, but not great. The bitterness works, but there isn't much else to this one. Very light flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 00:32:44 | More by OtherShoe2

DrJay

Massachusetts

1.85/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Straw yellow with faint haze and a white cap that quickly disappeared, other than a thin collar and a few spotty specks clinging to the glass. Mild aroma, dry malt extract and cooked corn, sweet with cereal graininess, a little grassy. The flavour is poorly balanced. Too much sweetness up front, not just malty but nearly sugary, grainy character, with bitterness that was quite low yet still sort of harsh and sharp. A bit fruity with lingering astringency and a hint of spiciness. The texture wasn't terrible, but wasn't appealing either -- low to medium bodied with rough carbonation. I'd pass on this in the future even if it was free.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 19:19:14 | More by DrJay

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pale straw yellow apperance with thin white head that quickly disappears leaving some head. Smell consists of grain with some corn and honey. Hard to pick up though.

Taste consists is similar to the smell, grainy corn taste with a hint of honey, fruit and some malt. Taste is very light overall. Light bodied with low carbonation. Aftertaste is very dry with a lingering honey taste.

Not the most flavorfull beer around, would be good to swig on if your eating spicy food. Otherwise, only worth it to try a beer from Thailand.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 01:36:08 | More by CrazyMike

UCLABrewN84

California

3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Part of a Beers of the World pack from Cost Plus World Market.

Pours a crystal clear light yellow with a 1 inch foamy white head that fades to a thin cap. Thin rings of lace drip back down into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of sweet grains and corn flakes with a slight honey aroma as the beer warms. Taste is of sweet grains and corn flakes too. This beer has an average level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average lager in every sense. Nothing too bad but nothing too great either.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 00:41:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

rarbring

Sweden

2.08/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

The brew is clear straw colored with a white head and little lacing.

The smell has a corn flakes flavor, and some lemonade.

Tastes rather sweet, white bread, orange and some grass notes.

Medium carbonation, soft texture and a small body, a very faint dryness.

Not much to talk about, good if you want a modest experience.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 16:22:22 | More by rarbring

notchucknorris

California

3.18/5  rDev +20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pale golden color with a thin white head that disappears quickly.

S: Some lemon, grain, lager yeast and a little green apple.

T: Pretty much the same as the smell. Lager yeast, some faint breadiness, maybe a touch of grass and some grain. Not the worst, but far from the best.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 04:09:40 | More by notchucknorris

Mora2000

Texas

2.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

The beer pours a basic light, clear yellow color with a white head. The aroma is full of corn and grain with nothing else going on. The flavor is more of the same. Other than the grain, I get a little bit of grass but that is it. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Outside of the fact the beer was not skunked - as I expected it to be - I don't have anything else nice to say.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:11:40 | More by Mora2000

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.28/5  rDev -14%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Fizzy yellow beer. Almost nothing in the aroma. Cooked vegetal aroma.

Taste is clean, refreshing in hot weather, but lacks a substantive flavor component. Rice and corn. Could see this being worthy with some spicy food. A minor degree of hops and bitterness is ascertainable, but far from making a legitimate impact, and only noticeable because of the extreme lack of malt content. Carbonated for sure.

More expensive than BMC, but the quality is in line with them.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 21:27:43 | More by Beerandraiderfan

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A clear golden colored beer is covered by a medium sized white head that dies into a very small lacing.

A very light bready malt and sour hops mixed aroma

There's a thin watery feel to this beer as you drink which made me think that it tastes like watered down Budweiser, and after a few more drinks I do believe that is what this beer is.

A very light dryish aftertaste, a very forgettable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 21:17:54 | More by LXIXME

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

11.2 oz.

Pours a medium clear gold color, sudsy white head is minimal.

Smells of rice/corn adjuncts and malted barley.

Tastes light and sweet, almost tart. No bitterness, mostly fresh sweet malt.

Feels medium to thin with bubbly carbonation.

Not really good but not really bad either, just a middle of the road straightforward lager, a half step above the average American macro probably for not other reason than novelty. But with some spicy thai food, it really hits the spot. Nothing to drink just for drinking it, but it complements food well enough to be passable.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 01:22:33 | More by Cylinsier

Justin23060

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Not much of a head that was gone before I even sat down. Slighty cloudy straw color. Smells mostly of cereal/corn w/ some grass. Taste is typical island lager style. Refreshing in a lawn mowing beer kinda way. At least its not crossing that sickning sweet threshold and does taste pretty fresh. Watery and lacking in the carbination department. Thinking this would probably be great at taming a spicy plate of pad kee mao (Thai Drunken Noodle). I will probably seek it out next time I go to a Thai restaurant, but probably won't have it again at home.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 04:12:55 | More by Justin23060

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

341ml bottle, solid Thai imagery themed label.

This beer pours a crystal clear medium golden hue, with two fingers of thin foamy white head, which leaves some sparse streaked lace around the glass upon it relatively slow demise. It smells of bready cereal grain, a bit of stale lemon, and a slight nail-polish booziness. The taste is more sweet breakfast cereal grain, and earthy, somewhat tangy hops. The carbonation is a bit on the high side, the body medium-light in weight, and kind of cloying. It finishes off-dry, with a warming grainy character.

Like its fellow Thai offering around here, this comes off better than expected. I wasn't having Thai food when I had this beer, so I can't do the usual ethnic "x food with x beverage" comparison, but it went down easily, and was enjoyable enough for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 06:41:06 | More by biboergosum

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Single bottle from a Thai restaurant in Gold Coast, Qld. Paired with some excellent green curry.

Poured into a schooner glass. Pale golden, a mild white head, decent lacing. Not bad.

Nose is mild, but nevertheless is quite pleasant - mild floral hops, honey, pale lager malt, perhaps a bit of rice or other extract.

Smooth, with a pleasant if uninspired flavor. Tastes like a better-than-average Asian lager (compare with Tiger, Zhujiang, etc.), and provided some quality palette-cleansing with dinner.

Watery, decent carbonation.

An innofensive, decent-tasting macro lager that did its job well. As far as being a 'country-ticker' brew, this one is certainly better than most. Sometimes, all you need is a pale lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 05:53:02 | More by JohnnyBarman