Yanjing Beer - Beijing Yanjing Beer Group Corporation

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

2.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

500 mL can from the LCBO; best before April 24 2013.

Pours that familiar pale golden-yellow colour, topped with a surprisingly impressive puffy, sparkling white head. It even leaves behind a network of lacing on the sides as it gradually dissipates over the next few minutes. I must admit that for the style, it does look pretty good. The aroma is another story. It's not particularly strong, but the minimal vegetal, corny aroma still manages to be a bit of a turnoff.

Mild, bland flavour without a lot to talk about. It is basically just irritatingly sweet due to the obvious abundance of adjuncts used, and there is no sign of any hop (or even extract) dryness to balance it. Just bland, grainy, corny, fizzy water with a hint of appleskin. Light-bodied, with good carbonation for the style. The bland flavour and good mouthfeel of this stuff make it reasonably drinkable, but it's definitely a lager I would get sick of quickly. A pint is plenty for me, thanks.

I assume this is made with rice, because it kind of reminds me of a Japanese Rice Lager. Except, of course, with the caveat that it is a very poorly made one. Or perhaps it's just the mutant offspring of JRLs and common adjunct lagers - a truly monstrous creation to release upon the world. What have I done to deserve to fall victim to its wrath? Oh right - I'm the sucker who bought it.

Final Grade: 2.35, an unimpressive D+. Yanjing is nothing more than a below-average fizzy yellow beer; a grating stereotype that we have already been provided access to through countless domestic counterparts. Finding a superior substitute for a comparable (or even better) price is a trivial task, so there is just no reason to bother with this swill. This stuff would probably pair fine with takeout or something equally greasy/spicy - but from what I remember of it, Tsingtao would be my preferred Chinese lager. At least this one was cheap, but I really wouldn't expect anything less from a lame Chinese knockoff.

Serving type: can

06-29-2012 06:24:06 | More by thehyperduck

cadaugherty

Illinois

3/5  rDev +17.2%

05-09-2013 00:13:30 | More by cadaugherty

Eastside151

Ohio

2.25/5  rDev -12.1%

05-01-2013 02:50:41 | More by Eastside151

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev +38.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Yanjing Beer has a thick, white head and a clear, bubbly, golden appearance, with some thin lacing left behind. The aroma is sugary sweet and grainy. Tastse is of the same, with a bit of paper and some light bittering thrown in. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Yanjing Beer finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and easy going. Overall, this is a very good beer, and I am so glad I was able to try it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:07:08 | More by RonaldTheriot

BigBarley

Texas

3/5  rDev +17.2%

04-03-2013 08:22:52 | More by BigBarley

dertyd

California

3/5  rDev +17.2%

03-23-2013 23:55:02 | More by dertyd

BGsWo22

New York

1/5  rDev -60.9%

03-21-2013 00:17:29 | More by BGsWo22

BucBasil

South Carolina

2.53/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

Picked this up at a local thai place with some spicy pad thai.

A: poured from the 330 ml green bottle into a pint glass. the beer is light orange with a one finger head that doesn't last very long. Lots of carbonation.

S: somewhat malty but also an off cooked smell underneath. Other than that pretty faint.

T: malt and some thin hop flavor that is more vegetal. Somewhat watery. Not great. Adjuncty and really obvious.

Overall: typical asian pale lager. Nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected here.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 21:25:49 | More by BucBasil

mjacquard

Ontario (Canada)

1.5/5  rDev -41.4%

03-13-2013 23:18:46 | More by mjacquard

ianai

2.5/5  rDev -2.3%

02-17-2013 23:22:10 | More by ianai

Dapperticus

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +56.3%

02-17-2013 05:12:44 | More by Dapperticus

sumpjh

California

3/5  rDev +17.2%

02-13-2013 13:39:49 | More by sumpjh

randylangford

Pennsylvania

1.25/5  rDev -51.2%

02-13-2013 01:30:59 | More by randylangford

tourdot

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -2.3%

02-13-2013 01:28:35 | More by tourdot

rorjets

Connecticut

1/5  rDev -60.9%

02-10-2013 15:16:11 | More by rorjets

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -2.3%

01-30-2013 07:51:14 | More by schopenhauerale

Kyrojack

Indiana

2/5  rDev -21.9%

01-29-2013 23:19:42 | More by Kyrojack

scot_chale

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - very pretty beer. crystal clear with excited carbon dioxide. 1 finger of white pillowy foam that almost completely disappears after a minute.

S - exactly what I expect from Chinese beer. Skunky hops all the way.

T- not as hoppy as it smells. light and lackluster, but a thirst quencher for sure.

M- sharp. the high level of carbonation almost stings your tongue. swishing it around gives a creamy effect, but very bubbly. any more CO2 and it'd be champagne.

O- Not bad. It's what I expect in a green Chinese bottle of beer. I'd drink it if someone else bought it. Wouldn't be bad while mowing the lawn in the summer. I'd rather have a Schell's Pils for this style.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 23:54:47 | More by scot_chale

cliff1066

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -2.3%

12-27-2012 20:03:15 | More by cliff1066

jbarra101

Texas

2/5  rDev -21.9%

12-26-2012 20:58:17 | More by jbarra101

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev +7.4%

12-07-2012 03:14:19 | More by ThinkAgain

mwar

Kentucky

3/5  rDev +17.2%

12-02-2012 21:57:15 | More by mwar

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -21.9%

11-11-2012 00:10:39 | More by cfalovo97

UCLABrewN84

California

2.68/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt and grain. Taste is much the same with a mild grassy flavor on the finish. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer that smells better than it tastes but that isn't saying much.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 23:57:27 | More by UCLABrewN84

harpus

Alabama

2/5  rDev -21.9%

10-16-2012 17:03:47 | More by harpus