Beer reviews: Tiger Beer

Asia’s number one beer, Tiger Beer is brewed by Asia Pacific Breweries in Singapore, which comes under the umbrella of Heineken. APB has breweries not only in its home country of Singapore but also in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Tiger, which has been produced since 1932, is the company’s flagship brand. It has won over 30 international awards for its quality and is available in certain outlets including most supermarkets and off licences in the UK at around 1.10 for a 330ml bottle. It is also popular in many ethnic restaurants, particularly those specialising in Malaysian/Singaporean and Indonesian cuisine.

SO… did I journey to the exotic Far East to sample this beer authentically? Perhaps I treated myself to an evening of sampling the culinary delights of the Orient, before washing it all down with copious amounts of felinious, malt-based beverage? OR….did I wait until the mercury crept above ground level and open up a bottle purchased from my local supermarket, sit in the garden and bolt that sucker down my neck?

Have a wild guess.

The colour is a very pale golden. Less carbonation than a pilsener, it has tiny bubbles rising to a reasonable, but not big, head. A hint of malt, and like most pilseners it has a bit of a metallic smell, although this is not present in the finish. There’s an earthy, slightly citrus aroma to the beer but overall the aroma is fairly mild.

This is a delightfully smooth lager that is almost perfect on the palate for this style. There’s a sharp, citrus (lemon?) tang initially, and a little sweetness before the malt flavour kicks in. It has a thoroughly smooth mouth feel, and not being too gassy, this is a nice little beer. Not only is it delicious, with a refreshingly malty taste, it’s very sharp and clean and very drinkable.

With an ABV of 5% this is an average strength lager and I have to say is probably just an average beer. Having said that, as an ‘imported’ lager it is pretty much above average. When comparing this to others in the same style I found this to be far more pleasant and drinkable. I only had the one bottle but could easily have drank a few more.

A great thirst quencher and ideal when served ice-cold in the hot and humid weather to be found in South East Asia. Or even occasionally in South East Scotland.

Would I drink it again? – If I wait until the next heatwave in Scotland….probably not for a long, long time!