Chang Beer 5% alcohol content whats happening

[Ponlamai]

2 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Best is beer Lao dark 6.5%. It's good. I've seen some 7/11's selling it as well as supermarkets. Does anyone know if you can buy a case of it in BKK somewhere ? 

Makro sells it in Samui.

[elgenon]

3 hours ago, Nowisee said:

No more local thai "beer" for me until they allow the making and selling of craft beer.  I save my money for real farangland craft beers.  

Saw a sign on Candy Store on Walking St saying they were selling Thai craft beer.

[SunsetT]

Old Chang was 6.4% and I didnt like the taste at all; too sweet and sickly for me. I like the latest Chang which was originally declared to be 5% but I reckon it was still stronger than most other beers which are 5%, so I stayed with the others which I like as, unlike the OP, I want a decent taste with the least alcohol. Last time I looked Chang was labeled at 5.2% so I was right in that it was stronger, and I reckon that it could be even stronger than that.

[mikosan]

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Best is beer Lao dark 6.5%. It's good. I've seen some 7/11's selling it as well as supermarkets. Does anyone know if you can buy a case of it in BKK somewhere ? 

Yes, a great beer.  Makro stock it, must be a Makro in BKK somewhere?

[GreasyFingers]

I liked to drink Singha Light occasionally for a change of taste and to decease the alcohol intake. They increased it from 3.5% to 4.5% even with the new tax rates.   Not that I really mind but have to drink super all of the time.

Beer Lao Dark is the best but the 6% Cheers is good too.

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, SunsetT said:

Old Chang was 6.4% and I didnt like the taste at all; too sweet and sickly for me. I like the latest Chang which was originally declared to be 5% but I reckon it was still stronger than most other beers which are 5%, so I stayed with the others which I like as, unlike the OP, I want a decent taste with the least alcohol. Last time I looked Chang was labeled at 5.2% so I was right in that it was stronger, and I reckon that it could be even stronger than that.

The declared strength against the actual strength. Isn't that one of those TIT situations?

 

I'm sure I read months ago that the brewer is allowed something like a 0.5% "error" when declaring the ABV.

Then there's the tax due on different ABVs.

Hence by under-declaring the ABV by a small amount, the brewer is liable to pay tax at the lower rate. IIRC isn't Chang 5.2% in reality, but declared at 5%?

I wait to be corrected on my faulty memory.

[mikosan]

1 hour ago, Estrada said:

My cousin started the real ale pub craze in the UK with his Bruce's Brewery which pioneered the Firkin brand in about 1980. Started off with 'The Goose & Firkin,' near Borough tube,  and the next in Lewisham  called 'The Fox & Firkin' had a promo T-shirt with logo 'For Fox Sake, Buy Me A Firkin Pint.' Then they spread around London, The Phoenix (Denmark Hill), The Flounder (Holloway Road) and there were 2 others I remember, one near Portobello Road near Westbourne Park tube and one in Goswell Road. They named their 6% beers "Knee Trembler, Dog Bolter, Gobstopper" and various other descriptions of efficacy". At that time Thai beer was around 6%, but various Governments have been encouraging a reduction in strength to 5% in a vain attempt to reduce deaths from drink driving. Thai beer still has a similar alcohol content as US or European beers.

I remember them well, great pubs all of them.  I think the one near Portobello Road was the Frog & Firkin.  My local was in Victoria Park Road, Hackney, called the Falcon & Firkin, I believe. I remember taking my old man there for a few when he came to visit.  He loved the Dogbolter, which was at least 6%, if I remember correctly.  They brewed on the premises there.  Happy days.

[Paul Laycock1]

Argh what’s your problem with vegetarians from southern England and Chang drinkers. I’m both.

[mikiea]

11 hours ago, dfdgfdfdgs said:

what % was it before?

beer alcohol % =expensive cane sugar= less sugar and weaker beer .1 to 1.5 % alcohol change  and your talking ton's and ton's  of sugar ...do the math . leads to more beer bought .

Edited December 23, 2017 by mikiea

[Formaleins]

3 hours ago, smotherb said:

Have you tried Redhorse, about 8%. A Philippine beer brewed here and pretty cheap; last I saw it was at Tops

Red Horse is San Miguel, it has been brewed here for years and is 6% Alc. not 8%.

It is a much better beer than the current Chang Classic and at 49-50 Baht per 640ml bottle is pretty decent value. (Chang has bot only gradually decreased Alc. from 6.4% - 6%, then 5.8% and down to 5%, it has also dropped the bottle size from 640Ml to I think 610ml)

[lagavulin1]

7 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

Used to be a great beer but is now totally undrinkable.

Did you also notice that the bottles are smaller than they used to be.

 

Smaller bottles, lower strength and tastes awful but the price keeps going up.

Try Cheers Extra. 6%

CX has also reduced alcohol. I believe was also 6.4%

[MW72]

If I remember correctly some time over a year ago Chang had a big rebranding drive and that was when the old 6.4% disappeared and was replaced by the 5%. I seem to remember a couple of Thai celebs getting in trouble for "advertising" it on Facebook. Al I know is that most of our village drank Leo until the rebrand and now they all drink Chang . Just shows what a bit of rebranding and a couple of celebrities can do. I still drink Leo or if I feel flush I have a Heineken. Not a fan of Chang now but the old stuff was awful. It got the beer buzz on much quicker but that was followed very quickly by a headache. I don't know what chemicals were in it but I've never has a headache like that from any beer/lager and that wasn't a hangover headache. That was only after a few beers.

[OJAS]

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

They have reduced it in stages over the last few years.

 

I believe it's related to tax rates and they have been preparing for this for a long time, even though the tax rates only changed and were in fact announced recently.

Yes, I was wondering whether this might be the root cause rather than any altruistic concern on the brewers' part about the welfare of road users.

[tandor]

8 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

Used to be a great beer but is now totally undrinkable.

Did you also notice that the bottles are smaller than they used to be.

 

Smaller bottles, lower strength and tastes awful but the price keeps going up.

Try Cheers Extra. 6%

..Thais would never notice.

[Chongalulu]

5 hours ago, Nowisee said:

No more local thai "beer" for me until they allow the making and selling of craft beer.  I save my money for real farangland craft beers.  

Is that the 'real beers' made from sofa springs to appeal to weird beard types? ;-)

[baboon]

I really do see a few years down the line, beer here being 4% piss in tiny bottles, sold at jaw-droppingly expensive prices.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, mikosan said:

Yes, a great beer.  Makro stock it, must be a Makro in BKK somewhere?

 

There's one on Narithiwas Road, a bit down the road from the Chong Nonsi BTS station. From there, you can take the BRT (Bangkok Rapid Bus line) from its Sathorn station about two stops to get off at the Technic Krungthep stop, and walk a short distance from there.

[james1995]

I can barely get redhorse down my throat.  That stuff is nasty.

[toofarnorth]

3 hours ago, crazyk said:

Cheers red can is 6%

The nearest I have got to here for a good dark beer is Cheers Riceberry , try it out there , go on you know you want to , trust me.

[toofarnorth]

2 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Old Chang was 6.4% and I didnt like the taste at all; too sweet and sickly for me. I like the latest Chang which was originally declared to be 5% but I reckon it was still stronger than most other beers which are 5%, so I stayed with the others which I like as, unlike the OP, I want a decent taste with the least alcohol. Last time I looked Chang was labeled at 5.2% so I was right in that it was stronger, and I reckon that it could be even stronger than that.

Have you tried U Beer , cheaper than Chang or Leo ( in Lotus ) and goes down better . Well I think so , try it with a slice of lime , there yer go lager and lime , trust me.

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, mikosan said:

I remember them well, great pubs all of them.  I think the one near Portobello Road was the Frog & Firkin.  My local was in Victoria Park Road, Hackney, called the Falcon & Firkin, I believe. I remember taking my old man there for a few when he came to visit.  He loved the Dogbolter, which was at least 6%, if I remember correctly.  They brewed on the premises there.  Happy days.

As an Aussie on holidays I got adventurous and tried real ale after many lagers in the Uk at the Trip to Jerusalem I think it was called - some castle.

I think the first was called and tasted like Firkin ELL...then Firk That, followed by projectile vomiting in the main street of Nottingham.

Never, ever again.

[tryasimight]

1 hour ago, baboon said:

I really do see a few years down the line, beer here being 4% piss in tiny bottles, sold at jaw-droppingly expensive prices.

You now get my vote for poster of the year, if you are still in the running - I haven't checked for a couple of days (yes I've been waiting until the last moment). I've always liked Doctor Who and time travel.

Edited December 23, 2017 by tryasimight

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

As an Aussie on holidays I got adventurous and tried real ale after many lagers in the Uk at the Trip to Jerusalem I think it was called - some castle.

I think the first was called and tasted like Firkin ELL...then Firk That, followed by projectile vomiting in the main street of Nottingham.

Never, ever again.

Nottingham Castle. The Trip To Jerusalem is (supposed to be) the oldest pub in England, started in 1189.

An excellent selection of real ale in there too. I lived about thirty miles from there.

[tryasimight]

3 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Nottingham Castle. The Trip To Jerusalem is (supposed to be) the oldest pub in England, started in 1189.

An excellent selection of real ale in there too. I lived about thirty miles from there.

I reckon I covered two or three of them with vomit!

But it was a great place to visit. Fascinating how we have evolved....those guys must have been 4 foot tall back in their day.

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

I reckon I covered two or three of them with vomit!

But it was a great place to visit. Fascinating how we have evolved....those guys must have been 4 foot tall back in their day.

Nah, they were all p155ed too, so on their knees permanently!

[tryasimight]

12 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Nah, they were all p155ed too, so on their knees permanently!

I can completely understand and sympathise with them!!!

I spent quite a while on my knees as I hazily recall.

 

What really annoyed me was going home....I stopped at a red light and some prick trod on my hand.

Edited December 23, 2017 by tryasimight

[baboon]

33 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

You now get my vote for poster of the year, if you are still in the running - I haven't checked for a couple of days (yes I've been waiting until the last moment). I've always liked Doctor Who and time travel.

It's the sane thing to do...

[Skeptic7]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

That was the problem, they didn't really have a handle on it but it exceeded 5%!

I find modern Chang Classic a bit bland... but of course the price is good!

It was 6.4% and a superb, strong, bitter brew. Then went to 6 % and was still palatable. Now 5% and...CRAP. 

 

check out the link below from 2013:

 

[EVENKEEL]

Glad I'm just a Leo drinker, 5% smooth and not pretentious.

[Skeptic7]

2 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

Have you tried U Beer , cheaper than Chang or Leo ( in Lotus ) and goes down better . Well I think so , try it with a slice of lime , there yer go lager and lime , trust me.

I've tried it and it sucked. Bland & boring it is. But hey...different strokes. Personally loved the old 6.4% Chang Classic.