New Lao Beer From The Lao Brewery

[technocracy]

Well Tiger beers has appeared in Laos but the Lao Brewery were not content to sit on there fingers, even though in my opinion Tiger Beer ain't a patch on Beer Lao, the Beer Lao brewery from their new brewery in down Pakse way have produced a new beer and in my opinion it even better that the original!

The new brew is called Lane Xang (pronounced laan sang - Land of 1,000,000 elephants after Laos historical name ) - same large brown bottles but with Red stickers but no tiger head is shown have an elephant logo instead.

The important stuff - the beer is 5.5% opposed to the original 5% - it's got a drier and crisper taste that the original and is incredibly smooth. No bitter after taste in the throat . . . it's difficult to believe it's 5.5% as it's so easy drinking! Ice or no ice it tastes great either way.

It's only just been release in Laos and is making it's way around most shops but not in the bars as I type - probably next week. Cannot wait to for the draught version to get out into the bars - the original draught is for me one of the best beers in the world and for me even the bottled Lane Xang is a better drink.

So if you're in Lao soon have a look in the bars for it . . . the Thai breweries won't be happy when the free trade ASEAN import and export agreement comes into play!

PS . . it also has the same non-hangover qualities of the original beer!

[Zpete]

Hafta be good to beat "CHANG", neva gives/leaves ya with a hangover.

[svenivan]

What I have heard is that Carlsberg has bought a part of Beer Lao. Maybe they have helped them to create a good beer.

What I also have heard is that Lao and Thailand made an agreement not to export beer to each other!

Maybe I am wrong?

[Screws]

What I have heard is that Carlsberg has bought a part of Beer Lao. Maybe they have helped them to create a good beer.

That would explain the no hangover effects. I make do with Heneygen (yes I have seen it spelt that way on a rest. menu) (which is also a good beer) but Carlsberg is best IMO.

[TheWizardofRnR]

I thought Lao Beer was a nice tastin' brew, but has anyone tasted the Dark Lao beer, a bit more a case...3-400 baht more i think...any imbiders ?

[Captain Chaos]

I thought Lao Beer was a nice tastin' brew, but has anyone tasted the Dark Lao beer, a bit more a case...3-400 baht more i think...any imbiders ?

Yes, quite a few of the farang pubs in BKK have Beer Lao Dark now as well as the regular lager version. It's 6.5% ABV and has a strong taste. A little too sweet for me as a session beer but a couple to round a night off go down well.

[technocracy]

What I have heard is that Carlsberg has bought a part of Beer Lao. Maybe they have helped them to create a good beer.

What I also have heard is that Lao and Thailand made an agreement not to export beer to each other!

Maybe I am wrong?

The story goes 10+ years ago Carlsberg bought 49% of the Beer Lao brewery (51% is owned by the Lao Government), the Carlsberg beer 'gurus' came over and did blind taste testing on with Beer Lao and Carlsberg brews in every test the Beer Lao brew was choosen as the best.

The original Beer Lao recipe was made by a german and using hops from France, yeast from Germany (or maybe the other way around I forget) and several varieties of rice from Laos (which are native Lao varities not grown elsewhere).

The reason for the lack of hangovers from Beer Lao is the total lack of any chemicals or non natural products being added. I can vouch wholeheartedly for this based on some parties and night outs I have had here the worst I've had was a dull headache which was really dehydration which disappeared with a few glasses of water.

The latest brew is no doubt based around the original Beer Lao but they've tweak it slightly and upped the % and I've just knock back a glass of it now!

Yes Lao and Thailand have made an agreement that the ASEAN free trade thingy won't apply to beer until 2010. Personal I reckon it more to do with Thailand offering the Lao government something to make the agreement as if Beer Lao, Beer Lao Dark and Lane Xang were available in Thailand at the same kind of prices as the Thai crappy beers it'd wipe out the market. Beer Lao already has a healthy following in Thailand even at the tax inflated prices! Tiger Beer is finding out here that they have one hel_l of a tough competition to shift in Beer Lao, many locals have already sampled the 'delights' of Chang and Singha and can't see them making any more of a headway than Tiger are doing.

The Dark brew is now great! When they first put it out I was very disappointed with it and thought it was pretty disgusting - however they change the recipe somewhat and now I often find myself having it in preference to the normal, although in slightly less quantities being 6.5%! I went a small shop not far from my house as I was to lazy to drive up to the bigger store to buy a few bottle and quickly discovered it was old stock of the old brew . . . . . almost put me of it again . . but I recovered! :D

PS. Still not in the big bars in Vientiane yet - in fact I've only seen it in one restaurant down by the Mekong so far.

Edited May 21, 2008 by technocracy