What Is Going On With Chang Beer?

[Docno]

Why are you even drinking year-old beer??

[nongsangcity]

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The Gov had a budget a year or 2 ago & the Chiang company reduced the size of the bottles from 640 to 630 ml & reduced the beer %age to 6.0% (as the extra tax was calculated on the % alcohol) to keep the price increase down allegedly... This year the budget has come again & they've reduced the %age again down to 5.8% & put it up 15 Bht for 12 big bottles...

I agree with you, its my favorite Thai beer & the taste does change each time, However, to me anyway it still tastes better than all the other Thai beers including its draught & export versions, they all taste "tinny" to me... Anyway yes, bloody annoying...

it is annoying....they are slowly killing the taste.....been drinking 5.8 for about 6 weeks now....bought a couple from a different shop the other day as soon as I tasted it I could tell it was an old 6.0 bottle....0.2 makes a big difference ....can only dream of the 6.4 + from 10 years ago....

[cmiuc]

ah the gov't again...

and it seems... the price is not controlled anymore... ever since songkran... some shops are 50b, some 52, some 55(like 7/11) some even have a 52 b during the day and at night raise it to 54, just because they know what people like... so again the example the gov't sets... is followed by the people...

its my favorite too... too bad we're being gouged... and if you state this on the bottles... do a comparison on the cans vs bottles.. such an expense.

value is out of thailand's league...

[nongsangcity]

The Gov had a budget a year or 2 ago & the Chiang company reduced the size of the bottles from 640 to 630 ml & reduced the beer %age to 6.0% (as the extra tax was calculated on the % alcohol) to keep the price increase down allegedly... This year the budget has come again & they've reduced the %age again down to 5.8% & put it up 15 Bht for 12 big bottles...

I agree with you, its my favorite Thai beer & the taste does change each time, However, to me anyway it still tastes better than all the other Thai beers including its draught & export versions, they all taste "tinny" to me... Anyway yes, bloody annoying...

it is annoying....killing the taste slowly.......ive been drinking 5.8 for the past 6 weeks and not impressed went to another shop the other day bought a couple of bottles as soon as I tasted the first bottle I knew straight away it was old stock and 6.0%...what a difference 0.2 makes.....I can only dream of the 6.4% taste from a few years back........

[wump]

ah the gov't again...

and it seems... the price is not controlled anymore... ever since songkran... some shops are 50b, some 52, some 55(like 7/11) some even have a 52 b during the day and at night raise it to 54, just because they know what people like... so again the example the gov't sets... is followed by the people...

its my favorite too... too bad we're being gouged... and if you state this on the bottles... do a comparison on the cans vs bottles.. such an expense.

value is out of thailand's league...

I don't think there has ever been a price control on beer? Chang was always 2 Baht cheaper in Family Mart compared to 7-11 for the last 6 months... since the price hike the difference went down to 1 Baht.

[northernphil]

Change to Leo I did

So did I. In Hua-Hin when I first arrived here I drank Singha but on moving very north 9 years ago moved on to Leo. As for chang classis , I would rather drink warm water.

[bheard]

Gotta love the idea of beer connoisseurs debating the taste of Chang. It's Thai beer, it all tastes of some variation of bugger all. Chuck some ice in it and get it down your neck.

SB, you nailed it! All just beer, not top shelf but drinkable, with ice even better!

Lao beer, now that's a different brew completely! Very nice!

[wump]

But no large bottles in small shops

[aronp1]

Seriously, how can you call anything a classic when you have three variations available? Seems a bit mad eh?

I am sure Singha used to be about 6.4% then tamed it down to 5% for export, ruined the beer completely.

[aronp1]

Seriously, how can you call anything a classic when you have three variations available? Seems a bit mad eh?

I am sure Singha used to be about 6.4% then tamed it down to 5% for export, ruined the beer completely.

Classic means original formula

[swissbie]

6,4% is too old to drink, I'm happy not yet having met 5,8%. It's not that much about the percentage, I don't have to drink more because of this, but it's really about the taste. I like the somewhat bitter taste of Chang, my thaifriends mostly prefer Leo. Ice? No thanks. Ice cold? Yes. Or get the half frozen one, which the thais call "woon".

[SoiBiker]

Does anyone really think the manufacturing tolerances are so tight that a 0.2% variation is a new experience?

[Nowisee]

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Gotta love the idea of beer connoisseurs debating the taste of Chang. It's Thai beer, it all tastes of some variation of bugger all. Chuck some ice in it and get it down your neck.

SB, you nailed it! All just beer, not top shelf but drinkable, with ice even better!

Lao beer, now that's a different brew completely! Very nice!

Since coming to thailand from PNW/SW usa, I think all the beers here taste like crap and since the monopoly is on not much choice in thai beer...
So, I only drink beer lao now... went from dark to light... after 3, then I can drink Leo... but then I'm done...

When I'm feeling wealthy, I buy some import stuff... it's actually not much more that I pay for a pint in a brew pub... $5-6 dollars.

JW Red is still pretty decent.

[louse1953]

From what ive heard from the locals because chang being my fav beer only recently it has had the alcohol percentage on the btls.......not sure if its true

Not true,when it came out in the early 90's,it was 6.4% and I loved the stuff.Cheap with promotion down south,3 longnecks for 100 baht.Came to Bangers and they never heard of it.Then the hangs started to kick in,so Archa with ice now.

[mercman24]

yeah !! drink some good old English "falling down cider" all this Thai beer is like horse pee pee, overated - overstated-overpriced and over here. lol !!

[cruisemonkey]

It's Thai beer, it all tastes of some variation of bugger all.

No it doesn't. Chang tastes like formaldehyde... with hops.

[green job]

Fxxx the beer. Does any one know where to buy real Black Label Scotch? not the type (copy ) distilled in Japan?

[Billy Bloggs]

225 for 4 your being ripped off, 206 for 4 at my local 7/11 that is 2 x 2's not 4 singles

[mango66]

Seriously, how can you call anything a classic when you have three variations available? Seems a bit mad eh?

I am sure Singha used to be about 6.4% then tamed it down to 5% for export, ruined the beer completely.

Singha is ruined and crossed out by me of cheating with " BIG bottle "

which contains now just 500 ml,

at same or higher price than Chang, Leo or any other brand which still serves 670 ml;

same or better quality and lowewr price !!

Singha Bye bye !!

[Doc46]

Now, if this was a 40 dollar (or more) bottle of vintage wine...I could understand your concern.

Why worry about rot gut beer?

Why? because it taste better then your vintage wine (vinegar)

[uptoyoumyfriend]

From what ive heard from the locals because chang being my fav beer only recently it has had the alcohol percentage on the btls.......not sure if its true

The Alcohol content has been there on the bottles for at least 10 years,

it seems a bit of a ripoff when they reduce the alcohol content by more than 9% and then up the price! We used to get 4 Changs for 100 Baht, 4 x 630 x 6.4%, now it is 4 Changs for 225 Baht and you have to check the alcohol content, it varies between "I NEED ONE MORE" to " A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP"

and a great headache from all the chemicals-yikes

[impulse]

Sometimes they brew with water from low tide and sometimes they brew with water from high tide...

[Ulic]

6.4 % is the classic but when the tax rate on the alcohol content went up last year

Chang took it upon themselves to both lower the alcohol content and put up the price.

So profits go way up bang for your buck go way down.

[Vogele123]

why dont you check the dates on the bottles, determine when each was brewed?

Brew dates used to be ink jet printed onto the bottles, (I remember a few years back complaining to them about finding a plastic bag in a fresh bottle - but no response - it had brew info date and time and probably the line that it was bottled on, it was sprayed near the neck of the bottle) This is not printed anymore on the 6.0% bottles, and if you look closely at the bottom of the main label just under the flower with the red centre, there is a barcode. On my 6% bottles, this is made up of a tiny barcode cut out and stuck over the original label. 8 85 1993 616011 The 5.8% beer is a one complete label that cannot be peeled.

You are CORRECT! I just found it, it is printed on the label now rather than the bottle. Still makes little sense, I have 2 bottles brewed at 6% dated 14/02/15 at 07:10 and 14/02/15 at 07:14, then two bottles at 5.8% dated 21/04/15 at 15:45 and 06/04/15 at 14:36. Looks like the strong stuff is brewed in the morning!

Edited May 13, 2015 by Vogele123

[Vogele123]

The Gov had a budget a year or 2 ago & the Chiang company reduced the size of the bottles from 640 to 630 ml & reduced the beer %age to 6.0% (as the extra tax was calculated on the % alcohol) to keep the price increase down allegedly... This year the budget has come again & they've reduced the %age again down to 5.8% & put it up 15 Bht for 12 big bottles...

I agree with you, its my favorite Thai beer & the taste does change each time, However, to me anyway it still tastes better than all the other Thai beers including its draught & export versions, they all taste "tinny" to me... Anyway yes, bloody annoying...

Thanks! I was sure the original bottles were 640ml (Can you recall if the original alcohol was 6.8%? I am almost sure that when Chang became popular as the local brew it was 6.8%, sadly I have no old bottles to compare.

[Vogele123]

The Gov had a budget a year or 2 ago & the Chiang company reduced the size of the bottles from 640 to 630 ml & reduced the beer %age to 6.0% (as the extra tax was calculated on the % alcohol) to keep the price increase down allegedly... This year the budget has come again & they've reduced the %age again down to 5.8% & put it up 15 Bht for 12 big bottles...

I agree with you, its my favorite Thai beer & the taste does change each time, However, to me anyway it still tastes better than all the other Thai beers including its draught & export versions, they all taste "tinny" to me... Anyway yes, bloody annoying...

it is annoying....killing the taste slowly.......ive been drinking 5.8 for the past 6 weeks and not impressed went to another shop the other day bought a couple of bottles as soon as I tasted the first bottle I knew straight away it was old stock and 6.0%...what a difference 0.2 makes.....I can only dream of the 6.4% taste from a few years back........

Indeed! If you drink a beer regularly you can spot the changes. I used to drink Singha when it was +6% then they reduced the alcohol and it tasted like piss that was why I changed to Chang. Initially it was a bit harsh but the taste (and effect) grows on you. Recently I was wondering what was wrong, that was when I noticed the 5.8% ABV figure on the label. You can tell the difference easily between the 5.8 and the 6.0, so imagine the difference from the old 6.4 or 6.8!

[Vogele123]

Change to Leo I did

So did I. In Hua-Hin when I first arrived here I drank Singha but on moving very north 9 years ago moved on to Leo. As for chang classis , I would rather drink warm water.

Interesting, I am almost sure that when I first tried Beer Leo many years ago (I might be wrong it might have been that piss Archa) that the ABV was something like 2.5%?? That was why I never touched a bottle of either Leo or Archa ever again. Anyone have an old empty bottle from about 8 years or so? I am sure it was like horse piss.

[SoiBiker]

Leo is nothing like horse piss.

Horse piss tastes of something.

[Vogele123]

Gotta love the idea of beer connoisseurs debating the taste of Chang. It's Thai beer, it all tastes of some variation of bugger all. Chuck some ice in it and get it down your neck.

SB, you nailed it! All just beer, not top shelf but drinkable, with ice even better!

Lao beer, now that's a different brew completely! Very nice!

How anyone can put ice in beer is beyond me, it completely kills the entire satisfaction of that wonderful fizz in the mouth! How to ruin a beer! A bit like having a dump in a glass of champagne!

Edited May 13, 2015 by Vogele123

[Vogele123]

From what ive heard from the locals because chang being my fav beer only recently it has had the alcohol percentage on the btls.......not sure if its true

The Alcohol content has been there on the bottles for at least 10 years,

it seems a bit of a ripoff when they reduce the alcohol content by more than 9% and then up the price! We used to get 4 Changs for 100 Baht, 4 x 630 x 6.4%, now it is 4 Changs for 225 Baht and you have to check the alcohol content, it varies between "I NEED ONE MORE" to " A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP"

and a great headache from all the chemicals-yikes

You just need to be persistent! I used to drink Singha, and never had a problem, but, after they reduced the ABV it was like drinking poison. Chang, originally I hated it, but after Singha changed I persisted and wouldn't drink anything else. No headaches (a mouth that smells like a horses ass in the morning, maybe) but if you have ever had a skinfull of (If you don't vomit first) Archa (which tastes like rotten bananas) or Leo then Chang is way superior.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Vogele123