The Death Of Chang Beer.

[Fallangpakwan]

It's real good to see the ongoing discussion on such an important subject;"mans reward at the end of the day for all the crap he has to put up with".In my time I have indulged in some great brews around the world and also had to survive on absolute garbage; the worst in my memory being something called PRIMUS on a brief trip into the Congo.Returned to Vietnam 4 years back to see an array of quite good tasting brews available; a vast contrast to their beers back in the "conflict" days. Seem to remember in the last year or two seeing a list of ales denoting their qualities and their bad points; can someone remind me where that could have been??

[SoiBiker]

Beer Advocate?

They're not very keen on Chang.

[suzannegoh]

Beer Advocate?

They're not very keen on Chang.

All that means us that metrosexuals in the US don't like pale lagers. Give them a Raspberry Eisenboch and they will rate it 5 stars.

Edited June 6, 2015 by suzannegoh

[SantiSuk]

So many beer drinkers on here giving serious consideration to a guy posting about the quality of Chang. Amazing Thailand!

[chrisandsu]

Let me tell you about crap imported beer/cider.....

Moved to the USA from the UK , used to drink stella and strongbow... First off the Americans have ruined stella Artois it tastes like nats piss , as its imported they pay less tax if the alcohol strength is low . Then strongbow became this horrible sweet American nasty cider that should be binned !!! I guess it's a way of controlling the market by turning all imports into pony American tasting water .

In the US, it's best to drink the craft beers rather than imports. But then again, if you're someone who thinks that Stella in the UK is good, your taste might be considerably different than that of most craft beer drinkers.

Most craft beers are pony ! I have been to many local breweries and not one has produced anything worth while ! They can't produce a decent beer full stop . Canadian beer is a lot better . But the point I was making is changs lowering of alcohol level is probably for the export market . 10 years ago stella was a brilliant larger and probably one of the best . Been ran down hill by the American owners

[suzannegoh]

Let me tell you about crap imported beer/cider.....

Moved to the USA from the UK , used to drink stella and strongbow... First off the Americans have ruined stella Artois it tastes like nats piss , as its imported they pay less tax if the alcohol strength is low . Then strongbow became this horrible sweet American nasty cider that should be binned !!! I guess it's a way of controlling the market by turning all imports into pony American tasting water .

In the US, it's best to drink the craft beers rather than imports. But then again, if you're someone who thinks that Stella in the UK is good, your taste might be considerably different than that of most craft beer drinkers.

Most craft beers are pony ! I have been to many local breweries and not one has produced anything worth while ! They can't produce a decent beer full stop . Canadian beer is a lot better . But the point I was making is changs lowering of alcohol level is probably for the export market . 10 years ago stella was a brilliant larger and probably one of the best . Been ran down hill by the American owners

Stella does not have American owners and it was never even close to being good. Edited June 8, 2015 by suzannegoh

[duanebigsby]

Let me tell you about crap imported beer/cider.....

Moved to the USA from the UK , used to drink stella and strongbow... First off the Americans have ruined stella Artois it tastes like nats piss , as its imported they pay less tax if the alcohol strength is low . Then strongbow became this horrible sweet American nasty cider that should be binned !!! I guess it's a way of controlling the market by turning all imports into pony American tasting water .

In the US, it's best to drink the craft beers rather than imports. But then again, if you're someone who thinks that Stella in the UK is good, your taste might be considerably different than that of most craft beer drinkers.

Most craft beers are pony ! I have been to many local breweries and not one has produced anything worth while ! They can't produce a decent beer full stop . Canadian beer is a lot better . But the point I was making is changs lowering of alcohol level is probably for the export market . 10 years ago stella was a brilliant larger and probably one of the best . Been ran down hill by the American owners

There are absolutely delicious craft brews in the States. The Americans have revitalized brewing with thousands of excellent beers. If you can't get a decent one, I have no clue as to your taste. If you're talking Molson's or Labatt's being better beer than American, you comparing pizz to pizz.

[chrisandsu]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Artois

Say no more on the subject ! Craft beers are rubbish and now they are moving into the craft cider market ..... Even more rubbish Jonny Appleseed is your man

[Vogele123]

Some interesting replies, however, the facts remain the same. The Thai brewery has secretly changed the alcohol content of their "Chang Classic" Award winning beer from 6.4% to 5.8% without telling anyone, surely FRAUD? DECEPTION?

It is no longer the same thing. It is like selling Lemonade and labelling it as Coca Cola!

Then they hike up the price....<deleted>!

[SoiBiker]

How have they done it secretly if it's printed on the bottle?

[ableguy]

You have converted me to Red Horse, a great brew bought at bis c korat. Ps they do not carry much stock.

[Gumballl]

How have they done it secretly if it's printed on the bottle?

Agreed, but what Chang has done is definitely deceptive. It is analogous to a thief stealing your money.

I just drank my first Chang, in over two years, just the other day. The taste was slightly off, being sweet versus being bitter. It sort of reminded me of Singha. When I read the label, I saw the ABV had been reduced to 5.8%.

A couple of days later (after a good day of drinking Sang Som), I switched back to drinking Chang in a can, only to be peturbed even further when I saw that the ABV is a mere 5.5%.

In the US, a good craft beer (6-7% ABV) at a bar goes for about $6. To purchase the same in a bottle at the liquour store will probably cost about $15 for a twelve-pack... or about $1.25 a bottle. [Note: $15 = 510 Baht]

If Chang wants to keep its customer base, it needs to provide a better product, or lower their prices to reflect the inferior product they are selling. I'm not into politics, or give one iota as to whether the alchohol tax has increased (well, actually I do). But for a company to deliver a lesser product, and not advertise such to the public, is purely evil and deceptive.

Word will get around that Chang is short-selling their customers, and then they will find themselves either bribing the politicians to reduce the tax, or just come out with a better product that people are willing to pay to consume.

P.S. I never liked Singha (too aromatic), and Leo is piss water. I've only had Lao beer once, in Laos, and I was not impressed.

P.S. #2 I can't wait to return home. Better weather, colder beer, and football season is just around the corner.

[maibork]

All Thai beer tastes like cat's piss in my humble opinion. I find myself wasting tons of cash on imported stuff.

Carlsberg is acceptable....not an outstanding beer, but it doesn't has the "dirt-taste" or at least in compare to the other Thai beers it is so little that I don't notice it anymore.

But it is also the most expensive of the Thailand made beers.

Carlsberg is brewed in Malaysia, isn't it?

[duanebigsby]

Why is everyone obsessed with alcohol content?

Guinness, who many say is too strong is 4.3%. One of the most flavourful beers in the world.

Percentage is a small part of flavour.

Taste is personal and you can't just say something is terrible....it's terrible in your opinion.

Gumballl, I find Leo better than Chang and Beer Lao better than either. It's subjective!!!!

[Gumballl]

Why is everyone obsessed with alcohol content?

Guinness, who many say is too strong is 4.3%. One of the most flavourful beers in the world.

Percentage is a small part of flavour.

Taste is personal and you can't just say something is terrible....it's terrible in your opinion.

Gumballl, I find Leo better than Chang and Beer Lao better than either. It's subjective!!!!

I like Guiness too... it does have a good, unique, flavour. It is also low in alchohol, and hence low in carbohydrates. Unfortunately it is not sold at the village mini-mart in my current location in BFE Isaan, so discussion of such is moot... don't you agree?

As for Leo, I have not tried it since prior to 2004. Perhaps its flavour has changed, or perhaps my taste buds will like it. The last I recall, it was a light lager (or was it pilsner)?

Today I have gone through a bottle of Sang Som, and I am still perplexed as to how I'm still able to type at a good rate, hold intelligent conversations, and in summary... have not passed out. I do wonder if the alcohol content is now less than the printed 40% on the bottle. If you do not hear from me tomorrow, it is probably because the Thai Special Forces have taken me out for revealing that the product is now less potent than it used to be.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Gumballl

[Gumballl]

All Thai beer tastes like cat's piss in my humble opinion. I find myself wasting tons of cash on imported stuff.

Carlsberg is acceptable....not an outstanding beer, but it doesn't has the "dirt-taste" or at least in compare to the other Thai beers it is so little that I don't notice it anymore.

But it is also the most expensive of the Thailand made beers.

Carlsberg is brewed in Malaysia, isn't it?

Carlsberg and Chang used to be joined at the hip. Then a divorce came about.

Then, as I have learned, tax changes came about that have "forced" Chang to lower its taste quality.

If you could confirm that Carlsberg is still produced/sold in Thailand, then I will be truly amazed.

[Stan42]

Why is everyone obsessed with alcohol content?

Guinness, who many say is too strong is 4.3%. One of the most flavourful beers in the world.

Percentage is a small part of flavour.

Taste is personal and you can't just say something is terrible....it's terrible in your opinion.

Gumballl, I find Leo better than Chang and Beer Lao better than either. It's subjective!!!!

Because some drink beer to get drunk, regardless of flavor.

[vogie]

Maybe you would care to name some of these worst English beers you speak of. Please respond quickly if you can think of any.

d

Just for the sake of conversation, I didn't particularly care for John Smith's Extra Smooth.

Used to know someone that worked at John Smiths brewery in Tadcaster, he stated that John Smiths Smooth is old beer that is returned to the brewery from the pubs. That also includes Tetleys Bitter, used to drink nothing else, I wouldn't drink it if was tuppence a pint. Finest pint is Timothy Taylors Landlord.

[dantilley]

But for a company to deliver a lesser product, and not advertise such to the public, is purely evil and deceptive.

Whether or not the product is "lesser" or not is purely subjective. Not everyone considers the alcohol volume the #1 factor in determining the quality of beer - many people put such things as taste as a higher priority.

But for those who only care about the alcohol percentage, there is nothing deceptive as it is clearly printed on the label of every bottle or can.

Or when you say "advertise", are you suggesting Chang prints billboards and makes TV commercials to announce this new alcohol volume? I don't think I've ever seen an advert in any format which is made purely to tell people about a change in a beer's alcohol percentage.

[Lite Beer]

I just bought a bottle of Chang Classic. Now down to 5.5 %. Tasted awful.

[RasiMike]

I just bought a bottle of Chang Classic. Now down to 5.5 %. Tasted awful.

LB, I feel for you. I just had a bottle of shiraz at 11.8% that wasn't too pleasant either.

I tried a second at 11.9 and now I feel much better .

[Lite Beer]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

If they called it Chang less or Chang Crap that would be ok.

They are calling it Chang Classic.

Chang Classic was 6.4% not 5.5%

Different beer. Different taste and should be different price but it ain't.

[nidieunimaitre]

All Thai beer tastes like cat's piss in my humble opinion. I find myself wasting tons of cash on imported stuff.

I agree 100%.

Now please please please tell me that "imported stuff" does not include Dutch imitation beer.

I will have a Rochefort Trappist monk beer now, cheers.

[melvinmelvin]

All Thai beer tastes like cat's piss in my humble opinion. I find myself wasting tons of cash on imported stuff.

I agree 100%.

Now please please please tell me that "imported stuff" does not include Dutch imitation beer.

I will have a Rochefort Trappist monk beer now, cheers.

enjoy,

me; having a Flensburger Pils

[dantilley]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

It is still Chang Classic, they've just changed the recipe. Calling it "Classic" is just their own brand name for it, it doesn't mean it has to remain in the old "classic" recipe forever in order to retain the name "Chang Classic". Those who feel it is now inferior can of course vote with their wallets and not buy it any more. But there are probably many people out there who prefer the new Chang Classic. Personally I prefer Chang Export and that's weaker still at 5.0%. Each to their own...

[lvr181]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

If they called it Chang less or Chang Crap that would be ok.

They are calling it Chang Classic.

Chang Classic was 6.4% not 5.5%

Different beer. Different taste and should be different price but it ain't.

It is the new Classic?

Standards. What standards? TITS.

[Lite Beer]

Yep at this rate Classic will be 1% in a year or two.

[nidieunimaitre]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

If they called it Chang less or Chang Crap that would be ok.

They are calling it Chang Classic.

Chang Classic was 6.4% not 5.5%

Different beer. Different taste and should be different price but it ain't.

Different countries, different beer cultures.

This is what happened in Belgium:

Big Business (Stella - Jupiler) bought up a local brewery, Hoegaarden.

The production was moved to a different city, but the recipe etc was kept.

Belgian beer drinkers then said: this beer is no longer the same Hoegaarden, as it is brewed at a different brewery, and with different water.

Sales plummeted.

Big Business admitted defeat and moved the production back to the old brewery.

(PS Stella - Jupiler is currently owned by a Brazilian company).

[nidieunimaitre]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

If they called it Chang less or Chang Crap that would be ok.

They are calling it Chang Classic.

Chang Classic was 6.4% not 5.5%

Different beer. Different taste and should be different price but it ain't.

Different countries, different beer cultures.

This is what happened in Belgium:

Big Business (Stella - Jupiler) bought up a local brewery, Hoegaarden.

The production was moved to a different city, but the recipe etc was kept.

Belgian beer drinkers then said: this beer is no longer the same Hoegaarden, as it is brewed at a different brewery, and with different water.

Sales plummeted.

Big Business admitted defeat and moved the production back to the old brewery.

(PS Stella - Jupiler is currently owned by a Brazilian company).

[melvinmelvin]

The point is that they are still labelling the stuff as Chang Classic.

Which it is clearly is not.

If they called it Chang less or Chang Crap that would be ok.

They are calling it Chang Classic.

Chang Classic was 6.4% not 5.5%

Different beer. Different taste and should be different price but it ain't.

Different countries, different beer cultures.

This is what happened in Belgium:

Big Business (Stella - Jupiler) bought up a local brewery, Hoegaarden.

The production was moved to a different city, but the recipe etc was kept.

Belgian beer drinkers then said: this beer is no longer the same Hoegaarden, as it is brewed at a different brewery, and with different water.

Sales plummeted.

Big Business admitted defeat and moved the production back to the old brewery.

(PS Stella - Jupiler is currently owned by a Brazilian company).

I think that happens in many countries. If you make beer with character (ie not non-offensive beer) you cant move the production to a new brewery.

Well you can but you will not be making the same beer anymore. Many factors affect the taste of beer with character, temperature, the water,

the metal in the various pans (steel/copper/aluminium, different steel --> different taste),

the cooling arrangements, the type of piping, the temperature gradient between start of cooling pipe and end of cooling pipe.

If you make non-offensive beer, ie beer that does not upset anybody in the world, ie boring beer, you are probably more free to move production around.

Not wanting to upset anybody I don't put any brand names to the non-offensive beers.