Hi BobMac
Il think I've imbibed all of them at one time or another except for Archa and Red Horse.

San Miguel is an outstanding beer. I particularly like their extra dry version. A well balanced beer, not too acidic, not too sweet, no overpowering smell or taste of hops, a slight back flavour of malt, holds a good head. Overall out of five stars I give it *****

Anchor:Quite a good beer, just a little light in balance, could have done with a little more malt and less sugar. In the hot climate of Malaysia the head dies very quickly, which suggests a weak mixture of hops during the brewing process. ***1/2

TIGER:You didn't append this one Bob, but I've included it as I usually choose this brew over Anchor when I'm in Malaysia and Singapore and indeed sometimes when I'm in Bangkok.

Another example of a well balanced beer. My only criticism is it is a little light on flavour. The alcohol content was reduced by 1% about eight years ago and I think that is the paramount reason for the reduced flavour. Holds a good head in a hot climate, good mix of sugar, malt and just a little light in the hops department.
****

Chang:An overpowering brew, extremely high in alcohol. Everythng is done to the extremes in this beer, indeed as it has to be, in order to reach the puking level of alcohol. This was one of the beers a few years back that was in competition with a couple of other beers to see who could brew the highest alcohol content. Elephant beer was another but it didn't last.

This is the antithesis of what a good beer is all about. For getting absolutely pissed and waking up with a thumping head, then this is the ideal medicine. Apart from that, it could be used for scrubbing stains off the carpet.

*1/2
Singha:Ah yes, dear old "beer Sing". The ubiquitous beer of Thailand. I don't like it. It just doesn't compare with other brands available in Thailand. Very, very heavy on the hops, with a late back taste (bitter) of sublimated hops. High sugar content doesn't help the cause of retaining a good head. A very popular beer with the locals and visitors, but when analysed, it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
**1/2

Tsingtao A brilliant, light beer in the true Dutch/German tradition. This beer has everything going for it and more. Balance is extraordinary, with not one ingredient being more apparent than any other. This beer needs to be really chilled, as do most beers encased in green glass. The original brewers were masters and have left a much awarded legacy in their wake. If there is one weakness, the head only lasts for a few minutes, however, the flavour remains unaffected. If you haven't tried this masterpiece I urge you to do so.
*****

AmstelA good Dutch beer and a competitor to the all-conquering Heineken lager. Very much in the same vein as the big H. Darker colour, sharp bite on the front of the palate, smooth after taste on the back palate. A good all round drink, just a little inferior to the big H.
****

VBThe beer of a nation of beer lovers (guzzlers!). Unfortunately, this brew has been badly *******ised over the past six months, with CUB reducing the alcohol content by another .5%. It was that last little bit that altered the flavour beyond recognition. The Melbourne Letters To The Editor pages in the two metropolitan dailies have been overflowing with complaints, with CUB denying that there has been any change in flavour.

However, the jury (the imbibers) have delivered their verdict with vigour and venom. CUB deny there has been a slump in sales, but my local spy at the Dan Murphy's outlet tells me that sales of the national medicine have slumped by nearly 20% and are still going down.

The CUB knuckleheads will never learn. Over the years they have ruined Melbourne Bitter, Abbots Lager (ceased production), Crown Lager and Richmond Lager. Now their flagship brew is in trouble. No one I know drinks Fosters and all of my acquaintances have switched allegiances from VB to Boags Premium.
***

Boag's PremiumVoted a few years back at the Bristol International Beer Show as the best beer in the world. It is indeed a great brew. It was just another struggling beer from Tasmania until the New Zealand Brewer Lion Nathan took over Boags about 15 years ago and sent in a couple of their master brewers. The result was Boags Premium.

Like Tsingtao, it is light, well balanced, comes encased in green glass and therefore needs deep chilling. Once again there is not one discerning ingredient overpowering the others. It was deserving of its award in Bristol. Its price of $AUD45-49.95 for slab makes many think twice about buying it, but just for the sheer taste and terrific balance I think it is worth the extra 10-12 oxford scholars.
*****

Beer LaoFor me, at the present time, it is my beer of choice. This is the perfect beer. Not too light, not too heavy, holds a good head even in the tropics, good back palate taste of hops but no overriding sweetness (sugar) that is usually accompanied by the hops. The Thailand authorities have tried restricting its import from over the boarder as it is having such a deleterious affect on Thailand's national brew of Singha.

Beer Lao embodies everything that is great in European brewing. Top class ingredients, patient brewing techniques producing perfect balance and a great clean and crisp taste. Does beer get any better than this?
*****

LeoFrom the sublime to bottom of the barrel so to speak. This beer embodies everything that is bad in brewing. High hop content, just as high sugar content, overloaded with malt and I detect minor traces of salt or is that the result of all the hops? Thailand over the years has produced some really **** beers, and unfortunately, this is most certainly one of them.
*
I think I've covered most of the bases Bob. I haven't touched on the Pommy Beers that the ex-pats adore, but maybe I will get around to that one day as well.

That's bad news about VB, it wasn't my favorite Aussie lager, I usually buy Emu Bitter or Melbourne Bitter, but you say here that Melbourne Bitter has been ruined also. I go to Perth about once a year for a couple of weeks and I've noticed over the past few years how hard it is to get a good full strength Aussie lager. Everywhere I go people are drinking light beer, or mid-strength beer, or ice beer, or imitations of pommy brews, or boutique beers and so on... I'm always searching the fridge for an ordinary Aussie full-strength bitter.

Another beer brewed in Thailand is Federbräu. We've only recently seen this one appearing in the 7-11s, it's similar to Heineken in my opinion but sells for less. I was drinking it for a spell but have drifted back to The Big H. But I sadly miss Amstel, it was great getting such a good tasting beer for such a low price.

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The Truly Wise Man Never Plays Leapfrog With A Unicorn

Ah, a topic close to my liver!

Thanks for your beer ratings, emdee. My own extensive beer-tasting experience agrees with you, although I rate Singha slightly higher and have never tried Anchor or this legendary Boag's Premium. Shall have to hunt that one out next time I'm on the opposite side of the planet!

I'm glad someone else hates Leo with a passion as much as I do. One bottle was enough for me of that filth!

I'm partial to the odd Tsing Tao as well. When I was in Beijing I found a hostel that was selling bottles of heavenly Tsing Tao for the equivalent of US $0.10 each. Needless to say, the early evenings, evenings and early mornings were spent at the bar!

Bob, this Federbraeu beer sounds interesting. I am rather partial to my German beers. Whenever I'm in Bangkok I usually gravitate towards the Old German Beerhouse on Sukhumvit Soi 11 for an evening to sup on the imported hangover-free German beers

It's a nice drop Steve, you immediately taste the clean quality, like one does with Heineken. I think it sells for 58Bt in the 7-11s whereas Heineken is around 70Bt. And Bangkok's German Beir Gardens - before I became vegetarian I spent many an afternoon & evening in these German places knocking down the beers and dining on sausages & German snacks. When one gets bored with Thai food there's nothing like a German meal to put you right.

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The Truly Wise Man Never Plays Leapfrog With A Unicorn

I like beer Lao. well i like a lot of beers LOL.
I also liked one in Vietnam called beer Larue. I know it was not very strong about 3.5% but light enough to drink during the day.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

I like how this is becoming a thread on beer. We should try to restart it with a "Best Beer" title and watch how quickly it grows.

It may be my common upbringing but I LOVE Chang. I love the BIG taste and if I drink a glass of water in between each bottle I even avoid the headache. I must try Lao next time even though it goes against my normal practice of only drinking indigenous brews.

In Australia, my poison of choice has become James Squire, particularly if I can find it on tap. Even better than Boag's. I generally will avoid VB, Carlton or Fosters unless it is the only choice, but find myself partial to a Crown Lager occassionally.

I drank a lot of Tsing Tao on my recent trip to Bejing but had a lot of trouble ordering it initially until I mastered the pronounciation..I found that Ching Dow got the job done. Great clean tasting beer, but a little light for me if I was picking at straws.

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I love Thailand this much

Chang is enormously popular, especially with the younger set, I think it's good value - bang for buck. And it certainly has a big taste, but it does knock one about if you have a bit too much too often. However, in my opinion Singha takes the cake when it comes to giving bad hangovers.

Does anyone remember Amarit Beer? That was another popular local brew. I haven't seen it around in a long time.

I'm off to Cambodia next week, the local Angkor beer is a tad rough too, fortunately there's also Anchor Pilsner on hand, which is one of my Asian favorites.

How many of you put ice in your lager beer when you're in Thailand? I always do. Used to consider it sacrilige when I first came to live here but I think one of the most revolting things to drink is warm lager beer in a hot climate. Beer and Coke must be icy-cold or the taste is yucky.

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The Truly Wise Man Never Plays Leapfrog With A Unicorn

Shanek,

Great idea. Go for it. I've appended my opinions and that is just what they are, personal opinions. So I would be interested in reading others opinions and more importantly, why they like their beer of choice.

Great idea shanek!

By the way, if anyone wants a crash course in Filipino beer, check out this thread by the knowledgeable Chris over at nomad4ever...

you can buy Stella now in BKK if you know hwere to look now thats a lager