Note: Article Under Construction#
All content is not yet complete and may be subject to changes or deletions.
Also known as "Wine, wine...", it can also be referred to as "Self-entertainment, our beer list"
I can guarantee that I only had one drink at that moment, but not the next.
The desire to create this content was purely accidental. After drinking a lot, I had to leave some memories beyond the mess. So I borrowed some memories and collected some scattered notes after drinking, patching them together to compile this somewhat guide-like list.
I initially wanted to categorize by style, but it was somewhat difficult to untangle the categories of beer. Simply dividing them into lagers and ales based on brewing methods seemed a bit arbitrary. So I decided to classify them as "Joyful Drinking," "A Few Sips," "Slow Sipping," and "Thoughtful Tasting," based on drinkability. I do not consider myself a craft beer connoisseur, and I have no advantage in professionalism or drinking capacity, so please add your own judgment and thoughts to better view this list.
Although the beer list should clearly reflect a person's taste preferences, I will also list my own taste perception points here. I prefer stronger flavors, and obvious flavor stimulation will score points. I have a high tolerance for bitterness and a longer perception of acidity than average, so I am not good at eating sour things, do not dislike sweet flavors, but I cannot accept overly sweet products, which makes me indifferent to fruit puree products.
Unless otherwise specified, all the beers mentioned below are judged based on canned versions. Due to habits and preferences, even if I fully understand the superiority of draft beer, I cannot often find the time to drink a few pints steadily in a tavern. The consumption of convenience store water beers and online purchases of six-pack cans accounts for the majority of my beverage expenses.
Pre-Viewing Tips#
This list must not be considered as purchasing advice for individuals lacking full civil capacity.
Even though I hope to keep this guide humorous, light-hearted, and enjoyable overall, I still need to take a serious tone before we officially begin and sternly warn you, the reader, that alcohol should not occupy a category of human entertainment choices.
If you have never touched alcohol and hope to understand things you have not tried throughout your life through this article, I sincerely wish you, apart from small attempts during special celebrations or specific occasions, to always maintain a distance from alcohol, keeping it at a half-bottle's reach, and not getting too close to a full bottle. Not drinking will not make life lose its vibrant colors, but drinking may not necessarily add any brilliance.
If you have a fondness for beer, using it to relieve boredom, or if you are a hobbyist hoping to challenge more beer flavors, I hope you can find one or two bottles in this list that satisfy your taste. Craft beer has developed over the years, and its popularity in the country has steadily increased. While it is hard to say whether this is good or bad, we already have a fairly broad and in-depth selection in brewing. You might as well spend some money to drink better, but reducing the total intake is always beneficial.
If you are someone who drinks to the point of near alcoholism, or like me, have completely entrusted your emotions to this life-destroying and will-sapping addictive substance, although I am not qualified to advise anyone to quit drinking, I do have considerable experience with the destruction caused by alcohol. The lost lifespan may not matter, but the consequences of long-term dependence are not something that can be foreseen in the short term.
In summary, drink less, don't drink.
"Joyful Drinking" Category#
Joyful drinking, as the name suggests, this category will include the staple beers I personally prefer or frequently repurchase. Most of them may not truly qualify as "craft beer," and even their flavors may not meet the standards of appreciation. But beer must be cheap, brother!
Heineken Classic#
Beer may be cheap, but it seems a bit unlikely for beer to be cheap. In this era of ever-increasing beer prices, Heineken stands out among "convenience store beers" or "industrial lagers," using unadulterated ingredients, with a sufficiently stimulating sandy mouthfeel, good alcohol suppression, and a sweet wheat finish, successfully becoming my staple choice.
Tsingtao White Beer#
A popular internet celebrity beer that gained some fame in 2021-22, and while it is a celebrity beer, its quality can also live up to the trend. In a large brewery beer that is not priced higher than some water beers, you can taste a sufficiently rich banana, clove, and a mid-range comfortable orange acidity, which is enough to excite. However, if viewed with a critical eye, the not-so-rich malt aroma and body, along with somewhat mixed flavors, can detract from its appeal. But if we weigh the price again, we might as well raise our tolerance significantly.
Guinness Stout#
Just like the delightful visual effect brought by Guinness's signature "nitrogen flow sand," drinking Guinness is also a pleasant experience. The smooth, delicate, soft, creamy mouthfeel, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, roasted wheat, and toffee, allows me to taste the flavors and quality that a stout should have every time I drink Guinness.
However, it can be said both ways; while I can give high praise, I must also point out that Guinness's overall style is like the "basic model" of stouts, where various flavors ultimately feel a bit bland, and the balance of bitterness makes its watery feel more pronounced in the later stages.
Niu Beer Hall Imperial Sea Salt Gose#
Niu Beer Hall's most popular product. Using the previous Tsingtao White Beer evaluation, when the beer quality can bear the reputation, popularity is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps due to the salty flavor, the acidity of the Imperial Sea Salt is balanced at the point I can accept, making it a sour beer that I can also enjoy.
"A Few Sips" Category#
Entering this category officially steps into the realm of craft beer.
Schneider Weisse No. 5 Our Hops Double Wheat#
What should a standard craft beer be like? I initially wanted to start with this, but ultimately decided to ask, "What should a standard beer be like?" Schneider Weisse No. 5 is a product worthy of such a crown, showcasing the precision of Germans in this wheat bock. The refreshing hop aroma that wafts out upon opening, the slightly weak sandy mouthfeel, the just-right carbonation, and the restrained yet clear alcohol sensation sweep across the palate along with a slight bitterness; the aftertaste is filled with the sweet wheat and the aromatic layers of hops after the bitterness fades.
A beer that can only be described as "beer."
Brewing Dog Punk IPA#
My first IPA, but unfortunately purchased from a clearance section of a store, which led to the overwhelming oxidized flavor giving me a harsh lesson in craft beer—oxidation is a double killer of taste and flavor. But at the same time, it left me with an excellent first impression of the entire IPA category.
Punk IPA is by no means the ultimate choice; if I were to evaluate it now, I could certainly point out issues such as insufficient aroma, too light body, and too short aftertaste. But as an IPA that can be drunk in large gulps, it has achieved the ability to help people distinguish the differences between a high brewing level product and mass-produced lagers, which means that in every subsequent exploration of categories, I can continuously reinforce my impression of a quality IPA, or even a quality beer. It can be called a great merit.
Niu Beer Hall Winter is Coming Wheat Bock#
Similar to Niu Beer Hall's high-profile products, compared to Imperial Sea Salt.
Burping Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout#
Similarly, a popular product from the early craft beer wave.
18 Brew Jumping East Lake Double Dry Hopped#
The upgraded version of Jumping East Lake refreshed every anniversary by 18 Brew, I have only tried the tenth anniversary, and I am still waiting for a good opportunity to purchase the eleventh anniversary since I have found better IPA staples. I must admit that as a signature product of a local brewery, combined with the name "Jumping East Lake," it naturally gives me a sense of intimacy in cultural attributes. (Although I do not agree with the entertainmentization brought by the previously "Everyone's East Lake" art project.)
The original "Jumping East Lake" is a typical and standard IPA flavor style, while the limited double dry-hopped version each anniversary represents 18 Brew's flavor exploration for that year.
Dajiu Fluid Fruit Puree Berliner Weisse#
A lethal amount of fruit juice added, from opening to washing the glass, the rich cherry and mulberry aroma linger for a long time. To be honest, the first sip I had did not taste any difference from NFC juice, but after half a glass, the slight tingling alcohol sensation on the tip of the tongue will remind you that this is a fermented product with a proper alcohol content. Although I am not fond of fruit puree products, I also acknowledge that we all need such a relaxed product.
"Slow Sipping" Category#
We have now entered the deeper realm of craft beer, which will bring more complex flavors and taste experiences—essentially, a more intense flavor direction.
Schneider Weisse No. 9 Ice Distilled Bock#
A perfect application of concentration technology in the beer field, the sweet aroma of malt juice is further purified under ice distillation, yet the imagined thick malt texture is surprisingly broken by the dry and crisp body. When I first tasted it, I was left dumbfounded, and for several hours afterward, I could only describe its complex tonality and layering with the word "playful."
Toppling Goliath King of the Dinosaurs#
The most favorable product of the craft beer trend, after the price drop, it has become my favorite staple. The interesting point about this beer is that different batches have different body sensations. But the King of the Dinosaurs maintains a consistently refreshing, aggressive flavor reminiscent of a tropical orchard.
"Thoughtful Tasting" Category#
Although this category should serve as a certification section to showcase my expertise and professional value, I do not believe my drinking capacity is sufficient to point out the mountains of beer, and I actually find it quite difficult to consume products from this section as frequently as the previous three categories, even occasionally feels like a luxury. Therefore, I will only record the high-priced products I have tried here. If you see this section, it is not hard to find that price undoubtedly has an absolute positive impact on my taste, and I will generously admit this—money must make a sound, even if it is a crisp sound that slaps the face.
Tree House Very Green#
Tree House, as a prominent name in the craft beer field, once had terrifying prices and god-like reputations that are hard to describe. I was fortunate enough to get half a cup from a wealthy friend when its price was still high. And this half cup defined my evaluation standards for craft beer as a beginner at the time and has influenced me ever since.
But now, with the comprehensive expansion of e-commerce platforms, prices have dropped significantly. As a small luxury for special celebrations or important days, I occasionally indulge myself and enjoy its charm.
3 泉 Oude Geuze#
The most complex and extreme sour beer I have tasted. Due to my low tolerance for sour flavors, the first sip's long-tested sour rag taste made me feel as if my entire taste was tightened. However, it does not burn the stomach after swallowing, and for those who can handle sour flavors, Oude Geuze should be just at the balance point that stimulates the taste buds.
Glowing 18 Joint Brewing Orange Series Double Dry Hopped Hazy Double IPA#
Joint products from two breweries often oscillate between creativity and quality. The sauerkraut craft beer from Dao Brewing and Niu Beer Hall once left me deeply shocked just by the name (I firmly believe that if I have the fortune to taste it, it would definitely be worth adding to the "Rising and Falling Thoughts" list). But
the Orange Series is the most exemplary hazy orange beer I have ever had. It brings an incredible sensation to the drinker: a rich orange aroma accompanied by the hop aroma that arrives slightly later, with balanced and rhythmic explosions of different ingredients, almost capturing the senses the moment it hits the taste buds.
Bubble Lab Lightning Storm Triple Hazy#
As a limited product, Lightning Storm is undoubtedly the most exciting product from Bubble Lab, with spicy and vigorous hops, rich and intense fruit flavors, and a lingering aftertaste in the nasal cavity.
"Rising and Falling Thoughts" Category#
This category is an exception, including some confusing products I have tried. "Confusion" is the absolute key to this category, which may be due to price, flavor, or a funny story I experienced. The "confusion" caused by the type of beer left a lasting impression on me, leading them to be included here.
Bianjing Chenpi White Beer#
This bottle was a chance discovery during my outing in 2023 at a discount freezer, purchased at a uniquely low price (around 3-4 yuan). The rich aroma of orange peel and slight bitterness immediately reminded me of Suntory's orange peel oolong—coincidentally, a drink I really liked at the time. But just like the extreme polarization of reviews for orange peel oolong, the slight bitterness and dryness brought by this complex flavor, along with the somewhat strange aftertaste, are likely to vary from person to person.
18 Brew Punk City Quadruple IPA#
Before encountering Punk City, I could hardly imagine that a beer could collapse with just a slight warming. 15 degrees of alcohol is not high in the beverage evaluation system, but 18 Brew's alcohol content and suppression in this product are almost nonexistent, making it harder to swallow than some 40-50 degree spirits when not completely chilled.
However, while ice eliminates the alcohol sensation, it inevitably leads to another problem—the drinker will completely lose the ability to appreciate the flavor. And quadruple dry hopping is unsurprisingly "extremely intense," leaving the final flavor direction with only the heavily present bitterness that is not masked by the cold sensation. And if it comes to this point... why not have some pure grain liquor instead?
Author's Postscript#
I am glad you made it to the end. This list was basically written while I was drinking or inspired after drinking, slowly organized with leftover drinks and the night, and I ask for your understanding of any nonsensical or contradictory parts.
Most of the data in this article comes from "UnTapped," and data not found there was searched for on the internet.
Taste indications and evaluations are entirely subjective to me, and apart from price and data factors, no objective components are mixed in.