Muay Thai: Chok Dee Pilsner (Thailand: Pilsner: 4.8 % ABV)
Visual: Clear pale yellow gold body with a thin white head. Some small bubbled carbonation.
Nose: Kiwi and lime. Crisp character with crisp hops as well. Soft vanilla.
Body: Moderate bitterness. Squeezed lime. Vanilla. Solid custard. Light flour. Hop oils.
Finish: Light liquorice and charring. Vanilla. Pineapple. Good bitterness and hops. Light hop oils sheen. Palma violets.
Conclusion: Ohhh this is fresh. Very fresh citrusy hops in a way I did not expect for a Pilsner, yet definitely backed by a more traditional noble hop character.
Initially the nose is green fruit led in its freshness, yet in a crisp way, not going IPL style on the hopping, which I appreciate, instead just freshening it up. The main body still has a real fresh squeezed lime feel, backed by noble hop feeling bitterness and hop oil sheen. Light initially but rises over time to fight with the more citrus notes.
In the finish it is still fresh in a sweeter pineapple freshness which adds another layer to the style, against a soft palma violets character that again calls to the noble hops, so we are getting a real good mix of old and new.
The only down side is, over time, late on the hop finish can get slightly leaden – otherwise this is a lovely fresh citrus take on a noble hopped pils, respecting both styles. Lighter and more easy drinking that a lot of pils, but definitely worth drinking and feels like another beer that was been well tweaked to suit Thailand’s heat.
Background: First beer of Chang Mai, and after seeing adverts for Muay Thai darn near everywhere in Thailand, how could I resist a beer from a brewery named after that sport. Chok Dee means good luck in Thai and as you may see from the photo is used in Muay Thai as a blessing to clear the ring of bad luck. Since this was a pilsner it seemed to me it would suit the Thailand heat, and Saaz, Simcoe and Motueka hops made me hope it would not be a dull one. This was tried in Renegade bar in Chang Mai, and was right next to my hotel which was great as this place had such a selection of Thai, NZ, USA, and other world beers. Technically I tried it the restaurant attached to it, as that gave me a view out onto the street, but they are both effectively the same place just with two different vibes. The staff were amazingly friendly, and the, I think owner if I remember rightly, on realising I was a beer nut gave me a little tour of the bar side and let me sample a Maalstroom Hazy IPA they had on tap. I didn’t get around to doing notes on any Maalstroom beers as it turns out I had less time than I planned, but lets just say they made a hazy that I not just enjoyed, but later ordered myself a glass of it off my own back. People who know my general dislike of hazys will realize what a big deal that is, so check out that brewery if you are out there! Thanks again to the amazing staff at the bar. Also I had some Khao Soi for food, a local Chang Mai dish – a kind of curry soup made with coconut milk, and it was lovely!
