Beer Challenge: 006: Strongbow Apple Ciders Honey 330mL Bottle

This week, our challenge, on the red corner, ISSSS - the STRONGBOW APPLE CIDER HONEYYY

What?! You said apple cider does not count as beer? HUH? What are you talking about? I can't hear you, hello? he..ll...o?

Oh, something weird happened, whatever, let's start our challenge!

Strongbow is a cider originated from England since 1962. So, there is a second website, I mean the official UK website for Strongbow (or choose UK in location in the global website).

Strongbow has earned the highest selling cider in Australia and the second highest in N. American in 2012, it is pretty well known, popular

However, in RateBeer.com, the rating is so low! It's 24/100, basically is a fail drink (well, compare to its brother Strongbow Cider who gets only 11/100, Honey did pretty good).

WHY is that?

Is it because people who like Strongbow cider doesn't rate it? OR

Is it because only whose who don't like Strongbow cider rates it?

Hmm, very good question though.

For sure, I cannot judge one product by only one website or in a very small pool. It is just a critical thought which everyone has its own taste.

One thing can be sure tho, how good was the marketing of Strongbow?

Take a look of its commercial from the Global website published on Apr 2015

"Strongbow over Ice", personally felt this name fail so much.

And then another one, from the UK Strongbow from Jul 2014

Much better. At least you can see a story.

Although I personally like the one in 2011 better.

It attracted me to try.

Right, then here I tried:

- Golden brown amber color, light apple acidic smell

- Sweet but not too sweet compare to Somerby (Yes, I tried it), minimal of honey favour can be tasted; 

- Sour, like apple and more than that, less than apple vinegar; 

- Medium bitterness, very obvious when drinking down.

- Carbonation, mild. Serve with ice or no ice are fine.

Good for drinking alone

Sweetness: 6/10
Sour: 6/10
Bitterness: 7/10

R Scale: 7.5/10
I think it's an okay cider, tho nothing special :P


When cider typically means the alcoholic drinks made from fermented apple juice, Strongbow has added other favours for more production lines (Go to the UK website, you can see 3 more favours that the global one didn't show!)

Next week, we will be challenging the other Strongbow product - Elder Flower, let's see if it is more special than this.

Hmmm...I should try the original one first, right eh?

Cheers! Have a great drink ever! Drink safe!

Beer Challenge: 005: Hite 355mL Bottle

Kpop and Korean artists are so popular around the world in nowadays, so as the Korean Beer - The top selling beer in Korea (surely we are talking about South Korea, what are you think about?): Hite

First, I have to admit, as I have ZERO knowledge about Korean (except I love you ;)), it's pretty difficult to dig information directly out from the official website. In fact, I have minimal interest of Korea.....(Yes, I know PSY, so what? I also know Eunsol in Bambino :P but Korea is just not my love.)

An Euro Pale Lager with 4.5% alc./vol. content (I like infographics, save time! No, no, no..I don't want to end this earlier because its Korean Beer)

Well then, here are my unprofessional tasting test:

- Fresh, like carbonated water

- Easy to mouth, very little taste of bitterness

- Hmm..nothing else is special


Although it's very normal, in R scale, it is rated as 7/10. Very good one to drink alone (Pusss, who drink beer alone?)

Cheers! Have beer in weekend!

Beer Challenge: 004: Corona Extra 355mL Bottle

Although we haven't gone through the big four of Japanese Breweries (yes, I left Sapporo out...), we are going to try one of the most popular beers exported from Mexico, the Corona Extra

Corona (or La Corona), is obviously Spanish, means The Crown, which you can clearly see in its logo on the label.

Corona Extra was started brewing in Mexico by the company Grupo Modelo in 1925, which around 90 years of history. Grupo Modelo sold part of its business to AB InBev in 2013 that made AB InBev owns Corona Extra now (Financial stories, I skip it for now).

Grupo Modelo also has other production lines including the following:

Back to Corona Extra, this pale lager has a light amber color with a blue label that I like its design in the first sight. The beer has an alcohol content of 4.5% Alc./Vol. which obviously not strong.

Looking at the label for the Ingredients content, it's included Water (obviously), Barley Malt (well, you may find wheat in other beer), Corn and Rice (Huh?) Hops (for sure).

Hmmm...why are corn and rice added into the beer?

So I did a little bit of digging.

Mike Reis stated that Corn and Rice are used to the lighten the colour and the body of the beer without adding too much flavour. Some (in the comment section) also stated that Corn and Rice are used to lower the production cost as these two ingredients provide sugar for the fermentation.

I see. I thought corn and rice are used for adding more flavour to the beer, but obviously I am not right. Hell, Let's just drink beer.


For my unprofessional tasting test, it is:

- Malty, pretty strong too

- Low carbonation, as very little foam formed (I used a glass to test)

- The bitterness is so outstanding when passes through the taste buds, and it stays there for some time.

- Stimulate my saliva gland, in order to cover the bitterness

- Actually, in some degree, it tastes like San Miguel to me.

In R scale, it worth 6.5/10, however, if I need lime in the beginning of the drink, it is more likely to be 7.5. Lime adds acid to the beer, just like adding freshness into it.

I guess I should try Corona Light too in order to distinguish the differences between two, but generally speaking, I am not choosing Corona is Kirin is an option :P

Coz I'm NOT Dom.

There is an interesting phenomenon when I was digging about the ingredient of Corona. People who have Celiac disease are able to drink Corona Extra. Though Corona Extra is made of barley malt, those who are sensitive to gluten are not affected by Corona Extra. They guessed that the amount of gluten in the beer is so little that does not cause any unhappy moment when they are drinking it.

It's good news! For all the gluten related allergies persons, can enjoy the joy of beer!!

Have a great day and drink safe! Cheers!