Holiday Beer 6: Tsingtao - the Beast from the East?

Once in a while my wife likes to cook Salmon for the family and she's bloody good at it too. So last night the latest big question I had to face was: Out of my latest stash of holiday beers, which one would really go well with this fish dish?

For this challenge I decided to head off to China...




MADE UNDER LICENSE?: No not made here in Australia, it's actually brewed in Qingdao and then exported all over the world.

HOW MUCH DID IT SET YOU BACK?: $3.60

HOW'S YOUR MANDARIN?: Funnily enough I studied it for 6 years during primary school and barely remember any of it aside from a few numbers. I studied Indonesian for four years and came away with top marks (some how) even though when I went to Bali, everybody spoke English.

INITIAL THOUGHTS: I smell a hint of herbs. Oh and a very vague touch of metal. It's very refreshing to drink though. A big tub of ice, a box of these submerged in the cold stuff, a blazing sun-shiny day - yeah there'd be very few complaints with those kind of conditions. Very light on the tongue and with the aftertaste but if you focus there is that tint metal taste at the end. Not as clean as the Kirin but slightly more flavor (not that much though.) No real bitterness to write about. What am I tasting here? Not much that's really standing out.
Forgot to pour it into a glass so can't comment on the colour. Best guess, very light with very little head.

WHAT'S IT IDEAL FOR?: Very hot afternoons and big days of working outside. It was light enough to go very well with the Salmon (which was cooked to perfection, thanks wife!)

OVERALL: Refreshing, well balanced but ultimately underwhelming and nowhere near as flavorful, tasty or eye opening as other beers we've guzzled so far. You wouldn't complain if someone handed this to you after mowing their lawn though.

2.5 out of 5 imported beers not made under license.