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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:59 pm Post subject: Hite and OB to introduce ales |
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2013/08/123_141600.html
Hmm.
Well as a beer-maker tasting is believing, but in general they are following in the footsteps of Budweiser and Coors by making faux-craft beers (derogatorily known as Crafty Beers).
Some issues I already see:
1. There's no direct OB labeling on the bottle. I'm guessing this is to intentionally lead to brand-confusion. It's the same play Coors used for Blue Moon. Except Blue Moon did well because it was developed by a very beer-respectful brewer and tastes decent for Newbies.
2. They didn't make the beer themselves, but had a Danish firm consult for them. Two issues here. One is that they didn't use *their own* knowledge of the Korean palate and Korean food to make their decisions. They pawned it off on someone else. Also, the Danes really aren't known for their ales at all. If you wanted a good ale why not go to a U.K. or Belgian firm? Or even American? Dumb.
3. They chose the two least-challenging and *potentially watery* styles of Ale--blonde and bitter. The funny thing about both of those beers is that they are the two ales that are probably closest to Lagers in flavor profile. Unless you really take care of the recipe, both of those styles can either be boring or amazing...there's no middle. If you see either of these beers priced below 3,000W per bottle I can guarantee that they'll taste like shit. There's no way they can get a proper malt-bill (malt recipe) at less money than that.
4. On that note, I don't think it's a surprise that both of these styles have been in the country for ages already (Leffe Blond and Victoria Bitter). Neither is a "challenge".
5. The naming. So stupid. Queen of where? Queen Min? It's just "foreign-sounding" brand confusion. |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't worry too much. We can see from their pilsners that Korean companies don't care about quality or taste. All they care about is sales. Korean beer gives me chronic diarrhea, due to the adjuncts and crappy ingredients they use. I don't see their attitude changing when it comes to these beers.
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1. There's no direct OB labeling on the bottle. I'm guessing this is to intentionally lead to brand-confusion. It's the same play Coors used for Blue Moon. Except Blue Moon did well because it was developed by a very beer-respectful brewer and tastes decent for Newbies. |
Blue Moon sucks. I'm guessing these will too.
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2. They didn't make the beer themselves, but had a Danish firm consult for them. Two issues here. One is that they didn't use *their own* knowledge of the Korean palate and Korean food to make their decisions. They pawned it off on someone else. Also, the Danes really aren't known for their ales at all. If you wanted a good ale why not go to a U.K. or Belgian firm? Or even American? Dumb. |
For an ale I'd go to the UK. IPA (modern style) I'd ask the Americans. Wheat beer I'd ask the Belgians. Pilsner I'd ask the Czechs. I don't know of any Danish beers.
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3. They chose the two least-challenging and *potentially watery* styles of Ale--blonde and bitter. The funny thing about both of those beers is that they are the two ales that are probably closest to Lagers in flavor profile. Unless you really take care of the recipe, both of those styles can either be boring or amazing...there's no middle. If you see either of these beers priced below 3,000W per bottle I can guarantee that they'll taste like shit. There's no way they can get a proper malt-bill (malt recipe) at less money than that. |
This part interests me. How come 7Brau IPA cans are sold for 2,600won in Homeplus. Are they using mystery ingredients? In my opinion there are hundreds of "middle" blonde and bitter ales.
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4. On that note, I don't think it's a surprise that both of these styles have been in the country for ages already (Leffe Blond and Victoria Bitter). Neither is a "challenge". |
It's not the style of beers that are a "challenge". It's the fact they are losing sales to companies from abroad who make better tasting, more complex beers.
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5. The naming. So stupid. Queen of where? Queen Min? It's just "foreign-sounding" brand confusion. |
There's actually a lot of sense behind their naming. I assume they will be branding these as premium beers and therefore want to create a premium identity for them. This is pretty common e.g. Toyota do it with Lexus.
If the foreign beers are selling well - give their premium brand a foreign sounding name. Where do people think of when they think of ales? The UK. You can't get more premium in the UK than the Queen. The label even has crests and crowns to mimic the royal seal of approval given to some foodstuffs in the UK.
Is it stupid to us? Yes. But is there solid reasoning behind the choice of style, branding, and labeling of these beers? Yes.
I wouldn't worry about these beers taking away any of your customers. Magpie make great beers and hopefully these beers will encourage more Koreans to hunt down the real deal, thus resulting in more business for yourselves. |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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1. Didn't say Blue Moon was great. But it's not horrible. It's basically Hoegaarden but a little more flavorful (Hoegaarden is dishwater to me). But that's neither here nor there. I was more commenting on the marketing tactic of "crafty beers" which is huge movement right now. Big brewers are getting worried all over.
2. Carlsburg is a Danish beer but it's a lager. Other than that they have a few microbreweries but nothing of note.
3. I was just ballparking it, but yeah, somewhere between 2500 and 3500 really. The reason I named 3000--admittedly kind of high---is that that's where the malt bill needs to be to make a good beer. If it starts to go less than 2500 it'd be sketchier and sketchier because in order to do that your options of malting companies gets smaller, and those cheaper companies produce awful, weak malt (suffice it to say it's hard to explain without going into brewing science). I'd like to be proven wrong, but...
4. I totally agree, and I think it's a mistake. My point was that blondes and bitters are really nothing most Koreans in big cities haven't seen. They're targeting young people and middle-agers who have been abroad. If you're just going to copy Leffe Blond and Victoria Bitter (which have been in Korea for ages) but you're marketing to people who are now drinking Boont's and Rogue, you're already fucking it up.
5. I had dinner with some Korean friends the other night and they thought the name was atrocious. As is "Jespi". I don't think you're giving Koreans enough credit; they can see straight through this garbage now--the Cass/OB ad execs are living in the past.
Thanks for the compliment! We're definitely not worried in the slightest. Our ideal has always been that, the less people drinking shitty lagers, the better. Not just for us but craft culture in general! |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not a fan of wheat beers so I don't think much of Blue Moon or Hoegarden.
I should have said I don't know any Danish ales. Carlsberg and Tuborg are common in the UK but I've never heard of any of the Danish microbreweries.
I see your point about the style and branding of the new beers but I think the brewers are anxious not to go too far with the introductory beers for fear of scaring potential customers who are curious.
I also think that people that are open to foreigners and foreign things are not as common as we'd like in Korea. The style and branding of these beers is aimed at the Korean everyman. The majority of Koreans aren't interested in a highly hopped IPA or a chocolate infused Stout. Neither are the majority of foreigners. It's a minority of people like you and me that want beers that push boundaries and are exciting. |
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Old fat expat

Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Location: a caravan of dust, making for a windy prairie
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:01 am Post subject: |
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Korean beer is no more than an alcohol delivery system whose only directive is to be wet. Korean food is such an uncompromising crush on anything subtle it is really a waste for it to try to be anything else.
7brue I find to be unbalanced and coarse.
But the good news is they are trying and perhaps a palate is being developed.
Last week I gave one of my brother-in-laws a Montieths Ale and he was in rapture (!). Best beer he's ever had. Really? Montieths? I mean, it's OK and I like it. What happens when he drinks a Fullers or Speckled Hen?
Give it time and hope. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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Seoulman69 wrote: |
I wouldn't worry too much. We can see from their pilsners that Korean companies don't care about quality or taste. All they care about is sales. Korean beer gives me chronic diarrhea, due to the adjuncts and crappy ingredients they use. I don't see their attitude changing when it comes to these beers. |
I totally concur.
Heck, the cheap Belgian beers sold by the large supermarket chains that taste as if they were brewed with corn, not malt, are more palatable and less harmful to my digestive system than Korean beer...and that's really sad. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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"But we have yet to decide on whether to produce an ale beer or a lager."
Just produce a variety of beers. If North American microbreweries can pull it off, I'm sure that a large conglomerate like Lotte can. |
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coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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Regardless of the possible labeling issues, consulting with other nations on makeup, possible poor quality, and other issues...at the end of the day they are taking steps to add more diversity.
I wont be as pessimistic as others and piss on the idea and efforts they are making to at least attempt to satisfy something most of us have complained about more than a few times. If it sucks, no loss to us~ We will continue to drink whatever we have been drinking. No matter what happens at least they are taking steps to offer something different...which is something that should be praised |
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transmogrifier
Joined: 02 Jan 2012 Location: Seoul, South Korea
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, at least they are trying. I'm sick of complaining about the typical weak, flavourless Korean beer; at least now, one of two things will happen:
(a) they might be good, so I will complain less, or
(b) they will be crap too, so I have something new to complain about
Win-win. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Victoria, Canada.
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:08 am Post subject: |
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12ax7 wrote: |
"But we have yet to decide on whether to produce an ale beer or a lager."
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It won't matter what they call it!
Tried the OB Gold, one can, and I was on the toilet the next morning repeatedly.
E-Mart has cheap German and Belgian brews I usually stick too. And what happened to the price of Tsingdao, suddenly it's become a luxury drink? |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
12ax7 wrote: |
"But we have yet to decide on whether to produce an ale beer or a lager."
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It won't matter what they call it!
Tried the OB Gold, one can, and I was on the toilet the next morning repeatedly.
E-Mart has cheap German and Belgian brews I usually stick too. And what happened to the price of Tsingdao, suddenly it's become a luxury drink? |
Yes, I share your skepticism. I'd also be surprised if it doesn't have the laxative properties of their lager.
Same here, I stick with the Belgian and German imports. As I've previously mentioned, even the cheap stuff, cheaper than the local brews (baffles the mind), is more enjoyable. And, yes, what gives with the price of Tsingtao? It used to be my go to beer when I wanted something light to drink on a warm day.
Last edited by 12ax7 on Sun Aug 25, 2013 1:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 1:29 am Post subject: |
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No matter what happens at least they are taking steps to offer something different...which is something that should be praised |
You're spot on. They should be praised for the idea. It's just the execution that has burnt many of us in the past, resulting in a negative attitude towards Korean beer companies.
I enjoy 7Brau IPA on tap but the can version doesn't do it for me. I commend them for their efforts though.
Sadly my expectations remain low. If Hite Jinro's Stout beer is an indication of how they approach anything outside of a pilsner then I'd prepare yourself for a let down too.
I'd love for all beers to have to show the ingredients used in their beers.
I'm strangely pleased that other people get the shits after Korean beer. It makes me feel less alone.
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Last week I gave one of my brother-in-laws a Montieths Ale and he was in rapture (!). Best beer he's ever had. Really? Montieths? I mean, it's OK and I like it. What happens when he drinks a Fullers or Speckled Hen?
Give it time and hope. |
Good man. Every journey starts with a single step. I took my mate to the British Embassy once and we tried all the ales. Now he's a big fan of London's Pride. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 1:47 am Post subject: |
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Seoulman69 wrote: |
I'd love for all beers to have to show the ingredients used in their beers.
I'm strangely pleased that other people get the shits after Korean beer. It makes me feel less alone. |
It would certainly help me bring my idea to fruition: make a Korean beer concentrate in the form of a pill. Move over Ex-Lax, there's a new product in town. |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:06 am Post subject: |
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coralreefer_1 wrote: |
Regardless of the possible labeling issues, consulting with other nations on makeup, possible poor quality, and other issues...at the end of the day they are taking steps to add more diversity.
I wont be as pessimistic as others and piss on the idea and efforts they are making to at least attempt to satisfy something most of us have complained about more than a few times. If it sucks, no loss to us~ We will continue to drink whatever we have been drinking. No matter what happens at least they are taking steps to offer something different...which is something that should be praised |
Like others in the thread already said, I'm not knocking the attempt, I'm knocking the approach. So much of what they've already done is pointing in the direction that this will be another "Hite Stout". Like I said, watch the price. If this new stuff is less than 2500W per can, avoid it.
PS: For *beep*'s sake. For those of you wondering why Korean beer makes you feel awful...fucking Formaldehyde, man.
http://kuching2.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/chinanews/200507/20050700201639.html |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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tuborg, even though it's owned by carlsberg is better than any korean beer so if the new ales were on level with tuborg at least it'd be a win, even if a slight one.
that said, i've had some delicious beers in denmark although more than a few times i was too drunk to remember any of the names (and the danish characters with slashes and dots make my ability to pronounce and/or type them compromised anyways). |
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