A contribution from an ex-pat in Myanmar who shall remain anonymous for more reasons than one!

In 5: Repressed, Semi-precious, Dubious, Lingering, #2

Booze and politics don’t mix. So how is the #1 beer from the #2 dictatorship* in Asia going to shape up? Pouring it from the bottle sat at home in Yangon/Rangoon, there is a definite yeasty smell which leaves me worried that the brewing process has been a little repressed. But I’m not going to protest (it has only just been made legal in this country and so I’m going to be one of the first to give it a go) and I have my first taste.

It’s a little flat and very cold, which on a Sunday afternoon in December when the temperature tops 31°C means that it goes down quick. I’d like to share this with my friends, but this is a country which made it illegal for people to be together in groups of more than 5 in public places. So I decide to drop all my sanctions and open a second bottle.

The same smell comes out the second bottle, but I decide to be diplomatic and turn a blind eye (nose). The label proudly displays medals from international beer competitions which at first seem like quite dubious accolades, but on further inspection it seems like it has actually won them! Unfortunately, for a country renowned for its gems, this beer is nothing more than semi-precious. It does the job, but it’s not going to take any prisoners (out of character for a country which still has a reported 2000 people incarcerated for their political belief). You can’t help but notice that the yeasty, murky taste won’t go away, which serves as a subtle analogy for the rest of the country that is doing everything possible to reform itself on the international stage.

*Brewskie challenge has been set, to review the #1 local beer from North Korea.

This article is copyright © 2012 

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