Beerlandia: Wudalianchi Beer (Schwarzbier)
“Brewed with pure Rocky Mountain spring water.” That was Coors’ tagline for decades, and it worked. The same type of advertising is everywhere in China, perhaps because the Chinese place a lot of value on freshness and purity. I wake up every morning to a caravan of vocal grandmas returning from the wet market where they’ve just bought their fresh meat and veggies for the day. When they travel domestically, they are on the hunt for that region’s specialty, which is undoubtedly “the freshest and purest” version of that thing, whether it be mushrooms, dried frogs, or beer.
Beer: Wudalianchi Beer (Schwarzbier)
Brewery: Wudalianchi Baoquan Beer Drinks Co. Ltd.
Country: Wudalianchi, China
Style: Schwarzbier
ABV: 4.1%
Beerlandia Advisory: Today I learned that “volcanic cold water” tastes like chemicals under the sink.
Wudalianchi - a small town in northwest Heilongjiang province - is such a tourist mecca for its volcanic spring water. The area’s chain of 14 dormant volcanoes has left behind layers of porous rock that act as a natural filter for the water. People travel to bathe in it, bottle it, or just drink it right from the tap. Naturally, this setting presents an opportunity for China’s brewers. But before we crack open a product of that opportunity, let’s also reflect on the words of Bill Coors after the beer giant expanded far away from that Rocky Mountain spring water: “With modern technology, water is water.”
“It has a bizarre chemical quality to it that makes me question finishing it.”
I must confess that I didn’t really read the can properly (and my Chinese reading comprehension is not great), so I thought this was Wudalianchi’s standard lager. Imagine my surprise when a dark, cola-colored liquid poured out into my mug. I take another look at the bright yellow can. Yep, 黑啤. Black beer. Assuming the goal was to brew a schwarzbier - and I have very little to go on - it doesn’t look quite right. Intent plays a big role here. China has a rich history of German brewing influence, so I’m going to assume that this was the intent. A very fleeting thin cream head fizzles away from the cola body. It’s a deep red color when held up to the light.
A schwarzbier should be a rich tapestry of cocoa, nuttiness, toffee, and/or coffee - all the trademark flavors of the roasted malt that give it its color. Disappointingly, the strongest note is the same sickly malt sweetness that almost every other Chinese beer has, which immediately raises red flags. Could this be artificially colored? Such things have been known to happen in China. Perhaps a drug dog could detect a hint of roasted malt in there. Overall, it is disconcertingly odorless.
The malt comes to the forefront and is a bit more flavorful than standard Chinese lager with toffee notes, although it tastes a bit artificial. There is a bitter earthy taste on the finish that taints the entire flavor profile. It has a bizarre chemical quality to it that makes me question finishing it. The body is thin and dry, which would suggest an absence of the malts that are crucial for making a good schwarzbier. Again, intent is everything, and I’m increasingly unsure of what the goal was here.
Water is water
Well, that was disappointing. I’ve had a lot of Chinese beer over the years, and this is up there with the worst. The appearance tells you one thing, the smell tells you nothing, and the taste is a ghost of what it should be. My only compliment is that it’s not as weak as most Chinese beers, but that really only matters if the beer is good enough to go in for a second can. You’ll be lucky to finish one. Perhaps it’s the volcanic water’s fault. Maybe volcanoes just don’t taste very good. ◉
Written by Seth Barham
