Max Special Hop 2009
Hite Brewery Company LTD

 

 

Just tried the 2012 variety from the local Seoul 7-Eleven. I was actually excited about it because the name "special hop" but was then very disappointed to learn it's an all malt beer... confused.

Either way, it's a decent can of beer in Korea.

S - Smell was the worst part, smells like old grains, reminiscent of college bars.

A - Light in color, fluffy head. Oh, and the can is sweet looking. Very British-y.

T - For a can of been in Seoul, made in Korea, from a macro, it's great. It beats the heat and isn't Hite Light or some other atrocity. The mouthfeel has a lot of carbonation, but not too much to take away from the actual taste of the beer. It's a light grain taste, but heavier than other competing brands.

O - For about the same price point considering the options, I'd buy it again. Otherwise it's a soju headache...

I found a can of the 2011 version of this beer at a C-Space in Busan. I believe it's basically identical to the 2009 version, at 4.5% with no rice/corn adjuncts, and "the most fresh hop of the year from New Zealand blended with fruity and floral aroma."

It's a clear yellow straw color with maybe a slight orange tint and a white head. Nose still smells like grains, but with perfumy floral hops overlaid. Slight rose water and a bit of metal.

Taste is like a lightly hopped lager. Subtle malts, gentle lingering floral hops.

Actually a pretty decent mouthfeel. Well carbonated without being over the top. A bit of stickiness.

Not a bad beer, and probably the best macro I've seen while traveling in Korea. Still, when in Rome I'll stick to soju and dongdongju.

found this in a handful of convenience stores around Seoul (Family Mart & C-Space). it seems to be pretty limited. The can describes it as all-malt (that's a feat in and of itself) and containing Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. apparently (according to loose translation from the can) this type of hops makes up .01% of the hops in the world, i.e. it's rare.

A: bright golden with thick foamy white head

S: lightest bit of herbs & flowers... a little jasmine? some light hints of toasty maltiness. so far not bad...

T: surprisingly tasty. the malts lay a nice smooth bready foundation. Hops add hints of delicate flowers and maybe a little bit of Korean melon.

M: bubbly on the tongue but not caustic/fizzy like other Korean beer.

D: easy to down without feeling guilty. this beer was clearly made with more attention and craftsmanship than any other Korean macro-beer (which is just about all of it). a huge step in the right direction... i hope this catches on. wish i could have found it in one of those huge bottles. (it must be noted that compared strictly to other Korean beers, this would get an A+ in all categories. it is a jewel in a huge pile of rocks.) otherwise, it's damn decent. an absolute must find if you're stuck in the quality beer deprived South Korea.