Tasting

What does Harbin Beer taste like? Poured cold, it shows a pale yellow color with white foam, the aroma recalls fresh bread and grain, the sip is light and watery-fresh, the bitterness brief. Sweetness and hops are in balance, nothing lingers long on the palate. Anyone used to a robust Pils will find it restrained.

Snow belongs to the same style. This restraint makes pale lagers companions for heavily spiced food: they refresh without overpowering the dish. As taste examples of the style, they stand side by side, with Harbin as the brand from the north and Snow as the brand from across the whole country.

There's no typical glass for it. In many eateries, the beer comes from the bottle into a plain glass or cup, a tap is more the exception. If trying it at home, it's best to use a slim, tall glass, like the one used for Pils, so the color and foam can show properly.

On temperature: cold, but not icy, roughly like a Pils, is a good benchmark. Too cold numbs the flavor and hides the subtle malt note; too warm it turns sweetish and flat. Tilt the glass, pour slowly at first, then straighten it toward the end so a foam head of about two fingers forms.

When tasting, it's worth comparing with a German Pils and a Helles: this reveals just how little hop and how little roasted malt are involved. That's how you taste the style for what it wants to be: a clean, unassuming lager.