Kor range

Dublin's Asian supermarkets aren't a brilliant source for new and exotic beers to tick, but they're worth checking every once in a while. On a recent visit to Asia Market on Drury Street I uncovered this pair of unfamiliar Korean beers.

We start with Kloud Draft, a pale lager of 4.5% ABV, and about six weeks past its expiry date by the time I opened it. No matter. It's a bog standard eurolager, and has nothing to which a month or two either side of the best-before will make a difference. There are a number of cheap mass-production lager's tropes in evidence, including a syrupy body, a plasticky hop twang, a grainy mustiness and a scattering of potentially headache-inducing esters. Not a recommendation from me, and I'm not even going to compare it to Hite or Cass or any of the other familiar mainstream Korean lagers. There's nothing here beyond the exotic novelty factor, and if that's not something you're chasing, drink a Spaten or a Budvar instead.

The next one is a little more intriguing. It's from Jeju Beer Company, "in partnership with" Brooklyn Brewery, though definitely brewed in Korea, with I guess some craft credentials. Jeju Wit Ale is a little dark for a witbier, being the orange of a pale ale instead of cloudy yellow. The ingredients are absolutely Belgian standard: wheat, coriander, orange peel. They express themselves politely and decently in the aroma, with a pleasant introductory mix of fruit and spice. There's an emphasis on the mouth-watering juicy side in the flavour, with tart, shred-studded marmalade and fresh kumquat or satsuma zest. It finishes quickly, giving it an almost lager-like aspect which is beautifully clean and works well as a thirst-quencher. At 5.3% ABV it probably shouldn't be quite so easy-going and accessible, but I really enjoyed its sunny disposition and could see myself, ill-advisedly, chugging several in a row. As Asian beers available in Ireland go, it's one of the best. I hope it's getting out to the restaurants and noraebang venues in town, where it would be a lifesaver among the shitty pale lager options.