While wandering some side streets in Taipei we stumbled across the little craft brewery called ‘Zhang Men’. Ticking a few of the must-haves for Beerpornjournal it caters for the smaller crowd who enjoy a good range of craft beers, happy hour and finger food. On the down side it is a little pricey.
Entering the establishment you’re greeted by the menu above the bar displaying their 20 in-house brewed beers including alcohol content and IBU scale (International Bitterness Unit).
Lightest drink: Honey Ale, 4.8% – IBU 10
Heaviest drink: Double IPA, 9.2% – IBU 98
Beers come in either 330ml or 600ml and prices start at $6.5 for their Honey Ale all the way up to $17 for their Barley Wine (but that is 600ml at 11.2% abv, so we’ll class it as a bottle of wine instead)
I chose their ‘Beer Flight’, a choice of any six tasters @150ml for $24
Beerpornjournals Beer Flight:
1: Honey Ale, 4.8% – IBU 10
2: Lambic, 5.6% – IBU 13
3: Golden Strong Ale, 9.3% – IBU 26
4: Imperial Stout, 8.6% – IBU 59
5: Double IPA, 9.2% – IBU 98
6: Barley Wine, 11.2% – IBU 67
Conclusions:
Honey Ale is a surprisingly easy starter and would be a good for a long session. Golden strong ale is your mid session choice, easy to put away and unassuming until you finish two or three and have trouble getting up. The imperial stout is dark, rich and has a hit of coffee at the end – perfect for a winter day. The double IPA is the end of your night, just one is enough to finish you. The barley wine is surprisingly bitter (not in a good way) and a struggle to recommend, probably not the best choice for any session.
And the Lambic? I couldn’t decide on my last beer flight choice and asked the barmaid which she would suggest, which was the Lambic. Lambic is a sour lemon beer that is best left alone.
All up Zhang Men Brewery is a nice little find with a great selection of craft beers but can hit your hip pocket pretty hard.
7/10.
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