This time we started at Hoa Vien Brewery with one beer of each kind. Always consistent in its taste, there were no surprises. Not so much more to say, always a safe card for both beer and service.

First visit at Goldmalt 416 Xa Dan                                                                                          There are as many as eight Goldmalt breweries in Hanoi. All of them are constructed in a similar way, often situated in a three-four storey buildings with place for around 20 to 50 people on each floor, the menus are the same, but not the beer. All have individual brewing equipment and brewing staff, which was very clear today. The “mother Goldmalt” is Goldmalt in Tran Phu.

There could be two explanations for the beer at Goldmalt Xa Dan, either too much water or something was wrong with the yeast and yeasing process. Both black and blond beer was watery and had a lower strenght than usual Goldmalt beer and hardly drinkable.

We also planned a visit to Pragold Brewery but they are closed due to construction work until an unknown date. Business is tough for breweries in Hanoi, Pragold is one that has been struggeling a lot.

We went to Mai Vien Brauhaus where we always get good service and good beer. This evening we learned that it’s important to be honest and critic can be well received when the owner cares about the beer. We got one blond and one black beer. This time the black one was lighter in its taste than usual with some sourness to it, reminding us of Belgian trappist beer. But this is meant to be a black lager with notes of coffee and not any sourness. So I told the owner about it, he tried the beer and confirmed that the taste was wrong because it was from an almost empty barrel. So we got new beers, tasting as usual, quite full bodied and well structured; in short a really good black lager.

Picture above: The owner Tin (right) showing the brewing equipment and serving fresh beer direct from the barrels. It is always very appreciated when owners care  about both their beer and customers, especially the ones who really know their beer and how it should taste.

Visiting Goldmalt in Van Phuc                                                                                      Because of the disappointment with the beers at Goldmalt at 416 Xa Dan we had to try another Goldmalt to see how much they differ in taste. So we finished the evening at Goldmalt at 17 Van Phuc which had no black beer but a tasty blond one. Goldmalt in Van Phuc opened up really good for less than one year ago. Goldmalt 17 van phuc made really good beer and had good service. The latest months some changes has been made, no more black beer and as you can see in the two pictures; the boiling barrels outside is not there any more. We hope that goldmalt in Van phuc can bring back the good beers they made before.