ABC, once belonged to the company Archipel Brouwerij Compagnie, but today is best known as the Archipelago Brewery Company. As its former moniker underscores, beer and by extension stout is not native to Asia. It was by and large brought over to Asia by Europeans during the colonial era in the first half of the 1900's.

For Singapore, where ABC is based in and from, beer-making was started in earnest by yet another company, the Malayan Breweries Limited (or MBL). MBL was a joint venture between local soft drinks producer Fraser & Neave and Dutch beer giant, Heineken, and produced another popular brand of beer, that is Tiger Beer. Till today, Tiger Beer remains the dominant lager in Singapore, and has significant market share across Southeast Asia.

Now back to ABC, the brand had its start as a joint venture between the Dutch East Indies and German brewer, Beck's, in Dutch-controlled Batavia (today Jakarta), hence the Dutch name despite its proclaimed German origins. The company had breweries in both Batavia and Singapore.

The old Anchor Brewery in Singapore. (Image Source: Pinterest)

In fact, both ABC and MBL were located on the same street, Alexander Road. 

ABC's brewery in Singapore was known as The Anchor Brewery and started out first producing Anchor Beer, which is still served today. WWII meant that ABC's German backers had more urgent things on their hands, leaving the brewery's operations to the British government in Singapore. This allowed MBL to acquire ABC under the new company, Archipelago Brewery Company. Yet, not long after, the Japanese Occupation of Singapore passed the brewery to the hands of Dai Nippon, or better known today as Asahi. Hence, for a brief period of time, ABC was responsible for producing Asahi's beers in Singapore.

After all was said and done, ABC was returned to MBL (renamed as Asia Pacific Breweries or APB), and continues to operate under the banner of Archipelago Brewery Company, producing amongst its portfolio, the ABC Extra Stout.

ABC Extra Stout, Archipelago Brewery Company, 6% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Color: Espresso 

Aroma: There's a distinct wheatiness, with light notes of milk chocolate, espresso, and also a light hoppy bitterness.

Taste: It starts off moderately sweet, with notes of caramel, and roasty espresso. There's a light hoppiness and wheatiness that underscores the initial taste.

But unfortunately, the body kind of falls apart soon after. It's alittle thin, and has a really apparent strange, slightly savory, umaminess that is reminiscent of marmite or chicken essence. It’s discordant with the sweet caramel, and also holds a sort of artificial sweet plasticky taste like burnt toast char (burnt ends but sweet and plasticky) and burnt sugar. There's also a slightly sour doughy taste complete with olive oil laminate (prata dough in ghee if I'm being specific).

Finish: Short, the same sweet caramel, with espresso grounds, and more on that awkward burnt bread-y taste that lingers.

My Thoughts

I didn't enjoy it, safe to say. While it could be argued that the taste profile is simply not one that I personally enjoy - I'd take a step further and point out that the body is rather thin and the two dominant flavors, the sweet roasty caramel and coffee and the bitter, sour burnt toast and umami marmite go in completely different directions.

There's little cohesiveness and is unevenly and diametrically opposing worsened on a thin, watery body. So no, I doubt it is purely a subjective evaluation. I suppose it could be an acquired taste, but it'd really be an outlier kind of thing.

There are better stouts for the same price point.  

Nonetheless widely available across Southeast Asia at supermarkets, convenience stores and coffee shops.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot