SpaceCraft is a Thai craft brewer that's done pretty well for itself! Bagging no small number of big awards, despite having to remain a cuckoo brewer as many of its fellow Thai peers are as well - a topic that its founder, Kan (กาน-กาญจน์ เสาวพุทธสุเวช) has been really vocal about. The brand was started around 2014/2015 and has largely had to produce its beers in Vietnam and then more recently Cambodia, before having it exported back into Thailand for sale - a practice common with Thai craft beer brands as a result of the tough regulations being imposed on them by local authorities.

Kan, the space explorer! (Image Source: Voice TV Thailand)

While not much about the brand is offered, we only know that Kan is a fan of science fiction and takes much of his inspiration from various spaceships and space objects. He likens himself to a space explorer looking for unknown treasures - the beer - which he brings and offers to his drinkers.

I personally first took notice of the brand when I had saw that this little known brand had bagged a bunch of big awards and was curious that I had heard very little about them. When the chance arose to try them - they were being stocked at a supermarket in Thailand - I knew I had wanted to see what they were about.

So let's give two of their beers a go, we've got the Discovery Wheat Beer and the Event Horizon Stout. 

SpaceCraft Event Horizon Stout, 5.5% ABV - Review

As SpaceCraft puts it, an Event Horizon is the region of space and time around a blackhole where events inside cannot be transmitted outside - thus an appropriate name for their oatmeal stout! This uses 6 types of malt and 1 hop and is supposed to be a medium-bodied stout that goes well with cream-based dessert.

Tasting Notes

Color: Espresso Black

Aroma: Roasty, espresso flavours but brighter - very aromatic and yet mellow. Exactly like a good cup of latte with extra shots.

Taste: Medium-bodied, not your usual heavy stouts. Yet it packs in all the coffee flavours - roasty coffee beans, espresso, with a light char bitterness. There’s a good amount of milkiness too that keeps it very smooth. Still very aromatic, and very well-rounded but also brighter and more lifted than your usual stouts.

Finish: Bright milkiness, more milk sugars, before a gentle touch of espresso bitterness - very aromatic. Pretty clean and surprisingly refreshing finish.

My Thoughts

Wonderful stuff! I really enjoyed this stout - this runs counter to the trend of intensely heavy, dank stouts. This one is bright, aromatic and lifted - it’s very well-rounded with great coffee flavours, but none of the dankness. It’s also rather light bodied - not watery though - just standard almost IPA heaviness, which complements perfected the more lifted flavours.

If you’re someone who enjoys stouts but don’t like the super heavy, dank styles (like me!) this one is definitely for you.

Superbly enjoyable, it’s like spiked cold coffee - aromatic, great flavours and body, lovely refreshing finish!

SpaceCraft Discovery Wheat Beer, 5.2% ABV - Review

According to SpaceCraft, this one's called Discovery, taking its name from the early NASA space shutter that's gone into orbit. SpaceCraft says that for them this is symbolic of their years of research that they took to start creating their own beers and determining the path and altitude of their own journey.

Tasting Notes

Color: Light Gold

Aroma: Bright fruity but bitter notes of pineapple tepache, starfruit, passionfruit. Hoppy green grassy bitterness too.

Taste: Medium-bodied with gentle notes of pineapple puree, starfruit juice and a much lighter green hoppy bitterness.

Finish: Clean, finish with some lingering pineapple flesh.

My Thoughts

This was a pretty enjoyable, light, clean brew that came off more as an IPA than a wheat beer. On the nose there was quite a strong hoppy bitterness but surprisingly on the palate this was much more subdued and gentle.

Overall, good body and flavours, good cohesiveness, it was aromatic and friendly to drink, but also leaned towards a milder side.