Having dominated the scene for a hot minute, Boon Rawd (famous for Singha) decided to expand into a lighter and more affordable alternative, probably in response to the growing competition from Chang. Boon Rawd's response was a debut of Leo (referring to the Snow Leopard which it uses as a mascot) in 1999, just four years after Chang's debut.

It is cheaper than Singha but still remains pricier than Chang and is mostly a rift off of Singha's reputation but as mentioned, was designed to give Chang some competition and fill the more price sensitive segment. The strategy mostly worked and Leo is now one of the Big Three Thai beers alongside its more muscular brother Singha. 

Tasting Note

Color: Pale Gold

Aroma: Classic lager notes of light honey, bright citrus, alittle bit of candied lemon, and a light herbaceousness and grassiness. Very bright and light.

Taste: Wheat and straw honey, the cereal and grain notes are fresh and raw. It's mostly bright, smooth and lightly sweet with no bitterness. It's also lightly fruity and zesty of lemon and passionfruit. It is generally bright and light, and the honey here is alittle more sweetened.

Finish: Short and clean, with light hints of cereal milk.

My Thoughts

👎

A very light beer in all aspects - its aromas are bright and citrusy but thin, while on the palate, the mouthfeel is again more watery and light. It is an easy drinker though, with next to no bitterness whatsoever, albeit it has a very confectionary sort of sweetness that is alittle plasticky. The cereal notes are apparent but again lack depth and are very grainy. It is smooth but not nearly as flavorful. It's decent but appeals to more price consciousness drinkers going for a lighter beer.

Our Thai friends give this a thumbs down! We're largely in agreement. Pony up a little and you could go for Singha or Chang.  

@111hotpot