KZBlog

Just a quick word of praise for the best beer in Kazakhstan-one that to me is fully competitive in the international market, Tyan-Shyan Gold. The Tyan-Shyan (named after the mountains, probably more familiar to western eyes as Tien-Shien) brand is not a new one and for a while they have sold light and dark beers. But the new gold label beer is unusual for its sweet and nutty flavor. It really reminds me of McEwan’s and other Scottish beers which are also distinctive for their sweetness. You wouldn’t think a sweet beer would be good, but it is.

Unfortunately Tyan-Shyan is a cheap beer. I say unfortunately because it means that it is not sold in the elite supermarkets like Ramstor or Gros. I have to buy it at the little convenience store next to my house and they don’t always have it in stock. A larger store would have the storage space to keep it on the shelves permanently. I am always afraid that, not being featured prominently in the big, cool stores, sales will never be high and eventually the brewer will discontinue it. So please buy this beer at least to ensure that I have a constant supply!

The other funny thing about preferring a cheap beer (Tyan-Shyan and Derbes are the Bud and Coors of Kazakhstan, always the cheapest buys) is that my friends sometimes assume I order it to save money.
“Come on, get an Amstel or a Hoegaarden.”
“No, I really want Tyan-Shyan.”
“We’ll pay for it, if you want.”
“No, seriously, I want a Tyan-Shyan.”

Anyway, just wanted to give credit where credit is due and encourage Kazakhstan to put this beer up on the international market–because someday we might move back to the US and then what will I do for beer?