Numerous tastings of sarsi have proven that sarsi and sarsaparilla drinks bottled by Asian companies bear very little resemblance to the taste of sarsaparilla bottled by Australian companies. Nonetheless, A S Watson Sarsae is the most popular brand of sarsi in Hong Kong and so worth a try.
The beverage was a transparent dark brown-red with a moderate carbonation and a sweet nose. Served chilled, a rock sugar sweetness emerged in the head ahead of a slight undertone of acidity with hints of caramel and vanilla emerged in the body and notes of wintergreen came through in the backend before the rock sugar sweetness returns to linger on the palate. As with most sarsi, there are no liquorice or sarsaparilla notes to bring the sharpness to cut through the sweetness. The wintergreen, though, is less prominent in this beverage than in those by other brands, and so emphasises the sweetness here.
This A S Watson Sarsae contained 330 ml. It was bottled in China and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2017.