2014 Memorable Beer List---by Stu Mckinlay( NZ)

新年第一天，继续回看2014年喝了什么值得回味的啤酒。

这期的“清单”来自纽西兰的STU，YEASTIE BOYS啤酒就是他的酿品。

1st day of the new year, while looking forward to more exciting beers in the coming months...here's a list by Stu Mckinlay, the brew master for Yeastie Boys about his memorable beer/beer related views:-

written by Stu( with most photos provided too)

Adnams Jack Brand Dry-hopped lager

I think of New Zealand as being the worldwide home of new world hoppy lagers but Adnams galaxy dry-hopped lager is undoubtedly one of the best I’ve ever tried.  Where our down under versions tend to be IPA–inspired versions of pilsners, this smooth beer was more like an American Pale Ale influenced version of a Dortmunder Export. Smooth, layered, slightly minerally with a delightful fruity undertone that never dominated.  Everything in its place.  It helped make it memorable in that I managed to drink plenty of it in the shadow of the brewery, in the delightful pubs of Southwold.

STU觉得纽西兰可能是酿制很多新式苦味浅啤（LAGER）的地方--不过来自英国ADNAMS的这支无疑是他喝过最好的。

况且--这家还有桶陈年处理的啤酒。。。。

And then there were their magnificent Adnams cask ales… but that’s another story!

Panhead Supercharger

Mike Neilson, the owner/founder and head brewer at Panhead Brewery, was a great customer of mine when I owned a homebrew supply business a few years back.  He always dropped off a few homebrews when he picked up his brewing supplies and I got to drink some truly spectacular beers in that time.  Mike went on to brew for New Zealand craft beer pioneers – Tuatara Brewery – before launching his own brewery in mid-2013.

MIKE是纽西兰酿坊PANHEAD的创办人兼酿酒师--STU和他很早期就是朋友--当时STU开了一家自酿器材供应店--MIKE是玩自酿的--当时就喝了不少MIKE的佳酿。

后来MIKE去了纽西兰比较有规模的酿坊--TUATARA当酿酒师--然后再自创品牌---STU在去年初某个下午和朋友聊完事情后喝了这支MIKE的酿品--啤酒的质素让他觉得这位早期搞自酿的朋友还是很有当年的“火”。

Earlier 2014, I had a great afternoon talking business with a friend in the spring sun.  We finished with a Panhead Supercharger and it was as fine a commercial beer as I’d tasted from Mike.  It reminded me of that je nais se quois he possessed as a homebrewer and, added to the fact that I was in the sun with a good friend, it was a perfect beer drinking moment.

And this photo of Mike is funny (he doesn’t usually have a moustache).

Moa Sour Blanc

Moa get a hard time in New Zealand, and much of it deservedly so, for a marketing angle that often crosses the line between promoting their beer and simple shock value humour.  I’m not a fan of their public persona but I’m a massive fan of their head brewer Dave Nicholls. A former brewer of industrial lagers, all over the world, Dave is now producing some of the most complex and interesting beers in the southern hemisphere… from hoppy pale ales, through imperial stouts, to barrel-aged and sour beers.

STU并不喜欢MOA的公众形象--不过他很欣赏主酿酒师DAVE的功力--一位以前酿大厂啤酒--现在酿着南半球最有趣各类别啤酒的高手。

 At Australia’s infamous Great Australasian Beer SpecTapular, we had a stand next to Moa and that meant I had the pleasure of not having to leave our corner of the room to get my hands on  one of the very best beers (of about 200 in the venue). A delicate witbier base is given a complex lift with funky barnyard notes and a lovely sour edge.  I could drink this one by the gallon.

在澳洲啤酒节，STU的“啤酒摊”就设在MOA的旁边，他可以就近不停品尝美味复杂的麦芽香酸啤酒。。。

All the beers at Taps Beer Bar!

Regulars at Taps Beer Bar, Jalan Nagasari, may have noticed some sticky fingerprints on the windows in mid-July. They were from my three excited sons pointing out their beer in the window.  It was great to be able to visit the bar, having sent beer there for a year or so.

三个小孩都是STU的孩子--地点是吉隆坡TAPSBEERBAR外窗--指着的应该都是老爸酿的啤酒瓶。。。

It’s always very exciting to visit the wild frontiers of beer, possibly even more so than the established historical places that inspired us, and Taps Beer Bar is the wild west of South East Asian craft beer. These places are home to the most enthusiastic beer lovers and never have much in the way of rules to shape them.  The first venues to hit the ground get to set the rules… and the team at Taps have done a wonderful job at this.  I can’t wait to return and drink beer with the locals.  Yaaaaaaaaaaammmm Seng!

STU觉得能在离家那么远的东南亚发现一家这样的CRAFT专卖酒吧是比看旅游景点更令人兴奋的事情。他很期待可以再回来跟我们这些在地人“饮胜”。。。

Townshend Old House ESB

Sometimes a family trip just happens to intersect with one of the things on my beer bucket list. This year we had one of those occasions, when we attended a 90^th birthday in Upper Moutere (an off-the-beaten-track spot in New Zealand’s south island). This area is home to my favourite New Zealand brewery – Townshend Brewery – and is the location of The Moutere Inn, one of New Zealand’s iconic craft beer pubs.

这是STU的必去酒吧清单里面的一家，而且是在为了其他事情去某个地方时候，跟家人一起完成的。

Here I managed to get a pint of Townshend’s flagship ale – Old House ESB – within walking distance of the brewery. It was as good a pint as I got my hands on all year and was made all the more pleasurable by the fact that I was able to introduce some extended family members to it.

TOWNSHEND是STU喜欢的一家纽西兰酿坊，卖酒的地方就在酿坊走路可到的地方，这杯喝的很写意。

A fine night, with great beer in an excellent pub, celebrating something rare and special with family. What more can we ask for?

Adnams & Yeastie Boys Gunnamatta

Right back at the start of this list I mentioned drinking Adnams beer in their hometown of Southwold, Suffolk.  We were in town to brew a real ale version of our best selling beer Gunnamatta, at Adnams, for the Wetherspoons’ International Real Ale Festival.  We came and went thinking we’d never get a chance to try the final product but Adnams were kind enough to send a firkin to New Zealand with one of their scheduled exports.

这是STU品牌的代表作之一，特别的是，这次是受邀出席英国啤酒节，在英国名酿坊ADNAMS酿制，专供啤酒节需求。

Rather than drink it all in our own lounge, which was a tempting proposition, we organised a party at the British High Commissioner’s residence and served the beer alongside several New Zealand keg beers that had also beer brewed for the Wetherspoons international festival in recent years. It was a great gathering of some of the nicest people in the New Zealand beer scene. And the beer tasted fantastic! In fact, all of the beers tasted so good that the High Commissioner extended opening hours of her pop-up pub for an extra hour or so. A splendid evening.

因为酿制之后就离开英国，没想到英国酿坊特意送了酿成品到纽西兰给STU和伙伴/朋友们尝味--结果是在英国驻纽西兰大使的官邸搞了一个品酒会--出现的还有其他参与啤酒节的纽西兰品牌啤酒---因为啤酒和气氛都太好--大使将品酒会延长了一个小时。

Incidentally the High Commissioner – Vicki Treadell – has finished her post here and is now the British High Commissioner to Malaysia. You may spot her in Taps Beer Bar from time to time over the next few years…

巧合的是，大使去年尾已经调任英国驻马来西亚大使--今后几年可能会在吉隆坡TAPS酒吧遇到她....

NEXT UP--2014 memorable beer list--by Ray Chia(S'pore)