Saturday, December 30, 2017

2017 MOST MEMORABLE LIST by FISH (HK)

Today's list is from Fish Fung, a geek friend from Hong Kong. Fish is from the industry as she manage Tap beer bar at Mongkok, and is a familiar face to many in the craft community in and around HK, a certified BJCP beer judge and certified cicerone beer server, Fish has picked these 8 beers/mead for her 2017 list.(English version is based on her copy in Chinese--not word by word though)
对不少到过香港TAP专卖吧的啤迷朋友来说,阿鱼FISH FUNG是不陌生的名字,身为香港精酿啤酒行业一份子,FISH除了工作上面向CRAFT, 也考上了BJCP 和CICERONE两大啤酒专业认证,以下是她的年度酒单:-(英文为大意翻翻)

2017年度之啤
首先感謝CT Tai 的邀請,有機會寫一個2017年度最深印象的啤酒回顧,過往飲生涯中,都應該試過不少好東西,有時真的需要拍照以便自己可以回看,不然真的很易忘記。
我精選了8個最令我記得或者200分好飲的啤酒,有部份還真的要感謝朋友們無私的分享,才令我這“井底之魚”有機會嘗試。

第一枝 新加坡的黃金愛爾
Singapore / Brewlander / Hope Summer Ale / 4.5%ABV
Brewlander是新加坡品牌,釀酒廠設於柬埔寨,剛好成立一週年。釀酒師是當地人,他為新加坡悶熱的天氣打造了這啤酒─HOPE Summer Ale (品種屬於黃金愛爾),其實也蠻適合香港潮濕的天氣,回想那天正值風球前夕,坐左平台外,呷一口爽口清脆的啤酒,十分解鬱。雖然很多啤酒都做到清爽口感,但它還帶來一陣陣麥芽甜香,如微微蜜糖、餅乾,和啤酒花帶出的花香及橘子如橙皮香味,酒體十分乾淨氣泡亦十分足夠,酒精度不算高,算是亞洲區釀得比較好的淡愛爾系列之一。
A Singapore craft brand brewed in Cambodia, a very nice ale for the often hot and humid weather of South East Asia, and suitable for Hong Kong weather too--refreshing, crisp, with hints of honey/biscuit and floral/citrus influences from the hops, one of the better Asia brew around.


第二枝 酸啤入門
Sweden & Maryland USA / Dugges & Stillwater / Tropic Sunrise / 4.5%ABV
這枝是由瑞典與美國聯手合釀第二隻的酸啤,今次加入了芒果、菠蘿和紅桑子,水果香氣四溢,令其啤酒酸味更加突出,或者有部分飲家仍然不太接受酸啤,但它增添熱帶果風味,口感清脆易入口,尤如喝一樣有汽的雜果汁。在炎炎夏日有這杯美味解渴的酸啤,簡直是消暑良物。
With hints of mango/pineapple and raspberry, fruity and sour, a light and easy drinking one especially during a hot summer day.

第三枝 來自德州的禮物
Texas USA / Jester King / Colour Five / 7.1%ABV
美國德州某些啤酒廠是謝絕對外出售,即使是隔壁的州省,你必須於它的酒廠排隊買或是少量當地的啤酒零售購買,而有幸喝到這枝啤酒要感激來自德州的精釀啤愛好者特地帶來香港。這是一枝更加多工序的酸啤:先是用上混合酸酵母及天然酵母(包括農舍酵母、當地地區天然野生酵母、乳酸菌等)進行發酵,再者放入橡木桶進行二次發酵,最後加入當地藍莓再次發酵幾星期才入樽熟成。
單是幻想都彷如喝得到的複雜味道,既有Saison的汽泡感、Kriek (Fruit Lambic) 的果酸度、亦有Flanders Red的橡木味,入口第一句我只有:「嘩,非常好喝!」它能提供每種風味的特性及十分平衡著大家的味道,不會搶了風頭,莓味的酸剛好襯托橡木的香,農舍酵母亦提升了其啤酒本身的水果味道,酒體溫和,即使要我獨自完成一、兩枝500亳升的枝裝亦不是問題,問題是在香港跟本沒機會買到啊。
A gift from geeks all the way from the states--a barrel aged sour brew with blueberry, this is one complex beer giving drinkers a feel of saison/kriek/flanders red influemces, so tasty and balance--only problem is--can't find this in Hong Kong!
第四枝 萬聖節啤酒
New York USA / Southern Tier / Pumking 8.6%ABV
我一向喜歡喝一些香料味的啤酒,而秋季啤酒系列中的南瓜啤(Pumpkin Ale)就是其中一款,當中的南瓜在啤酒的角色其實不算特出,它本來就是沒有很強的味道,所以釀製啤酒時都需要加入香料如玉桂、荳蔻、丁香等提升味道,就如南瓜湯主要味道也是來自胡蘿蔔。 這枝美國品牌出的南瓜啤比平常的更加濃味、酒精度較高,入口帶強而有力的麥芽骨幹如輕烘焙、焦糖、餅乾,再來是不同香料味蜂擁而上,亦不會帶酒精的刺鼻感,十分適合十月尾開始轉涼的天氣。
Fish enjoys beers with spices, and this is one of those--This is quite a stronger than usual pumpkin brew in terms of flavours/abv, tastiing light roasted malt-caramel-biscuit with spices influence but no burning alcohol, suitable for weather towards last quarter of year.  


第五枝 注入氮氣的啤酒
Hong Kong / Celebration Ale on Nitro / Young Master / 6%ABV
不同季節也有對應的季節性啤酒,在冬天時會有很多高濃度或帶有香料的啤酒,如紅酒般,冬天會加入不同水果及香料煮熱成熱紅酒(Mulled Wine)。今次我選中的是較溫和的波特黑啤,如果一晚想多喝幾杯酒,高濃度的選擇可能兩杯後便有醉意了。所以這杯剛剛好,加入香料釀造,帶有微烘焙麵包、朱古力、咖啡、玉桂、丁香等等味道,特別的是酒廠為它注入氮氣令其口感更加滑身、泡頭更加豐厚,有如雪糕般幼滑,如果再配一塊薑餅進食簡直如虎添翼,更加滋味。
A spiced stouts on nitro--best for cooler weather--smooth as ice-cream--if add on a gingerbread to go along with--even better.

第六枝 陳年版印度淡啤
Delaware USA / Dogfish Head / 120 Minute IPA / 16.5 -21%ABV / IBU120
通常選擇印度淡啤(IPA)的條件是取決於啤酒的新鮮程度,愈新鮮愈美味。在一次啤酒聚會中,主題為不同陳年年份啤酒的轉變,整晚有不同品種的陳年版,十分有趣的嘗試,最令我記得就是這枝120 Minute帝國印度淡啤(Imperial IPA),大約年份為20132016,釀酒師更聲稱這是釀過最濃烈的印度淡啤,釀製過程中,每天都加入新鮮啤酒花冷泡(這做法稱為Dry-Hopped),目標酒精可高達21度酒精濃度,甘苦度高至120IBU。當啤酒花不再為新鮮而喝,那會是什麼的味道?陳年過的啤酒酒精都會降低一點,例如2009年的120 Minute只淨下18度酒精濃度,會更加著重麥芽的表現,有些麥芽糖、拖肥糖、焦糖,也有啤酒花的回甘帶有花香、樹脂、泥士、熟成水果味道等,個人認為有點像啤酒花沉澱後的大麥啤(Barley Wine)
Had it during a beer sharing with different years vertical variants(2013-2016), an interesting experience--personally Fish thought it's tasting more like a Barley Wine with faded hops influence. 

第七枝 最好的經典黑啤
California USA / AleSmith / Speedway Stout 12%ABV
Speedway司陶特黑啤一直都很受歡迎 (Stout),可惜在香港沒有經銷商代理這款酒,第一次試是朋友在美國帶回來,雖然只有一小杯但已令我一試愛上,直至在新加坡發現有零售時立即刻不容緩地買了,終於可以一大杯慢慢品嚐。它人入了當地優質烘焙咖啡,柔滑口感,氣泡亦較細膩,有濃郁的黑麥特性,如黑朱古力、烘焙咖啡、深色水果、拖肥糖、焦糖等味道,味道整體都很平衡,很容易飲,一整晚也很舒服,即使放了一小時,風味依然濃而不膩,但要小心的是竟然有12度酒精濃度。
Fish first had a little of this famous stout when a friend brought back from the states since theres no official distro in Hong Kong--and then found it in Singapore and happily bought to drink more for herself :)    A tasty stout that still taste really nice even after leaving aside for an hour--but look out for the abv though.

第八枝 甜絲絲蜂蜜酒
Michigan USA / B. Nektar / #dragonsarereal / 14%ABV
近年香港興起蜂蜜酒熱潮,它也是啤酒品種之一,是以蜜糖取代麥芽為原材料釀製的啤酒,味道會偏甜,對於啤酒新手這絕對是非常易飲之選,但相對由於全用高質蜜糖提煉所以價格亦會偏高。其實我不算是一個嗜甜的人,但這枝Dragon are Real令我十分驚喜,是一枝加入了車厘子汁、烟熏墨西哥辣椒、可可豆釀製的蜂蜜酒,再把它放入New Holland酒廠的Dragon’s Milk木桶中陳年,性格十分複雜, 酒體帶紅寶石色,入口先是感受到黑朱古力的香味、帶有莓味的微微甜味,尾段才感受到辣椒的風味,有輕輕的灼熱感在喉嚨中盪氣迴腸,整體感覺十分平衡,每個味道都相得益彰,剛好到位,甜得舒服、辣得舒服。
Mead is something very new to Hong Kong--it can be seen as a type of craft beer--instead of using malt as base for fermentation--mead uses honey---Fish is not a sweet-tooth person but was pleasantly surprised with this one--a complex one with hints of sweet and spiciness--a distinctively nice one.

喝精釀啤酒能結識世界各地的朋友,遇上志投道合人都願意交流分享飲啤心得,當然飲酒還是適可而止,學懂如何品嚐啤酒亦幫助你可以喝到啤酒本身應有的價值,希望大家飲得開心時亦可以了解啤酒其本身的故事會令喝酒變得更有趣。Cheers!
 Craft-drinking is a fun way to get to know friends from all over the world, especially meeting like minded people and sharing experiences of craft-tasting. Learning how to appreciate the taste profile of a brew would help one to value the brew better, including understanding the story/spirits of the brew/breweries--that would make craft-drinking that much more fun. Cheers.

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