Tuesday, January 16, 2018

2017 MOST MEMORABLE LIST by LIAM (HK)

The most memorable list series concludes with a list from Liam Lee, a friend who writes about craft beer/mead during his spare time, iif you read Chinese, you could find his blog on FB as shown below.
For his 2017 list, Liam is talking more about experiences of having craft beer/mead at specific places rather than just focusing on the brew itself--which is a nice touch since craft community do connects through the common love of good brew/awesome brew as well people we meet along the craft journey.

The Chinese version and photos are all Liam's--the English version would be my interpretation--again--not word by word.
年度最有印象酒单系列来到尾声,这次是来自香港的啤迷朋友LIAM的印象记,稍微不同的是,他并不是只谈酒,更多的是在聊去喝酒的过程和地方/人,的确,喝CRAFT乐趣并不是只在于酒本身,在哪里喝,和谁喝,遇到什么人都可以是很好的事情。

以下酒单的文和照片由LIAM提供,英文则是我的大概诠释版:-

感謝 Ct tai 再次邀請又有機會總結一下上年最有印象/難忘關於精釀啤酒/蜂蜜酒的兩三事......剛過去一年, 在家中Taproom, 品飲派對或到外地喝酒, 也差不多超過500款了要詳細記起味道, 來甄選10款實在有難度! 所以使我最難忘的不是味道而是經歷且看看大家的口味是否相似? :P
with more than 500 beers/mead had last year--it's quite difficult to try to pick 10 favourites--this list is more about experiences rather than brew taste alone--let's  see if there's similarity? :)
1. OmnipolloFEST 2017
由計劃行程派對過程到啤酒陣容最難忘的首位當之無愧-- 少於兩星期前才決定這次北歐之旅, 首天遇到恐襲 ( beer geeks 卻一於少理), tap list 方面, 30間著名酒廠最頂級的 Hill Farmstead, Monkish, Other Half, Cycle Brewing, Trillium 等等,  已記不起味道怎樣只遺憾試不完數之不盡的酒款.....
An unforgettable trip to Stockholm for the fest---with all those delicious brew from names like Hillfarmstead, Monkish, Other Half, Cycle Brewing, Trillium and more---the only regrets being not able to try emm all. 
2. Bokkereyder "Druiven 2015"
北歐之旅的最後一天來到丹麥哥本哈根的 Koelschip-- 一間由Mikkeller開設, 號稱在比利時外坐擁最多Lambic收藏之地, Bokkereyder 則是Ratebeer 2016年最佳新酒廠第1全世界更只有4間店鋪有他們的瓶裝! 當晚開了 "Druiven 2015", 用了Dornfelder, Pinot Noir Regent葡萄釀製的水果 lambic, 紅葡萄氣息, brett氣味跟礦物感濃烈, 以印有其品牌的 Zalto酒杯盛載, 滿足感滿分! 還要感謝太太跟我走了差不多一小時的路程.... :D
Last day of the trip to Scandinavia, had this grapes influenced beauty from Bokkereyder at Koelschip after almost an hour walk(thanks to wife for accompanying)--taste red wine-ish, brett, with hints of minerals--totally satisfied.
3. Mikkeller Bangkok 4th visit
第四次到那裡, 卻首次跟兩位beer geeks 好友同行, 感覺就是不一樣除了大熱的 Superstition meadery "Peanut Butter Jelly Crime (PBJC)" on tap, 能試盡 30 taps中的 15, 16 , 10 餘款的蜂蜜酒不跟 beer geeks 一起似乎是 mission impossible ? 5th visit (27Jan2018) 又來了全為了他們的週年派對和探望好友 Dan Bark和他剛拿到米芝連一星的 "Upstairs Mikkeller"!!!
The 4th visit there--and first time going with 2 fellow geeks from HK--with 30 taps and quite a lot of Superstition meadery variants including PBJC in the house--glad to have company otherwise  cant possibly tried 15-16 from taps plus another 10 + mead variants.
5th Visit is on the way( 27th Jan)--for Mikkeller BKK's 4th anniversary party, as well visiting Chef Dan Bark and the recently Michelin star awarded Upstairs Mikkeller. 
4. Omnipollo X Buxton "Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie"
給初嚐精釀啤酒的朋友嚐嚐, 會覺得像汽水, 無甚特別, beer geeks自然知道釀製這平衡度高, 略帶啤酒花氣息的"檸檬特飲或檸檬雪葩 (sorbet)" 啤酒絕不是易事!!! 又是感謝太太的時間, 為我在八號風球當天買到同名的甜品"檸檬蛋白甜餅"作配對因酒的酸度比甜餅更高, 正好中和甜品的"膩口", 一次成功的 food pairing.
Newbies might find this to be very much like a soda, nothing special--but geeks would know its hard to create such balanced beer with hops/lemony flavours which taste almost like sorbet in a beer---time to thanks my wife for bringing home a lemon egg white sweet tart as pairing during a stormy day in HK--these two really went well as a pair.
5. Liefmans "Kriek (1985)"
品嚐"歷史"的一瓶經過20多年的洗禮連木塞都嚴重發霉酒是深棕色車厘子不見了換來醋酸菇類和皮革味道好喝與否都不重要了......感謝 Kenneth帶來這次經驗
A bottle with rotten cork--after 20 odd years--showing brownish color- cherries not to be found, tasty or not is no longer the point--thanks to fellow geek friend Kenneth for sharing.
6. Omnipollo X Evil Twin "Lemonade/ Pink lemonade IPA"
"Lemon Meringue Pie" 有異曲同工之妙,  "Lemonade IPA" 更在香港牽起熱潮, "Pink Lemonade IPA" 平衡度較佳, "Old Fashioned" 的果汁感覺更像 NE IPA, 均是不可思議的酒款...... Henok  Karl Grandin  label 也是吸引我的地方, haha, 期待他們的 "Half & Half Lemonade Ice Tea IPA"
Amazing brew from these guys--and attractive labeling too.
7. Tired Hands X Omnipollo "Tangerine Dream Milkshake IPA"
啤酒能夠拉近人與人之間的距離又一証明 (太誇張吧?!), 到美國費城出差, 跟初次見面的同事熟絡就是靠 IPA! , Milkshake IPA 系列今次加入柑橘, 橙汁般的外表, 水果的香甜正好中和輕微的啤酒花辛辣, 是我喝過最好的 NE IPA 三甲之一
sharing some beer is a good way of getting close to people--this trip to Philadelphia drinking with newly met colleagues has proven it--as for the brew the fruity flavours nicely balance out the stronger taste from hops---one of the top 3 NEIPAs i ever had so far.
8. Barrel aged Imperial stouts from Hong Kong local breweries
本地的酒廠發展得越來越好也開始推出更多複雜的酒款, Young Master Ales "黑無常 (Hak Mo Sheung)" 是曾經在 MBCC 2017現身, 波本酒桶陳釀的 imperial stout, 還有加入辣椒朱古力和紅桑莓版本; Moonzen Brewery "門寶䘵神 (Moonbo & Lukzen)" 則是跟 Against the Grain 合作加入波本酒桶木片, 以煙熏麥芽和四川花椒釀製質素均是讓香港人感自豪
The local breweries scene in HK is getting better--for examples the BA imperial stout by Young Master Ales--as well as Moonzen Brewery's collab brew with Against the grain--some brews which the locals can be proud of.
9. Superstition meadery "Berry White Day Asia"
從沒想過香港這蜂蜜酒剛起步之地, 會舉辦這mead geeks趨之若騖的活動也是他們首次在亞洲舉辦的地方, 能一口氣試勻2017版本 "Berry White Series"的機會絕無僅有味道還用多說? 4 "Berry White" 厲害之處在於味道濃郁分明, , 莓酸中和了蜂蜜酒的甜度, 加上白朱古力的香氣, 是意想不到的""!!  
It's quite unimaginable an event of this level would happen in HK, this is the only such event in Asia--with a rare chance to taste all 4 White Series at one go--the rich and distinctively different layering of tartness and honey sweetness, plus the beauty of added chocolate--just so perfectly in harmony.
10. New Glarus Brewing Co. "Strawberry Rhubarb"
翻開相簿, 看到201711日喝的就是 New Glarus  "Belgian Red" 車厘子啤酒無獨有偶, 2018年的第一枝是他們的 "Strawberry Rhuarb", 不像他們恆常款式極濃烈新鮮水果的味道大黃 (Rhubarb) 的蔬菜氣息甚強士多啤梨反而其次但酒體極幼滑是對他們的酒嶄新體驗!
While referring back to the beer photos--the beer had in 1st JAN 2017 was New Glarus "Belgian Red"---coincidentally JAN 1st 2018 the first beer also from the same brewery--this time is Strawberry Rhubarb--with the rhubarb showing stronger influences than strawberry--tone new experience added.

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