The big wide world of craft beer can be a black hole with no end in sight---it could also be a deep wide ocean to many with lots of different sizes of fish/sea creatures--among them there's such a creature called WHALEZ.
对啤迷来说，craft
beer可以是个无尽头的黑洞，也可以是浩瀚无比的啤海。在这么辽阔无边，由很多很多不同酿坊无数不同类别风格风味酿品构成的啤酒世界中，就像大海那样，有各种各样的海洋生物，除了大鱼小鱼，也有所谓的鲸鱼级别（Whalez)瓶子。
什么是鲸鱼级别啤酒？ 这当然跟鱼没关系，也跟瓶子Size大小没关系（啤酒也有3到9品脱巨型瓶装的），会被叫做鲸鱼的啤酒（或蜜酒）指的是酒所造成/带来的现象级关注程度。
To the uninitiated---a Whalez has nothing to do with brewing using fish or anything like that---it's a reference to the attentions/hype/ commotion a brew created --for whatever reasons.
一支酒会受到现象级关注的原因大致有几个，
Briefly---these are some of the causes a brew is deemed a Whalez:-
1) Deliciousness of a brew
this has got to be the main reason isn't it? that some geeks/drinkers would be so eager to seek out a particular brew---the primary reason why craft beer is attractive is because a really well made beer/mead can bring such big joy to palate enjoyment--much in the same vein as enjoying really really good food.
1）酒的美味程度
一支啤酒（或蜜酒）能有几好喝？这是没有绝对答案的问题，可以肯定的是，酿的很好的酒绝对有一般人想像不到的美味层次，而且就算风味类似某种或几种食物/水果/甜品/饮料，酿成酒後的味道会变成另一种层次，是跟单纯吃东西很不一样也找不到的味蕾享受。
虽然很抽象，或许可以这样说，啤迷喝到一支绝佳美味酿品时，用心领神会手舞足蹈来形容那种满足感/感恩心情一点不为过。
2)Limited availability
In an ideal world--all the geeks living in different parts of the world would be able to get hold of a beer/mead he or she really wanted to taste but of course reality don't work that way---geography reasons--limited production/releases are reasons enough to create shortage of supply--and when there's over demand there's when rarity created.
2）酒的稀有度/有钱难买到程度
这是有点矛盾的，因为啤迷大多都明白，只因为量少稀罕难寻并不代表一支酒的美味程度一定跟着上升。craft beer是有小量酿造的特质，也有限量酿造甚至只酿一次特别版的玩法，也有一些酿坊采取会员制每年不同时段限量配给一些不公开发售酿品，这些都造成想要但买不到的啤迷/喝酒人想方设法寻酒，需求超大于供应情况下，一些鲸鱼级别瓶子就此形成。
3)Level of attention/talk about on craft social media
Yes--rarity does not automatically mean a brew would be so damn delicious though there's a saying that rarity/hardship in getting a brew might enhance the psychology hint that it must be a nicer one if not the best---the thing is --something not owned already would always trigger imaginations--when there's x amount of attention/talk on social media or among geeks/friends---it would only heighten the situation.
3）啤酒社交媒体讨论追捧热度
很多喜爱craft beer的啤迷/喝酒人都有在社交媒体或个别啤酒群体交流讨论聊天的习惯/经验，这些其实也可以是某个酿坊或某一支酒被讨论，被形容归类为大鱼小鱼或鲸鱼的形成渠道，说到底酿好的酒就是要等人品嚐後才知道水准高下，在这个鼓励分享文化的社区，因为美妙或难喝而被讨论/提起的酿品都是常态。
4)How far one willing to go in chase of a brew
there's of course many many info channels out there about how rare or good or hype a brew can be---this sort of info inevitably invites attention from geeks as well curious drinkers---it's how beer trade started and it's also how active secondary market trade going on---in a way--beer trade in which bottle ABC in exchange for XYZ is understandable since it does not involve profiteering by reselling first release prices bottles at sky high secondary market prices--but if there's curious and loaded guys seeking out brew at whatever prices--then it's quite fxxk up.
4）啤迷（或只是爱炫土豪/好奇喝酒人）的追逐力度
因为听说了好评，甚至比如看了被一些评酒网站贴上“死前一定要喝到”之类的耸动标签，一些人会以此为目标开始想方设法把酒找到，这时候，愿意付出什么代价得到一支可能首卖时候只是不到十美金或说不超过三四十美金的酒就成了关键，啤迷做法来说，很多时候会通过物物交换方式，用双方觉得合理/对等的ABC酒换XYZ酒方式得到大家想要的酒，这做法在高水准酿坊星罗棋布的欧美啤迷之间很惯见，也不会直接抬高黑市二手交易价格，但是，如果追酒的是爱炫或好奇土豪的话，那就不一样了。
5) The secondary/reselling market
when there's a demand--and supply is short---it's obvious there will be a secondary/reselling market--selling bottles at prices many many times higher than what the owner paid for initially---in business term so long there's willing seller willing buyers there's nothing wrong---but in craft beer terms this kind of profiteering leaves a very bad taste in the mouth of not only breweries but also geeks who genuinely wanted a taste but can't/not willing to pay ransom prices.....
5）让啤迷牙痒痒但无可奈何的黑市二手炒卖价程度等因素
黑市交易的出现很大程度上除了因为世界那么大不是每个啤迷都能欧美酿坊到处去首卖日用原价买酒之外，更大的成因是一些爱炫或美金好奇土豪的出现，让原本只是不到十美金或二三十美金左右的一支酒被抬价到过百几百甚至过千美金！虽说没人买就不会出现那么黑的二手价，实际上，网上一直有好些网站专门供二手交易而且完全不乏人问津。
in many ways Whalez are supposed to be delicious brew/ or at least genuinely better brews---but if you need to pay quite ridiculous price to get one--then the act of Whalez chasing would take on another meaning---one where curiosity seekers paying what greedy re-sellers asking for---at many many times over what it was first sold by the breweries---and that's not how the brewers intended.
或许有人会问，既然说craft beer 是个无边无际的啤酒海，那么多不同酿坊那么多不同类别风格瓶子可选，干嘛要去追逐听起来就像很麻烦又贵价的鲸鱼级别啤酒?说起来，这跟啤迷对美味的追求脱不了关系，也跟物以稀为贵的心理因素相关，虽然有人提出说一支酒美味程度不一定跟难寻程度成正比的观点，而且事实这观点也时不时被实践证明的确如此，但是，鲸鱼级别瓶子一直被各路人马追逐/追捧也是从没消停过的事实。
鲸鱼级别酿品真的就一定绝顶美味吗？虽说一般意见认为能登上这个级别的很大程度上会是佳品，这其实还是个见仁见智的问题，就像去老字号或著名餐厅用餐一样，有的人会认同或赞到天上有地下无，也会有人觉得名过其实或又贵又不好吃。
在craft beer世界中，酿品创意的自由发挥天马行空是主轴，craft文化也没有什么硬性规定说怎样的啤酒才算大鱼小鱼或鲸鱼，虽说啤迷认同或参与度很高的一些评酒网站或评酒手机程式有各自的《世界最佳啤酒》之类排行榜会对一支酿品的“鱼体型”形成造成影响，不过，鲸鱼级别啤酒的最终成型不会纯粹只是“排行榜”的独力影响，说到底，决定一支酿品会是什么级别鱼的依然是买酒喝酒的大家。
the size of a brew--be it a big or small fish or somehow becoming a Whalez is essentially not down to the quality of the brew alone--there's still the hype/talk/chase/demand supply factors---a Whalez is only relevant to you if you could get to taste one---and only by drinking one can we say if that's a Whalez or just a normal size fish in Whalez size disguise......
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