The title can be a little bit misleading in that we are of course NOT talking about the scary actual incident of lightning striking someone but just a way of describing those moments when one tasted something so nice which brought new experiences /sensation to palate enjoyment, which sort of open up one's senses/ appreciation level of a beer/mead to new heights.
那天和朋友聊起过去这几年喝过些什么精彩的，这么多不同酿坊不同类别酿品中什么是喝到当时突然觉得有一种被雷劈，味蕾被超乎想象美味层次所惊艳/震撼经历，喝到现在什么酿品是个人觉得能占据心目中前几名的？
其实要选出个人至今觉得最有感觉的几支佳酿还真有些难度，部分原因是个人没有详细记录喝过啤酒/蜜酒习惯，也没有像一些啤迷朋友那样因为玩比如Untappd评酒手机程式（功能包括可详细记录所有喝过酿品）可以比较有系统挑选，要是只凭喝过瓶子照片和有时候不太可靠的大脑记忆来回想选酒的话，以下是让味蕾有过深刻印象，自然而然就想到的几支。
一路走来，从启蒙阶段到逐步摸索了解提升味蕾鉴赏力的必要，这之间都有不同阶段感觉味蕾被唤醒被惊艳被提升的佳酿出现，不过，既然是问到至今的个人前几名选酒，那就只挑几支喝到美味层次感觉好像被雷劈的说说：-
In short this piece is about beers/mead which opened up/elevated my senses/appreciation level---i was asked not long ago by a friend which are my personal top 5 or top 10 brews---instead of picking so called top5/top10---i picked these as some brews which truly impacted my senses/palate appreciation ability along the way---of course what impacted me in a big way at a particular period of time during the journey of craft exploring might not be seen in the same way by others as different people would have their own BIG impact beer/mead through different pathways.
DARK LORD VANILLA BEAN
Had my first ever Dark Lord(regular version) here in Asia sometime in November 2013---it was a 2009 white wax bottle--honestly i was not able to fully appreciate that beer then---my palate was overwhelmed. And then in 2015---during CBC week in Copenhagen---at Three Floyd's tap takeover---there was plenty of delicious ones on tap--including regular Dark Lord & Vanilla Bean version. Yes--some people been calling Dark Lord a "diabetic beer" for it's sweetness---and some are saying Dark Lord has lost it's luster with the rise of so many other big stouts---but personally there's no denying the deliciousness of Dark Lord Vanilla Bean impacted at that time---if you were to asked would i want to drink it again? Yes of course i would ---if only it's so easy to get one.
美国酿坊Three Flyods的年度大作Dark Lord是啤迷都知道的大黑啤，除了原味版，也有这个加了香草豆再桶陈（有分波本酒桶或苹果白兰地桶不同版本）的升级版限量难寻瓶子。虽说近几年一些其他酿坊黑啤的冒起意味着黑魔王已不再那么受啤迷追捧，更有一些啤迷因为觉得酒味偏甜而开玩笑贬称黑魔王是糖尿病黑啤，不过，再怎么说就算只是原味版也还是几年前备受推崇的大黑啤，如果是升级版的话，那就更矜贵了（黑市成交价从几百到过千美金都有过）。
喝到升级版黑魔王是在哥本哈根的FFF占领啤酒泵活动上，当时有原味版升级版可一起嚐，升级版有着明显的波本桶陈和香草豆浸泡带来的更深层香醇甜美，黑啤来说味道虽较甜但不腻，加上衬托的黑色果实烤麦芽咖啡巧克力香，喝着时候心里是赞叹的，就跟吃到意料之外美味食物时候那种雀跃感觉那样。
Hillfarmstead Clara
At 4%---with what some might describe as "taste like water"--this is obviously a very "plain" beer---it was my first ever HF beer---not knowing what to expect---me and drinking partner at that time were slowly drawn into the seemingly simple/plain yet definitely NOT one dimensional easy drinking magic of this low abv beer. This one along with LA PETITE Prince/Princes of Jester King were the ones which opened up my senses about how tasty really well made low abv "plain like water" beers can be.
这是个人第一支喝到的Hillfarmstead，这家位于美国Vermont一个比较偏远农场的酿坊作品就算在美国境内也不容易买到，这是支低酒精度的Grisette，一般来说被认为属于“淡如水”的类型，换句话说好像并没有非常明显味道特色让人去期待，就那样，有点期待又不知道该期待什么情况下，喝了第一口，再来第二口时就确实感受到了什么是平淡中显现功力，可以在这么低度淡然酒中展现不同的层次口感不是件容易的事，这支酒很肯定的让我知道什么是淡如水的美味。
Superstition Strawberry White(Ceramic Bottle)
Yes i have heard of this mead from Arizona---but one will never know how it actually taste no matter how many reviews you read or how much you heard from those who had it before---so when i finally got to taste it for the first time---the first thing that came hitting was the nose---it was smelling so nice the space around the bar was literally aromatic--full of chocolate/honey and jammy strawberries goodness--it was a mind blowing moment---palate and senses struck by lightning kinda sensation.
喝到之前已知道这是备受喜欢蜜酒人推崇的作品，虽说对这支佳酿有非常粗略的概念，但是，还没喝之前一闻浓郁的酒香就已经让人确实感觉到，这是非比寻常的一款，喝第一口之后根本是雷劈感觉，这不是那种闻香很好但喝的时候酒体表现只是一般般的平庸酿品，这支蕴含了蜂蜜巧克力梅果精华而成的蜜酒绝对是让人喝过难忘的上乘之作。
Russian River Pliny the Elder + Alchemist Heady Topper
This is perhaps very old school sounding to mention these 2 when NEIPA is the new buzz word----but personally if not for the timely reminder/intervention of these 2 ---i would have given up drinking IPA few years ago having been sick and tired of those in your face hops attack of some average or well past it's best(poorly handled/kept) ipas here in craft desert KL. These 2 demonstrated what's a truly well balance elegantly done ipa & how tasty ipa can be even though it pack quite a hop punch.
在类果汁NEIPA近年大行其道时提起这两款已经有岁月痕迹的作品好像有点不合时宜，不过，说起IPA 的话，这两款风格迥异的美国经典作品还是个人随时都欢迎再喝的，就是这两款让我了解什么是真正酿得均衡美味的IPA /Double IPA，也让早期只是一直在本地喝或已过美味期或平庸之作的我从” IPA厌倦症”中领略到什么是真正把啤酒花发挥到淋漓尽致的作品。
3 Fonteinen Zen Y Frontera
For someone who spend most of his time in craft desert KL--and with such little supply of Lambic in Asia especially 4-5 years ago--I'm quite lucky to have been able to have some chances ( either when travelling or rare occasion of getting some bottles sent this way) to taste quite some tasty ones from the masters of this uniquely Belgium speciality. Looking back to some of the nice ones i have had so far---this masterpiece from 3 Fonteinen stood out naturally---the complexity/deliciousness of this one been lingering on in memory---this is no doubt by far the one which demonstrated how far lambic can go---like no end...
在亚洲要找到比利时大师级酸啤并不容易，说起来个人真正能比较领略天然发酵果酸啤酒美妙是几年前去比利时大师级酿坊Cantillon参观并喝到一些难寻佳酿之后的事，说是味蕾眼界开窍之行完全不为过。当时喝到几家酿坊的酸啤佳酿让人了解为什么比利时天然发酵酸啤被那么多啤迷尊崇/追逐。
这几年陆陆续续在本地或其他地方有机会喝到好些果酸啤酒，真要选出一支夸张点说让人“惊为天酒”的天然发酵果酸啤酒的话那会是今年喝到的另一家大师级酿坊3Fonteinen 的雪梨酒桶熟成作品Zen Y Frontera，无论是酒香还是口感层次都在在显示底蕴的深沉，酸啤桶陈过程吸收的雪梨酒桶影响起了点睛作用，非常美妙的融合了酸啤存在的不够圆润菱角，让酒的层次提升到一个很高的境界，有机会的话，这毫无疑问是个人想再喝一次再喝的上佳酿品。
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