WEEK 142----Finding own beers(the early years)- PART 1

The term "craft- desert" has been used quite often--it is partly in jest but also realistically reflecting the supply condition here in KL(or rather Malaysia as a whole)---it was hard to find beers that myself (and a few geeks friends) really wanted to taste---it became obvious few years ago that the only way to satisfy the search for certain beers is to "find your own beers". 

一直以来常用沙漠形容本地craft beer市场，虽有玩笑成份，但也实际反映我们几位啤迷观点，因为没能在本地找到想喝的佳酿，几年前开始自己找酒，或通过海外朋友帮忙或出国时找，又或是偶尔有海外朋友带酒来本地分享，反正是自己想喝的酒自己想办法。

这几年，因为那样。的确喝到不少佳酿，也开阔了味蕾眼界，累积下来也算喝了好些，要一一细说不可能，只能抽样选一些聊聊，来看看较早时期都外求了些什么好喝的：-

With the help of overseas geeks/friends--as well as own travelling or the occasional visits by overseas geeks/friends--the lack of varieties/lack of awesome brew issue has been addressed to a certain extent--we managed to try out some really good beers( as well as mead  and hard cider on a much later stage)---the path to seeking own beers was and still is a tedious/ hard one and not $ friendly but something i been doing happily, the joy of finding some gems was way bigger than any "hardship" involved in the search process.

here's some bottles picked out for the newspaper column--way too many to list all so only picking some outstanding ones:-

1) Alesmith Speedway Stouts

It was one of those "bigger stouts" which never made it this part of town---occasionally found down south in Singapore during those earlier years of craft drinking---a good one for newbies who is on their way to exploring " bigger" stouts.

美国加州酿坊盛名作品，是有着非常多变奏版的黑啤，比如使用不同产地咖啡豆浸泡桶陈版，比如使用更多不同食材香料的各款特别版等等，这支是基本款，也是指标性作品之一，对正在探索美味黑啤新朋友来说会是很不错的选择。

2) Three Floyds tap-takeover @ Mikkeller Bangkok

It was one of the most "mind-boggling" tap- takeover this region has seen in recent years---imagine sipping the likes of Alpha King- Zombie Dust--Gumball Head and more on tap in Bangkok! there was also some bottles variants available for on site drinking that evening.

较早期在曼谷米吧出现的美国黑魔王酿坊Three Floyds占领啤酒泵活动，酒单包括两款绝对指标性淡啤Zombie Dust和Alpha King，在美国境内并不是轻易能喝到情况下竟然出现在曼谷让啤迷觉得有幸之余也有点不可思议。

3) Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break

Found quite regularly in Bangkok few years ago---considered as one of the benchmark "bigger stouts" which would help open up newbies palate appreciation.

丹麦酿酒师创办的美国“吉普赛酿坊”作品，是较早期就能在曼谷找到的好喝黑啤，这也是一款有不少不同风味变奏版本的作品，包括跟帮忙实际酿造的另一家美国酿坊Westbrook合作版。这支基本款是个人较早期黑啤指标作品之一.

4) The Lost Abbey Carnevale Ale

A Belgium style saison brewed by an American brewery---not really the Dupont style of saison but no doubt a tasty one--a "small beer" which is no in your face like IPA or Stouts does to newbies palate--- one which open up my senses about saison pre hillfarmstead .

几年前在东京涉谷一家专卖吧喝到的美国酿坊农场风格啤酒，较易喝平淡口感中明显有不同层次，实际上，当时对什么是农村风格啤酒特质并没有很了解（也还没有喝到被誉为世上酿造这类风格啤酒最佳酿坊HILLFARMSTEAD任何作品），但当时明确感觉味蕾有了新体会，之后隔了好一段时间再喝还是觉得这是支佳酿，

5) The Breury Tart of Darkness

A dark looking beer at that time is mostly either a stouts/porter or maybe black ipa---this is the first black sour beer i had and it does help to improve appreciation level--not mind blowing but an interesting one.

黑色啤酒基本都会被认为就是味道苦苦的，这支来自美国盛名酿坊作品虽然色泽黑黑的但口感风味是酸味为主中带出黑啤烘烤麦芽香，作为个人第一次喝到的酸味黑啤，绝对有新感知，让味蕾体会更丰富。

6) Saison Dupont

A classic as they say---or some called it the basic standard brew of how a Belgium saison would taste---perfect for the hot and humid weather as well--newbies would not find this hard to accept.

到现在还是被很多人视为比利时农场风格啤酒指标性酿品，在有不少酿坊把其实并不是那么具备saison特质的啤酒也称为什么什么saison情况下，建议新朋友找一找这款喝喝了解一下传统比利时农场风格啤酒是什么风味表现。

7) 18th Street BA Bitch B Crazy

A gift from the brewer himself during CBC---a very much under-valued brew which of course is tasty with hints of roasted coconut and what a good stouts would bring( no herbal/no medicinal/no coke like fizzy thin body...)---grab if you see one.

很有惊喜的一款，除了是因为美国酿酒师在啤酒庆典中私人赐酒之外，好喝程度是更大亮点，作品属于被低估（或者说没被啤迷追捧）但实力坚强，虽是桶陈版本但没有“桶味过强”的缺点，顺滑风味带烤椰香，非常美味，也算是有点可遇不可求的一瓶。

8)Lervig Brewers Reserve Barley Wine

Barley wine is perceived as sweet/thin/big alcoholic beer by some--not this one---it's rich in taste profile and yet very balance--this one is undoubtedly one of very few outstanding barley wine tasted so far.

大麦酒有时候会有酒精高味道偏薄倾甜的毛病，这款来自挪威酿坊的作品没有这些问题，喝起来醇厚甘香，具备一定程度易喝性之余让人清楚知道甚至是佳作水准。

9) Mikkeller x Three Floyds Bla Spogelse Blueberry Bluebic

A collab brew--a sour beer which at that time is still something new and getting used to--it was nice and tasty for a newly soured palate--no sour face--only a happy one.

丹麦和美国两个大名鼎鼎品牌联手合作蓝莓酸啤，虽然没有比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒那种独特酸香风味层次，但酿得好的水果酸啤还是很令人赞赏的，这款蓝莓酸啤就让人喝的很开心。

WEEK 141----The early years---beers drank locally(part 2 of 2)

Over the past 6-7 years---the local craft beer scene has seen some nice bottles coming in--some still available off and on nowadays--some has not appeared locally for a long time---looking back and looking now--the local scene has seen little improvement but rather more of a regression in terms of varieties of styles/selection available---and freshness issues with ipas/pale ales is still something not pleasant to even mention. 

本地能找到喝到啤酒当然比上一期的上篇和这篇总和多很多很多，不过喝craft beer讲究的是酒的美味层次不是量，回望几年前本地出现过的一些啤酒选择的确是非常不错，不过话说回来，几年後的现在本地市场选择有点遗憾的并没有变得更精彩，反而是某种程度上有退步迹象，希望接下来本地业者可以精进更多元化精彩选择。

here are some good ones from yesteryear:-

Mikkeller Krlek

during the early years when craft first hit KL--one of the brightest names of course is Mikkeller--this is a very pleasant pale ale--and there's a winter version as well as a summer version--and i like both.

早期在本地喝craft beer必不可少的是丹麦”米记”不同类型酿品，Krlek是易喝型淡啤(pale ale)，在相对天气比较闷热东南亚这类型啤酒非常适合冷啤酒消暑解渴概念，当然这款不只解渴，更是可口。

Rochefort 8 & 10

If you have yet to taste one of these---the differences between the two in simple word is about "thickness'--and obviously number 10 is the "thicker" one---personally thought these two is best enjoyed when newbies slowly improve his/her palate appreciation ability.

比利时修道院风格啤酒，属于有些品饮经验和味蕾功力後更能欣赏美味层次的较复杂啤酒，两款之间分别浅白说是“浓郁度”，喜欢比较”厚实”的可以选10号，个人来说两者各有千秋，不分高下。

TO OL Blossom

A lovely pale ale--the label kinda says it all--beer full of  blooming flowers goodness but don't get me wrong--it's not just an easy drinking flower flavours beer but wider and deeper than that.

可以说是当时最喜欢的pale ale之一，酒体轻盈但有一定层次，喝起来有深层花果芳香（绝对不是人工化学假假那种），要知道什么是好喝易喝啤酒，试试这款就知道。

Buxton Imperial Black

A black ipa--but with a twist of roasted malt goodness---it's almost like a fusion of a light porter and an ipa--easy sipping--very enjoyable.

黑色印度淡啤(black ipa)，喝起来不像一般观念中的典型浓郁啤酒花印度淡啤，而是介于黑啤烤香麦芽和较浓郁淡啤之间带点甘甜，是美味易喝款。

Struise Pennepot

Interestingly--this is supposed to be an old ale enjoyed by fishermen in a Belgium fishing village---it's probably no exaggeration to say that all geeks here has had this one before--it was one of those Belgium beers which was available quite regularly here.

可以这样说，喜欢比利时传统旧式啤酒（old ale)类型的啤迷大概没有不知道这个的（这款其实还有变奏版），根据酿坊说法是从旧时渔夫们爱喝的一款啤酒风味变化而成，本地来说至今还是不定时能买到。

Modern Times Fortunate Islands

One which pop up in a flash and very rarely seen after that---a nice one for the rather humid and hot and humid weather of South East Asia--a pale ale full of tropical fruits goodness--only down side is perhaps before drinking best to check canning date.

来自美国加州酿坊的好喝pale ale，满满热带水果甘香，非常易喝，比较可惜的是，这一类啤酒需要越新鲜喝到越好，时间会让啤酒氧化，意味着美味退化，所以喝这种类型啤酒还是要注意罐装日期。

Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon

A beer in a champagne or a champagne in a beer? that's the first question when drinking this---a very interesting brew which people in particular those who think lowly of beer should try.

早期让人惊艳的一款类香槟气泡啤酒，喝起来有像是香槟的细致气泡，加上啤酒花和麦芽加持，形成了喝啤酒感受到香槟特质但又明确知道是喝着啤酒的有趣体会。

Prairie Bomb

From then til now--this is still a very obvious benchmark brew for a stout with some chili kick at the back end.

至今仍然被视为一款指标性黑啤，混合黑巧克力咖啡太妃糖香草等黑啤美味中带点香辣劲，让味蕾有多重不同感受，可惜的是本地近年不再看到踪迹。

Westvleteren 12

Obviously one which needs no introduction to many who know what this one is---not only because of it's standing as best beer in the world as rated by beer rating site--but also famous for it's no labeling bottles.

喝过的人都知道，这款比利时修道院的独特之处除了之有好几年时间长期被评酒网站誉为世上最佳啤酒（没有之一），瓶子没有使用贴纸也是特色，只能通过不同瓶盖颜色和说明辨识这家的不同型号啤酒（有12号8号和另一款棕色啤酒）。这是非常偶尔才会在本地出现的啤酒，没喝过的朋友看到的话可以试试。