Monday, March 18, 2019

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 DustAlpha 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。

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