WEEK 143---Finding own beers(the early years)---PART 2

One of the quicker( and perhaps the best way) for craft drinkers to improve palate appreciation ability is to sample as many varieties of really well made beers not just in terms of different breweries but also of different beer styles--only by drinking/tasting one would know how a beer taste like---and that's exactly what few of us here in craft desert KL did few years back---seeking out some really good beers not available locally by ourselves.

如果说啤迷提升自身味蕾鉴赏力的其中一个最有效方法是在力所能及范围内尽量多尝试不同类型风格佳酿，应该有不少啤迷会同意这个观点。

和本地几位啤迷朋友几年前开始向外寻求佳酿的原动力很简单，因为本地乏善可陈的选择意味着外求是唯一方法，本期继续来看看这几年通过海外啤迷朋友帮忙或自己出行是碰到什么喝了什么比较精彩的：-

Part 2 of seeking own beers continues with some of the early years good ones:-

1) Omnipollo x Buxton Yellow Belly

This is one hell of a beer--full of peanut butter goodness yet there's no usage of actual peanut butter when brewing---how they achieved such depth /flavours is quite mind blowing---the label/packaging using a paper bag in the shape of the infamous Ku Klux Klan mask is not a play--but a message about racial harmony--anti racism---who says beer drinking is all about the moon and stars or simply to get wasted?

瑞典和英国品牌合酿，喝过的人没有不惊艳的，满满花生酱香气但酿酒过程中一点花生酱都没加的好喝黑啤，充份体现了酿酒功力和趣味性，瓶子包装以旧时美国种族仇恨团体3K党蒙头布设计带出反歧视反种族主义讯息，谁说酒只是风花雪月醉生梦死？

2) The Kernel Table Beer

The name says it ---a low abv easy drinking beer which is suitable for the dining table---to some "heavier" beer styles drinkers( stouts/ ipa)--a table beer would often got brushed aside as something too light/ too simple to notice---some felt it "taste like water"---but if there are moments when we thought water is the best thing in the world---same goes for a table beer which of course has more layer/depth than plain water.

“桌子酒”字面上意思是上得了餐桌的啤酒，因为低度易喝所以连一家大小吃饭时间也摆得上餐桌，这样浅显易喝的啤酒有时候会被喜欢喝较重口味款式啤酒的忽略，觉得“淡如水”有什么好喝的，但恰恰就是那样才需要细味品嚐，如果说某个时候会觉得清水是世上最好喝，table beer更加可以是那样。

3) BFM Biere De Garde

Swiss are not known for their beers--but this brewery is certainly a good one to note---known for their farmhouse/saison style of beers---suitable for newer drinkers seeking to up their palate level in that their beers comes with depth yet it is not too complex to understand---always a good one to have regardless if one is a geek or newer drinker.....

瑞士并不以啤酒为人知，不过对啤迷来说这家瑞士酿坊农村风格和其他类似风格作品是备受认可的，酿品具备一定层次但也不至于复杂到会让新朋友喝不出所以然，是能让新朋友提升味蕾实力的选酒，具备易喝性但也有一定层次。

4) Alesmith Wee Heavy

My understanding at that time is that this is a "Scottish style" barley wine-- thicker body with more roasted/caramel flavours coming through the dark fruits---as the name suggested--a little heavy one good for sharing with two or three friends.

美国酿坊的苏格兰风格啤酒(scotch ale)，风味接近英式大麦酒（barley wine)但具备比较厚实的麦芽香，焦糖和黑色果实风味，wee heavy字面上意思显示这是酒精度稍高的类型，适合和朋友共享小酌细味品饮。

5) The Bruery Sucre

Anniversary blended big beer from the brewery famous with a label saying " contains alcohol"---obviously this slightly sweeter brew packs quite some alcohol power---found this in a bottle shop in Tokyo and shared here in KL with some guys--which eventually started the idea of forming "the KLtastinggroup."

加州盛名酿坊的六周年庆典作品，混合多款自家不同风格不同年份啤酒桶陈提味，是需要慢慢喝细细嚐的高酒精度作品，这类高酒精较浓郁啤酒适合三五好友分享慢喝，这支几年前在东京瓶子店找到的酒是在本地和几位酒友分享，当时来说，是属于让人惊艳的一支。

6) Grassroots Artic Saison

The alter-ego of Hillfamrstead---this one is a collab brew with Anchorage brewery in Alaska(still remember that LoveBuzz saison)---while some might think of saison as "simple beer"--it is also true that at times the most "simple" a dish/beer seems to be---there's a high level of skills/focus involved to make it right---this one is certainly a nice one.

世上最佳酿坊Hillfarmstead的分身品牌合酿作品，玩的是拿手的农村风格易喝型啤酒。有人说过，最简单的菜式越需要一定功力才能做好，啤酒也一样，Saison虽被一些喝酒人觉得平平无奇，但酿得好的绝对会好喝，层次中显见功力。

7) Toppling Goliath Psuedo Sue

The importance of FRESHNESS is often overlook/not known to some newbies drinking hops forward beer styles such as pale ale/ ipa and such----the scenario of people paying good money for stale beers is quite common here in Asia including KL---it is why seeking out a really fresh good brew of pale ale/ipa( say not more than a month old) is important if one is to understand what are the true flavours of a really nice pale ale/ipa---this particular one is a good one to seek out.

在本地喝以啤酒花特性为主轴类型啤酒比如Ipa比如pale ale可说是有时候会误导新朋友的习题，这类啤酒需要越新鲜越好喝特质，但在本地喝会有运输报税通关等时间关卡问题意味着喝到的基本已过了最佳状态，因为那样，个人很鼓励新朋友要试着自己寻找装罐/装瓶日期不超过一个月的新鲜啤酒试试，同时也要找一些指标性作品，比如这款。

8) Fifty Fifty Eclipse tasting

The first time trying out this rainbow colors stouts from fifty/fifty was at Mikkeller Bangkok during a pairing dinner at Upstairs( back when they were still new with of course no Michelin stars)---there were 7 of them---the two best ones on that evening were Elijah Craig and Java Coffee variants.

第一次喝到这家美国酿坊同款但加入不同食材浸泡不同酒类木桶黑啤是在曼谷米吧一次啤酒美食搭配活动，一共7款黑啤一字排开，以平行方式逐个品饮，个人感觉其中的Elijah Craig木桶款和Coffee Java咖啡豆两款最对味。

9) Hair of the Dog Adam

A good old old ale---quite thick /deep with dark fruits goodness when had the first time at a bar in Tokyo---same goodness after that having tried a few more times since---a slightly heavy one but quite manageable if one were to share with another one or two since it's in a smaller size bottle than their usually 750ml American counterparts.

美国加州小酿坊的镇店之作，深沉的旧式黑啤（old ale)中满满是黑色果实美味，从几年前开始第一次喝到之后陆陆续续再喝过几次，虽说可能味蕾选择有随着时间改进，每次喝到这款酒好印象还是保持，对寻求进阶版啤酒新朋友来说会是不错的选择。