While beer is to many " just beer"--it is common among geeks to go through hassles seeking out beers in more ways than a common beer drinker can imagine---be it in America or Europe--there are people who are willing to go the distance in the name of seeking out brews which one simply cannot find locally--and the same happened( and still happening) here in craft desert KL with a few of us geeks who have grown tired of limited variants/selections available locally.
外求啤酒这回事，放在全世界有啤迷的地方可以说都是一样会发生的现象，CraftBeer小量酿造还有不同酿坊分布全球各个不同城市乡镇的特色，意味着就算是住在有那么多精彩酿坊的美国啤迷也需要不同州不同城之间或互换或托人帮忙买入，当然也有外求到欧洲的情况发生。
因为那样，身为啤迷又住在吉隆坡这样的沙漠，会在几年前开始向亚洲其他城市还有欧美啤迷外求自己想喝但本地市场不可能出现的啤酒是很顺理成章的事，虽然有时候要面对比如啤酒邮寄箱子扣在关税局然后要跟不懂为什么啤酒可以有那么多不同瓶子贴纸不同类型风格的官员们解释一轮再面对不合理的税务算法等等麻烦事，可以在本地喝到自己外求的精彩佳酿还是件蛮爽的事。
这篇虽算是回顾完结篇，但其实只聊了很小部分这些年外求得来佳酿，个人感受，如果你是在自己城市喝到欲求不满想进一步提升味蕾享受，外求是个好选项。
here's a look at what were some of the nice brews either drank overseas or landed here in KL--- be it through self help or help from overseas geeks/friends:-
1) 3fonteinen Oude Kriek
a sour one with sour cherries---that's the initial idea when i first had my first ever kriek at a bar in the land of Lambic---if you have yet to taste your first kriek or have doubts about this type of sour cherries beer---rest assure that it is not just about in your face sourness---there's a whole lot more going on once your palate settle down from the initial sour sensations.....
个人喝到的第一支顶级Kriek作品，所有爱上天然发酵果酸啤酒的啤迷都知道这是酸樱桃浸泡桶陈版本，也是所有Lambic分支中酸度最高的，但不要立刻皱眉头觉得酸死人，这种水平的作品不会只有酸，而是酸得来有其他美味层次让酒味有变化。
2) The Lost Abbey Deliverance
A blended brew from their own Serpent's Stouts and barley wine creation Angel's Share---the end result is a very tasty blend--especially since the stouts itself wasn't that great---but blending both makes a great one---if we are used to 1+1=2 then this blend is definitely more than 2.
这是混合作品，酿坊把自家两款不同类型风格作品Serpent’s Stouts黑啤和Angel's Share大麦酒各一半混合而成，效果是出奇的好，特别是把原本不怎么出色的黑啤融合後提升美味层次，如果说一加一等于二，这支的混合效果绝对超过二。
3) Hillfarmstead Dorothy
The hype/fame of this brewery from Vermont means some hhave been constantly chasing their beers while some are more sceptical/critical---whatever the opinion is---there is no denying that this brewery has got some very tasty brew ranging from American pale ale to Saison to Ipa to Dark ones---if there's a list of breweries which craft lovers should seek out and try some of the brews, this one is high on that list.
Hillfarmstead的名气让不少啤迷一路追捧，也有一些啤迷觉得盛名太过，不论是迷或否，个人觉得这家的作品是必须一试的，从最被人称道的农场风格啤酒Saison到美式淡啤Pale lAe到印度淡陴Ipa到黑啤等不同风格都有精彩酿品。
4) The Rare Barrel Home Sour Home
First ever Rare Barrel beer landed here in KL courtesy of a geek friend from America---this is one which open up our expectations to more American sour beers--while at times they can be too in your face sour---this one has no such problem.
美国啤迷朋友好几年前带来本地分享，在这里出现的第一支Rare Barrel作品，在对美式酸啤接触不多情况下，这是让我们几位本地啤迷觉得对美式酸啤有更多期待的作品，虽然美式酸啤有太直白，过酸不够层次均衡度问题，但当然也酿得好的，包括这支。
5) Lone Pine Yellow Rose
This is an IPA---of course at that time the now very trendy NEIPA has not been coming out like fruits in harvesting season as yet---but the softer mouth feel and taste profile of this sort of reminding me now after a few years that it is a little bit similar to a NEIPA --a very different one compared to what was available in the local market with those hops attack focus ipas.......
类果汁印度淡陴（NEIPA)是近两年才大热起来的类型，这支并不是类果汁Ipa，不过在强调苦味印度淡陴大行其道的本地市场来说，几年前因为美国啤迷朋友带进来能喝到这款口味比较柔顺并带着水果甜香的Ipa让人感觉口味一新。
6) Fantome Sur Lie
One known for their variants of Belgium style Saison---though some would dismissed Saison as too plain/ not flavourful enough--this brewery would show those opinions are misconceptions---also one which is suitable for newer craft drinkers to seek out for.
以酿造农村风格类型啤酒（Saison)为人知的比利时酿坊，通过不同食材蔬果酿造原料应用在听起来一样的风格类型中呈现不同作品差异性，喝过这家酿坊一些作品都是水准以上，是值得新朋友外求寻找的酿坊啤酒。
7) Struise Kabert
Stumbled on this one at a bar in Tokyo---while there were some occasional limited selections of Struise to be found in KL--bumping into this one was a pleasant surprise---a blend of the ever delicious Black Albert and the no longer in production Kate the Great from an American brewery--then aged in port barrel---this is a luscious one with the goodness of barrel/dark fruits/dark chocolate/coffee....only issue is hard to find one now since it's no longer in production.
在东京一家酒吧巧遇的比利时酿坊桶陈混合作品，以自家名作黑啤Black Albert为基础加入另一家美国酿坊的传奇黑啤Kate
The Great混合後入波特酒桶陈放，喜欢比较浓郁带黑巧克力咖啡黑色果实美味黑啤的会喜欢这样风格的桶陈作品，问题是这支已停产，要找有难度。
8) New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb
Undoubtedly the most amazing fruits beer we have had here in KL--while the general perception about fruit beer would most likely be "refreshing" or "watery"---this one is packed full of jammy fresh strawberry jam goodness--it's almost like chewing on a "jam beer" if there's such a term--absolutely delicious.
无可置疑至今喝过最让人惊艳的“鲜美果酱” 啤酒，如果说一般观念会觉得水果啤酒大致会比较清爽或“水水”的，这支酿品完全打破那种看法，喝起来就像品嚐着鲜香草莓果酱，酸甜兼具，酒体厚实，绝对好喝。
9) The Bruery Weekday Series (& white/dark chocolate)
The famous big beers from the California brewery famous with the label saying the obvious "contains alcohol"---of all 5 the most famous one is Black Tuesday---some of us here first tasted this famous series of brew when a stranger turned friend American geek came in with 2 suitcases full of nice beers for a two days "salvation/enlightening" bottle share---it was one hell of a share---definitely a landmark moment in the relatively quiet( in fact non-existing then and still almost non-existing now) KL's bottle share history.
美国加州酿坊The Bruery的“含有酒精”周日系列和黑白巧克力作品，五款中最具盛名的是黑色星期二（Black Tuesday)，第一次接触到这几支盛名酿品是几年前当美国啤迷朋友来吉隆坡公干时带了两个行李箱的精彩啤酒来“拯救”活在沙漠的我们，分开两天进行的瓶子分享会让当时的味蕾震撼至今记忆犹新。
No comments:
Post a Comment