WEEK 158---Tokyo 19 Beer Trip

Went to Tokyo back in mid October---unlike last year's trip for the inaugural MBCT, this time it was not due to any particular beer fest related motivation---rather it's more of a chill trip---though having said so--beer visit to bars & bottle shops were still a big part of the trip---as well a prearranged bottle share session(which end up being more than once).

最近去了一趟东京，和去年为了首次搬来亚洲举办的第一届Mikkeller Beer Celebration Tokyo(MBCT)而选在比较热的九月去不一样的是，今年不是奔着任何“啤酒节庆”而去，除了一场早先安排好的瓶子分享会，更多的是见见朋友走走喝喝聊聊。

虽然没有碰上什么精彩的“啤酒节”或厉害酿坊占领啤酒泵活动之类的，但东京作为亚洲为数不多拥有相当多高质量不同类型啤酒选择的城市之一还是比本地市场远远有趣的多，以下是这趟东京行的一些点滴：-

Here's some notes on the trip:-

The Slop Shop

Heard about this rather new bar & bottle shop located opposite a public park on a slope road in Nakane, Meguro area months ago before trip. It's not big, with 5 taps and some rather nice bottles selection in fridge--the thing about this small place is that the owners do import some of their beers---focusing on some smaller US breweries with well known names(such as GRIMM--the day i went there were some on taps as well some bottles available)---it is easy to see why one of the bar/bottle shop owner commented( prior to me visiting here) that this place is probably the best new thing in town.

The Slop Shop

算是东京最新啤点，开在目黑区中根公园对面斜坡路的小小酒吧兼瓶子店，虽然才开业不久，不过已引起不少东京以外亚洲啤迷注意，可以让同样也是在东京开酒吧/瓶子店的竞争对手说“这家是目前东京最有看点的店”这样的话，当然不会是泛泛之辈。

店里只有5个啤酒泵（不少专卖吧至少十多到三四十个啤酒泵），酒吧规模来说当然很小，不过因为也兼为瓶子店，选酒方面可以用冰柜里的瓶子选择填补不足之处，这家新店之所以能短时间内引起注意是因为店家除了跟日本其他进口商买酒之外，自己也进口一些亚洲至今没出现过的美国酿坊作品，而且有引入好口碑小酿坊作品倾向，会引起亚洲一些啤迷经常关注欧美酿坊的啤迷注意并不出奇。

Yorocco New Brewery

It has somehow became customary to meet up with my fellow beer blogger friend Neil (of Tokyo Beer Drinker blog) every time i visit Tokyo---no different this time--we decided to first visit  Larry and his Beach Muffin vegan restaurant--which if you have already know--is the only dedicated Yorocco taproom in the whole of Japan. Though we did spoke about visiting the new brewery of Yorocco prior to meeting up---it was later revealed that the new place is rather the other side of where we were at---unlike what i thought was more of a nearer location---anyhow--we decided it was a trip worth doing and so we did---The new brewery is located somewhere in a rather outskirt housing area of Kamakura and it is NOT OPEN for Public Visit---but Neil do know people who works there hence a few text messages later--we were on our way.

The new brewery is converted from a small former wood working place---the reason for the location is quite straight forward--because one of the brewers who work for Yorocco--his family owns the land for the former wood working place--since there is a ready place to be utilized---nothing wrong to convert that place into a new beer brewing spot( what's more--Kento san's house is located right next to the brewery itself!).

While there---we had some casual chat as well drank a few beers including saison directly pulled from the tank by Kento san--met the main brewer/owner Akio san who came back briefly---it was a rather short visit since both myself and Neil has got another beer related trip to make other side of town---good thing is we both gotten a bottle or two of their new brew for the next appointment.  

*Note--the new brewery is NOT open for public visit so it will be best to just visit Beach Muffin for some Yorocco beers on tap--plus good news is that with the newly acquired license they now can sell bottles for take away.

Yorocco新酿坊

和住东京英国人啤迷老友Neil在逗子市的Yorocco专卖点Beach Muffin喝喝聊聊，也算是探访餐厅老板朋友後决定半路兼程去探一下位置处于另一端的新酿坊，虽然新酿坊并不开放给人探访参观，不过因为有认识的人，很快就安排好了。

新酿坊位于离大船站或本鄉台站走路大约十多二十分钟一个住宅区内，是由之前的小型木工坊改造而成，选在这里的理由也很顺理成章，因为是酿酒师之一祖传家业，既然木工坊不做了，就换成酿坊，到访当天就是由这位“地主”接待，主创酿酒师Akio先生之后也外出回来，聊聊天也尝味了一两款酒槽内直接抽取的鲜啤酒，临走是买了当天仅有的一两款不同作品瓶子後和朋友各自分开去下一摊。 

有意前往新酿坊的朋友注意，因为基本并不对外开放参观，想喝这家啤酒的还是直接去专属品酒餐馆Beach Muffin好了，最新情况是由于刚已申请到执照，这家餐馆可以有供外带的Yorocco瓶子卖了。

Titans

Went to this bar/ bottle shop after checking what's on tap for that evening--i do know that there was a Omnipollo + 3Sons tap takeover back in Sept when MBCT version 2 hit town--it was a surprise to find a 3sons stouts on tap since Sept event was already quite a while ago.

Knowing Corey the head brewer who attended MBCT did brought along some Vanilla Face bottles to Japan---i was tempted to ask the guy standing behind bar about how one could perhaps see a bottle  or two of this limited release in US appearing somewhere at this bar? Well---it did as the guy pulled out one to show---but that's that--i did now even try to ask if he would consider selling or....sharing ")

Titans

今年九月因为东京啤酒庆典（MBCT），城中一些参与其盛的酒吧都有各自不同的欧美酿坊占领啤酒泵活动，其中最受啤迷注目的活动之一就是在这家酒吧兼瓶子店进行的美国3sons和瑞典Omnipollo联合活动，作为第一次在亚洲出现的美国黑啤爆红新贵，3sons的参与当然引起不少亚洲啤迷的注意。

当然，这次去这家酒吧瓶子店时距离九月的活动已经有好一段时间，不过去的当天意外的12款啤酒中有一款3sons黑啤，也有Omnipollo水果酸啤，然后和站在吧台後的鬼佬酒保聊天询问时，他因为我的问话而拿出了私藏的3sons今年只在美国酿坊限量发售的黑啤Vanilla Face让我望梅止渴。。。。

Bottle Sharing

Prior to making the trip--there was already 1 session of bottle share arranged with a few geeks friends(including some yet to meet in person)--for those in the known it is natural for geeks to want to have a share even though Tokyo can be easily considered as one of the best( if not the best) Asia city with the wider/better selections of craft beer.

Some really nice beers( and a couple of mead too) were had during the sharing session---which actually turned into 'extended version" of not just 1 session as initially planned but more than once......

BOTTLE SHARE with Delicious home made Peruvian food!!!

啤迷瓶子分享会

去之前就和长住东京的啤迷安排好一场私人聚会，重点当然是瓶子分享，虽然听起来有点好笑，去或许有着全亚洲最多不同类型啤酒选择的城市旅行还要自己带酒去，但啤迷有时候就是那样，私人瓶子分享会可以是比去在地酒吧喝更精彩更有趣的经验。

然后其实原本只是一场的瓶子分享会，因为不同朋友的临时起意，后来变成不只是一场，当中也出现了一些精彩佳酿。

在东京一周时间，除了上述点滴，也去了一些其他啤点，比如说第一天一如既往的第一站就去了熟悉的目白站附近田中屋瓶子店看看有没有什么意外惊喜，之间也去了跟北千住店属于同系的神田BeerMa酒吧瓶子店看看有什么收获，这之前也去了三轩茶屋两夫妇开的小店Pigalle坐坐，当然免不了每次一定会去位于涉谷红灯区一角的东京米吧喝上一两杯跟掌舵人打个招呼，其实这里坐坐那里走走的一周很快就过去了。虽然或许因为不够积极走动错过了去另外三家（一家主要以美国进口酒为号召，另外两家是日本在地酿坊品饮吧）探访的机会，这次东京啤酒出游记已有不少亮点，错过就期待下一次吧。

AND also:-

while the above were done during the 1 week trip---there were also some other beer spots visited including:-

1) the usual routine visit to TANAKAYA on the first day of each trip--basically just to see what's available during that period of visit and of course buying a few bottles either to drink during trip or to bring home to craft desert KL 

2) Visiting Hide and Chie at Pigalle Tokyo has also almost been the theme of each visit though honestly the tiny bar/bottle shop can get really packed at times--it was when i visited this time but no big deal---this is a place worth your time if you have yet to visit.

3) BeerMa Kanda---actually found this bar/bottle shop by chance when walking around Kanda area looking for food---i do know there is one such place aside from their Kita-Senju shop which i have been to---quite nice place with bottles/cans selection in fridge upstairs--when you walked in it's the bar area with some food--guess this will be a more preferred location than the further away Kita-Senju shop next time around.

4) Mikkeller Tokyo---yeah--can't be in Tokyo without having to visit this bar known for located in a rather seedy area of Shibuya for once or twice( actually did it twice)----first evening there was a De Garde sour on tap which was quite nice---second visit was more about bumping into Hamilton san who came to visit his own bar--had a chat and got a surprise gift(or two) which was very kind of him....

5) Invited by geeks friend to another geek's house to watch Rugby World Cup and sipping some really quality fresh brew from the host's own home brew---plus a few bottles and nice food--what more can one ask for? A big Arigato to Mr & Mrs Hansen.

A week in Tokyo can go by very quickly---looking back while i did what was mentioned above---was also missing out on 3 places likely worth visiting( 1 is a new bar with different format from it's former self which was famous for some big US beers---another one is a fairly unknown Japanese brew taproom located in Kawasaki---as well another Local brew place headed by Kaijin/s)---well, maybe next time then.

WEEK 157---a few New & Old keywords of IPA

This is a back dated piece written earlier--mainly sparked by someone else's article talking in great length how the emergence of NEIPA has affected *to the brink of ruining* traditional IPA--which obviously is not the case but an interesting point to note.

不久前国外有人写了一篇长文，主轴是说近年流行的类果汁NEIPA让印象中传统IPA出现“崩坏”迹象，这话听起来有耸动意味但也是个有趣的观察

从将啤酒花功能挥洒到淋漓尽致的美国到亚洲，从市场接受度到年销量来硕，IPA (India Pale Ale)毫无疑问是craft beer众多不同类型风味中的耀眼明星，虽然是以苦涩回甘酒味表现亮点为人知，也虽然可能最初时候会因为让人感觉太苦而吓跑一些新人，但IPA的确是很多新朋友开始接触craft beer启蒙期少不了的一个主要啤酒类型，除了因为可以轻易强烈显现和淡无味大厂啤酒巨大分别，也因为这是无论欧美或亚洲市场上绝对大多数大大小小专卖吧/瓶子店必备酒款。

There is no doubt that for the past decade or so to now, majority of craft beer bar from the US to here in Asia---IPA is the most commonly available beer styles on sight---every newbies starting his/her journey into the world of craft beer would almost inevitably drank a few IPAs whatever sub-styles it might be. This is one powerful example of beer style which would immediately get any newbies attention with it's hops attack, one which can wake anyone up from their MACRO BEER slumber.

Indeed, the showcasing of the power of distinctive hops flavours is what made IPA what has been/it is all these while---regardless of sub styles of either American West Coast or East Coast, or the European version of English Ipa or Belgian Ipa ---it's all about showing the flavours of different hops/ combination of hops used be it in a robust manner or a more subtle manner.

的确，IPA最先让大家想到的就是啤酒花苦涩回甘鲜香表现，这是一直以来被公认的风味特质，虽然传统IPA中就已存在不同分类，比如强调啤酒花苦味攻击的美国东岸风格（east coast ipa)，秉持苦味中带较均衡口感的美国西岸风格(west coast ipa)，又或是结合比利时酵母风味特质和啤酒花甘味的belgian ipa以及啤酒花甘苦感觉比较斯文的英伦风格english ipa等等不同分支但基本来说是大同小异，并不会像类果汁NEIPA(new england ipa)那样一下子很大程度的改变大家对IPA风格既有感观。 

NEIPA近几年的风行确实让IPA类型啤酒出现了大变化，无论是类果汁的口感风味或浑浊浓郁的酒体颜色都跟传统认知中的IPA很不一样，对这个新冒出的变奏版IPA有人很爱当然也有觉得口感太甜腻很不像IPA应有风味所以不喜欢的。

That has always been the case---until the very much fruit juice like NEIPA came along not too long ago---yes the emergence of NEIPA did brought about changes---while hops is still very much in used-- it is presented in ways which are very unlike traditional IPAs--the taste flavour is skewed towards fruity/juicy---the color/appearance is much more intense/cloudy/hazy---some love it to bits--some simply can't or don't want to drink a pint of it because it can be too sweet/juicy/cloying.....

无论喜欢与否，NEIPA的流行确实丰富了原本就不同类型风味繁多的craft beer啤酒海，也让IPA的关键词多了新旧关注点，比如说：-

Amidst the love or hate---the emergence of NEIPA did brought about changes to what IPAs used to be--and like it or not--we now have a few new keywords when talking about IPAs:-

1) Juicy

due to the craze for DDH(double dry hop) technique for NEIPA to be more.....NEIPA-ish  ---fruity juiciness seems to be the one unmissable aspects of a NEIPA---there is no doubt that the juicy part of NEIPA is the main attraction which made it very different from traditional IPAs---but it is also a knife which cuts itself at times when overdone.

1）Juicy

对IPA来说，这是个新词，字面上意思指的是啤酒中能感受果汁感浓郁度，这并不是说NEIPA中加了果汁，而是通过Dry Hopping或后期投放手法让啤酒可以尽量吸取特定啤酒花鲜香果味而成，也是让NEIPA风味表现类果汁的关键。

2) Cloudy

NEIPA is also at times referred to as Hazy Ipa/Cloudy Ipa due to it's appearance---it is part of the game and purposely done in such a manner through use of specific yeast/oats/wheat rather than due to poor brewing process---it is also part of the reasons why NEIPA is looking and tasting very much like fruit juices with hops rather than a 'proper IPA" as some called it.

2）Cloudy

这是关于酒体外观颜色的新词，一般IPA都是比较单一透明的金黄或浅黄色，而NEIPA的酒体颜色则大多数倾向浑浊浓郁看起来像芒果黄梨番石榴等果汁，喝起来的口感也比较厚实带热带水果风味。

3) Hop Burn

Some say this is a new term strictly associated with NEIPA mainly due to over jealous DDH technique---some say it could also happen with 'old-school' IPAs---basically hop burn is about the somewhat sharpish( unpleasant to some or most) sensation when sipping---a feeling which can be liken to eating too much freshly cut pineapples at once. Though generally hop burn is seen as a brewing flaw but there are people who take it as part of what drinking NEIPA would caused.

3）Hop Burn

字面意思是啤酒花带来灼热感，具体感觉有点类似瞬间烧喉感觉，如果用吃水果比喻的话，有点类似凤梨吃太多那种刹口感，基本并不是舒服的口感，有人讨厌有人能接受，讨厌的觉得破坏了整体适饮度，虽说也基本被视为酿造缺陷不过也有人觉得反而可以消解NEIPA的甜腻感。

4) Bitterness

This of course is NOT new keywords pertaining to IPA but a very important one---to many IPA bitterness is what made IPA what it is--which is why there is such a thing as IBU(International Bittering Units).

While some would think that IPA is all about bitterness--the bitter it is the greater the beer can be---there are of course people who think otherwise and like it more mellow or balance with suitable bitterness in their IPAs--there is no right or wrong--just individual's preference for how bitter his/her IPA should be---and that's the beauty of craft beer with varieties of choices even within a sub style of beer---though the emergence of NEIPA has somewhat challenged the "IPA is all about bitterness" perception---it is still a fun twist basing on IPA.

4）Bitterness

IPA是以啤酒花苦涩回甘酒味为特质，苦涩度是重要一环，所以会有IBU这回事。IPA的苦涩和hop burn是很不一样的感受，这里着重的是一款IPA的苦涩味有多高或多低，跟灼热感没关系，有趣的是一款IPA的好喝度对不同人来说可以是用苦涩度来评断，一些人觉得一定要很苦的才算好喝IPA，也有人觉得啤酒花苦涩只是衬托，好喝IPA一定是均衡结合啤酒花和麦芽酵母的酿品，重口或均衡或轻度都体现了IPA这个啤酒类型能提供的广泛选择。

5) Freshest Flavour Before(FFB)

Freshness is of utmost importance to how an IPA would taste---regardless if it's a traditional one or the juicy newer one---the flavour profile/performance/deliciousness of a same IPA can be very different when drank fresher( say within 1 or 2 weeks after bottling/canned) or when drank after 3 months or longer. 

While most breweries still would only show either best before date or bottling/canned date---the use of FFB is very commendable---this is basically the period(around 3 months) where the brewer/s would like their beer to be consumed since it would best represent how they wanted the flavours to be.

Next time if you encounter a bottle/can with no FFB dates---just check the bottling/canned date and work out a 3 month period.

5）Freshesh Flavour Before(FFB)

无论是喝传统传统或类果汁类型风味IPA都好，最最最关键始终是新鲜度，只有喝上新鲜IPA才能真正领会什么是啤酒花甘涩鲜香美味，FFB的出现很明确的树立了新鲜度标杆，这是和best before很不同的概念，简单说FFB指的是最美味品嚐时间，而best before只是说明可饮用期限。一般来说，FFB大力鼓励装瓶/装罐後3个月时间内享用，而best before则可以至少适用1年左右，两者之间对美味程度要求当然是完全不同概念。

目前在瓶子罐子列明FFB的酿坊并不是那么多，如果要知道新鲜度可以查看装瓶装罐日期，算一下日子就知道了。