2019 was not an active year in terms of travelling for beer or seeking out for beer mail sort of things personally speaking---i was relatively drinking less--would be drinking even lesser if not or the occasional bottle sharing session thanks to a geek friend living in KL for always bringing in some fresh/fresher cans back whenever e is back from the UK.
For my most memorable list of beer/mead---the list is looking a little "safe" with some big names in there(probably looks boring to some of you even)---though for the 2nd part of the list there were not so familiar names included.
过去一年，以啤酒出游或喝过什么精彩啤酒/蜜酒来总结的话，2019是不过不失的一年，因为平时不去酒吧（除非出外旅游），所以绝对大多数是瓶子分享会喝，整体来说喝的量很少，不过质来说还是不错，以下是去年让个人觉得最有印象的酿品：-
In this first part there are 7 beer/mead which really hit the palate nicely--mostly drank during different bottle sharing sessions:-
The Lost Abbey---Cable Car
A big name bottle no doubt---and not far off to say that there are many geeks out there who would love to have a few sips to find out what's the long standing hype is all about this American wild ale made to resemble those Belgian Lambic....
Had this during a bottle share with the guys in Tokyo---for s big hyped bottle this one was certainly holding it's ground---first sip as well subsequent sips does tell you clearly this is really a nice beer--with clear indication of oak barrel influences--moderate sourness with some layering---I guess the most important thing is NOT to compare this one with a Cantillon or a 3F and so on---drink it as it is---an American sour which is how it should be---it's certainly worth to seek out for IF you can find this at first release or really very reasonable friendly geeky sharing prices.
美式酸啤中大名鼎鼎的一支，是早期美国酿坊尝试向比利时天然发酵酸啤取经致敬的类型作品，因为限量也因为美式酸啤来说是接近比利时作品特有风味的一款，可以说是啤迷想方设法都想一嚐究竟的作品。
在东京瓶子分享会中喝到的这支，以盛名美式酸啤来说并没有让人失望，虽然缺乏比利时天然发酵那种独特异味，但这种比较就像苹果比葡萄其实不公平，整体来说，气息口感都是高水准之作，酸度适中，橡木桶陈放影响也明显，如果在合理价格情况下遇到，值得一喝。
Schramm's---Black Berry
For mead lover--this is one meadery which some might think it's the epitome of "old-school" mastery with their very solid/grounded way of producing delicious mead---while some might look more highly at some of the newer awesome mead makers( names like Pips- Superstition and so on) due to the seemingly more "complex" varieties of materials used in a mead---whichever side you might stand---the fact is that Schramm's very good with the use of honey and fruits---this one is no exception---though initial sips came with some alcohol heat--it went off very quickly as it gets warming up --there's a nice balance of honey and tannin and light sourness from fruits--nothing cloying--tasty this one.
美国的蜜酒酿坊近年有好些后起之秀冒出，不过，无论是依据一路以来的作品实力还是说蜜酒迷风评，这家来自密芝根州的“先辈”蜜酒酿坊毫无疑问是顶级酿坊，这家很多作品主要都以不同水果入味调和，比如这款黑莓作品使用了纯蜂蜜和黑莓全果酿造的作品将蜂蜜甜味融合带出水果特有酸香单宁，喝起来不会过甜，虽然入口初期能感受到高酒精度带来的一些灼热感但很快就消散，而且随着时间过去酒体回温到一定程度後更显醇香，喝起来适度甜味中口感带出水果微酸，之前的酒精灼热感不再，是高水平的一款水果蜜酒作品。
Hill Farmstead---Civil Disobedience blend #26
Another one from a very big name brewery---while some may think this is all about hype---there is certainly a reason why many geeks sort of made visiting this Vermont brewery a sort of bucket list thingy.
This is basically a "random blend" which the brewery would do depending on what they have in mind to blend for different batches--i have had two previous batches with entirely different styles/colors/taste profile---call it a blend of mood if you want to--this one was not something that would blow your mind but still a nice one.
盛名远播的美国酿坊，众多不同作品也是一众懂得的啤迷一路追逐的，虽然酿坊地处比较偏远的美国VERMONT州郊区农场，但每年无论是自家啤酒节庆活动又或是平时日子，酿坊一直都不乏从美国各地还有来自世界不同角落啤迷到访“朝圣”。
这款以“反政府”为名的系列作品是通过混合酿坊不同年份/不同类型风格啤酒再桶陈放置而成，因为是“随心抽样”而成的混酒作品，这系列每年的作品并不是遵循一个固定啤酒类型风格标准来做，所以这也意味着每年的不同混酒作品可以呈现出南辕北辙的区别。
Little Earth Project---The Brett Organic Stock Ale
This one was a very pleasant surprise---with it's high abv at 11% and the anticipation that it might skewed towards the way of an old ale or an English barley wine---but it was nothing like that at all---first sip already got me excited---it was not "heavy" at all--surprisingly very drinkable for such abv---almost Lambic-ish sort of light funk---tasting more like a hopped funky farm house ale than anything heavy---really well made.
让人感觉很有惊喜的一支，这家位于英国乡区的小酿坊主打农村风格和酸啤，也崇尚天然发酵方式酿造。喝之前看说明给人感觉这款接近11度高酒精度啤酒可能类似旧式黑啤（old ale）甚至是接近大麦酒（barley wine）之类比较”“重口味”作品，结果入杯嗅到风味跟喝到第一口就让人惊艳，除了一点都不是想象中重口味，最大亮点是类似比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒那种风味层次，虽然是浅显，感觉不到酒精刹口感觉，喝起来就像是投放啤酒花鲜香的比利时类香槟果酸啤酒版本。
Russian River---Temptation
Probably a lot more well known internationally for their IPAs( thin Pliny Elder and Younger--think Blind Pig) than any other brew they do---but the wine making background of the brew masters meaning they also can do delicate/balance American sours---i have had the opportunity to sample some of their sour brew--though one might say it's mainly playing around with different oak barrels and fruits--they were all tasting really elegant and nice---for someone who at times complaint quite a bit about the in your face sourness of American sours---this is one American brewery i would love to have constant tasting of their sours.....
这是一家以IPA（印度淡陴）作品让很多啤迷折服的酿坊，不过，主创酿酒师的酿造葡萄酒经历背景至意味着他们的美式酸啤具备一定深度，至今喝过这家的几款不同美式酸啤都是非常均衡美味的高水平之作，虽然玩的是以使用过橡木桶和水果浸泡为基调，但不同酿品都展现了非常稳定的平衡度和层次感，对个人来说是任何时候都会毫不犹豫选择的美式酸啤佼佼者之一。
De Molen--- 666....ish
There's a saying among some geeks that it's best to seek out old bottles if you were to be in the mood for some stouts made by this Dutch brewery---was looking forward to this one when told by a geek friend that he is bringing this back from Europe---and boy this really hit the right notes when it gets warmer after pouring---initially there was almost nothing to look forward to---just when the thought of "ohh another hyped beer gone flat "was creeping in--the almost burnt malt like -coffee-dark chocolate flavours started to explode---the seemingly thin body did no harm to this beer--it was delicious with depth---boooom.
荷兰老字号酿坊的旧作品，关于这家早期以黑啤赢得很多啤迷关注的酿坊有个说法，那就是近几年如果还想喝这家黑啤的话，那就最好是找回旧作品，这款由英国啤迷朋友带来本地分享的 “魔鬼代号”桶陈黑啤就是旧版作品，虽然刚入口时略显单薄好像没什么值得让人关注的特点，但当啤酒回温到一定程度後，美好的变化开始展现了，不算厚的酒体充满烧烤过的麦芽，黑巧克力，咖啡气息，口感层次富有风韵，的确名不虚传。
Tilquin Groseille
It's been a while last had lambics from this Belgian blender---this one is part of his experiment series which he decided to made it into a regular release albeit with a little tweak---using red currant as the main act---was smelling and tasting what a nice lambic should be--which in any case is expected basic standards---what's more about this one was the influence of oak barrel as well some fruit skin like dryness--- did not get much of the red currant fruitiness though.
对喜欢比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒的啤迷来说，这家是熟悉的混酒作坊品牌之一，这家不同Lambic调配作品中有一个近年开发的实验系列，主要想通过添加之前常态作品中不常使用的不同蔬果食材去尝试玩出新意，这款就是实验系列中获得不错反响後主创混酒师尝试推出的变奏红加仑子常态款酸啤。
以比利时Lambic来说，无论是天然发酵特有的异香，果酸啤酒的层次感都能感受到，但这些都只是应有的，作为一款以红加仑子为主轴的酸啤，口感更多的是果皮干涩和橡木桶影响，并没有感受到红加仑子的果味，算是一定水平表现中有所欠缺。
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