The final part of the annual most memorable beer list from last year--to conclude 2019 list---here's my Hong Kong geek friend Liam's list--- pics and Chinese version by Liam---with English transcript by me.
今年應該是第3年獲 Ct 邀請, 記錄一下精釀啤酒在上年讓自己印象最深刻的幾件事, 2019年可能比之前少了點品飲聚會, 但跟3位beer geek 好友的9天lambic之旅絕對是在自己10多年(老了.....)的精釀生涯很重要的一件事.......今次選了8款 (或種類)印象最深的, 品飲筆記不詳述了, 感覺還是最重要.
This is the 3rd year in a row getting invitation from ct to write my review/list for most memorable ones/moments from last year---comparatively lesser bottle sharing sessions but a 9 days Lambic trip with 3 friends was definitely a very important moment of my 10 years+( sigh..getting old) or so craft drinking journey--I have picked 8 bottles/types in the list---not going to bother about tasting notes here--it's all about feelings...
1.Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
X De Cam Geuzestekerij "Millennium Geuze"
3 Fonteinen 的lambic 相信很多人也喝過, 但他們極少跟其他人合釀, 這枝在1998年跟De Cam推出的 "Millennium
Geuze"已炒上天價, 幸好有4人一起在哥本哈根的 @1420 品嚐, 味道值這價錢嗎? 倒不如說這價錢對得住它的歷史和稀有度, 當然或多或少beer geeks都有份虛榮心.........當天還首次喝 @grote
dorst 的 Geuze, 也相當出色!
A rarely seen collaboration brew by 3F & De Cam--with prices hitting the roof in secondary/grey market---had this one at @1420 Copenhagen as a group of 4---is the beer taste worth the price? let's just say the price would justify it's history and "rarity"---of course one could say part of geeks vanity is at play here----also had Gueze on the same day from @GroteDorst--delightful.
2.Bokke lambics
Beer geeks 們都開始認識這精釀界冒起最快的新星, 雖然售賣的地方多了, 仍然不損其受歡迎程度, 各啤酒節都看到他們長長的人龍, 今次lambic trip 都在哥本哈根的 Koelschip 和 Restaurant Barr 喝到它, 當中的
"Levenwaters" (Levenswater 白蘭地桶陳釀), 和只在Restaurant Barr有售的 "Akevitt" (北歐烈酒桶陳釀), 確實在lambic中感受到各烈酒氣息, 十分厲害!
The fact that there are now more bars(which actually is still very few) with availability of Bokee does not in anyway diminishes it's popularity for geeks who came to know what this small blendery from Hasselt been doing---the lines during any beer festivals for them is always loooooong. During the Lambic trip last year--had some Bokke at Copenhagen's Koelschip and Restaurant Barr--with "Levenwaters"( brandy barrel) and "Akevitt"(Scandinavia spirit) which only available at Barr being two memorable ones with clear indication of barrel/hard liqour influences in a lambic--impressive.
3. Brouwerij de Molen
"666"
Lambic 之旅還喝其他好東西, @1420 庫存當然不只陳年lambic,
De Molen 的旗艦 "Hel & Verdoemenis"和它各種變奏相信不少人喝過, 而我一路找尋其中的
"666" 和 "666-ish", 在 "H&V"加入浸過40年干邑木片陳釀, 味道, 酒體, 甜度 , 干邑氣息, 各種要素都極致平衡, 在pastry stout這種極度重口味橫行下, 此酒讓我重燃對stout的喜愛 (很誇張.......), 更可說是我喝過最佳的 imperial stout!
De Molen's "666" & "666-ish" are two "Hel & Verdoemenis" variants which i been seeking out for---adding 40 years old bourbon wood chips while barrel aging---balance of taste/body/sweetness/ barrel was amazing---this is one hell of a stout--one which reignited my passion for stout(sounding exaggerating..?)--most likely the best imperial stout i have had so far.
4. Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
"Speling van het Lot (Twist of Fate)"
無錯, 又是 lambic, 又是3F, 去比利時布魯塞爾4天, 我們到他們taproom3天, 為的就是20多款的 "Twist of
Fate" 和陳舊lambic.....此系列以加入 "瘋狂"劑量的水果著名
(1 Litre lambic 大約 500 g 水果!!!), 是次嚐了10多款, 以加入黑莓和士多啤梨最可口, 真的有幸福的感覺!
Yes--yet another lambic--yet another 3 F---the 4 of us were at their taproom 3 days in a row while in Brussels---the lure? the crazily fruited "Twist of Fate" series( 500 g fruits per 1 Litre lambic) as well as some old lambic--- we got to try about 10 plus variants--the ones with addition of black berries & strawberries were most delicious---so delicious it brought real happiness.
5.酒精度 >10%的 triple/quadruple NE
IPA
朋友都知我愛喝
NE IPA, 那果汁感實在讓我愛不釋手, 在現時大大小小的酒廠均能釀出高水準 NE/double NE IPA的世代, 高酒精的 triple或甚 quadruple IPA就是 "考牌"的款式, 酒精感和平衡度更難掌握, 但NE IPA一線酒廠沒有讓我失望, 如Other Half,
Trillium 或 Tired Hands, 晚上一罐, 已讓你滿足一晚 (也安睡一晚,
hahaha)
I do love drinking NE IPA---fruitiness is the lure---personally for me an NE which is more than 10% --be it a "triple" or "quadruple" will be some sort of " examinations" to the brewers since the balance of beer will be harder test---so far the top names like Other Half. Trillium or Tired Hands hasn't disappointed---drinknig 1 can in the evening is good enough to satisfy( as well for a good night sleep...:)
6.Mikkeller Baghaven
"Polly"
太多搞作的MIkkeller 終於認真起來, 在家鄉的Baghaven區專做酒桶陳釀的wild
ales, 這枝"Polly"加入石榴 (guava) 和"奇異莓"?
(kiwiberries), 那石榴氣息強得誇張, 又好喝非常, 絕對是該廠最出色的一款, 當然其他也很可口, 讓我再次投入Mikkeller 懷抱.....
At last, a serious one from Mikkeller( which seems to be doing too many stuffs in recent years)---a wild ale brewed and barrel aged at Copenhagen's Baghaven--addition of guava and kiwiberries brought some really nice nose and deliciousness--other creations were tasty too but Polly really stood out for me---this is one which brought me back to Mikkeller's beer world.
7.The Answer Brewpub
Fruit beers
這釀酒酒吧
(brewpub)以往聽得多, IG常說他們的水果啤酒超好喝, 今年終於嚐過, 但.............在喝果汁嗎? 以往喝 New Glarus, Burley
Oak, 都感覺到是酒類, 但 The Answer的水果啤酒太不可思議, 因為100%像喝果汁!!! 當然歸功於超多的果蓉, 但還是喜愛多層次的
New Glarus!
Heard of this brew pub a lot--with many saying their fruit beer super tasty----but......am i drinking fruit juices? is it really beer? unlike when drinking fruit beer from the likes of New Glarus or say Burley Oak which you know it's beer----the ones from The Answer is 100% as if drinking fruit juices---though it's likely due to the super amount of fruits thrown in--still prefer New Glarus for a more layered brew.
8.2019 年的失望之作(The disappointing ones)
寫了那麼多好酒, 讓人失望的也可印象深刻......這裡說的全都是"期望越大, 失望越大"的代表, 我最喜愛的酒廠 Hill Farmstead佔了2席, 其"Civil Disobedience" 可說是其中的旗艦, 但這 citrus版本只有一個字 "酸", 沒有層次味道可言, 另一個則是Hill Farmstead波本桶陳釀的楓葉糖漿 (是糖漿......), 試過不同產地的楓葉糖漿, 包括Vermont的, 但他們的完全感受不到甚麼波本氣息, 跟一般無異.......最後是 Ingenious Brewing "Hop Stone Series", 當時Avengers上映, 綽頭十足, 大家也萬分期待, 但當中的 IPA 和 stout 絕對是水準之下, 真的想用Infinity stones 變走它們, haha!
Among the tasty most memorable ones--there were some which were on the other side---mainly due to ' the bigger the expectations the bigger the disappointment" kinda experiences---for examples the citrus variant of "Civil Disobedience" from my favourite brewery Hill Farmstead---there was only sour and nothing much else---another is the bourbon barrel aged Maple Syrup from Hill Farmstead---though it's only maple syrup rather than beer but having tasted some different ones including from Vermont area---this one tasted like sugar syrup---no bourbon influence at all.
Lastly---"Hop Stone Series" from Ingenious Brewing--it was a hype during the release of movie " Avengers"--but the IPA and stouts were clearly below standards--wish i could use Infinity Stones to wipe them off......:)
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