and so we are almost half way through 2021 with things pretty much the same as last where travelling or gathering "normally" is still far from normal--here in Malaysia--even though things are yet to calm down but at the very least small gathering for bottle sharing was made possible by the lifting of stricter movement control order not too long ago--making it possible for the few of us in KL Tasting Group to meet and share some privately sourced overseas beer mail--this session is the most recent one where a beer or two actually triggered some "commotion" due to peculiarity rather than deliciousness....
疫情延续影响下，不少亚洲啤迷某种程度上去年开始把找酒眼光瞄向欧美网购市场，一些平时已在买的更是因为开始出现以前不会网上卖的好酒而加大搜购力度，而酒一旦收得稍微多了难免要跟同好开喝分享。
好酒是要分享的，上周末和本地瓶子分享会几位固定啤迷成员聚首，重点当然是把各自不同时间从国外找来的不同类型风格私藏拿出来分享，以下是一些好喝或不算好喝但有趣有特点的瓶子：-
basically we don't do many bottles at one go--no vertical--but a mixture of different beer styles and usually do not surpass 15-16 bottles/cans per session so as not to waste beer with numbed taste buds towards later part of session.
here's a few nice/peculiar ones from recent session worth mentioning:-
Angry Chair---BA Cake Pop
this is probably the most pleasing imperial stouts i have had in recent time---even with first sip when it's relatively still cold---it was already showing how much chocolate/roasted coconut/sweet coconut forward this can be---nothing cloying--hints of vanilla and bourbon influence---so drinkable for a stout with thick yet silky smooth body/mouth feel--guys were surprised to see me pouring myself to add on small pour for a few times--for a guy who is not a big fan of anything pastry---that says a lot about how well made/pleasing it was.
personally--this felt like a sure fire hit song in the Karaoke--one can keep going.
"愤怒的椅子”是美国佛州芸芸高手酿坊中的一家，拿手类型是黑啤，比如这款第一口就让人满腔尽是黑巧克力椰香，顺滑的酒体带有香草味，也有波本酒桶余韵，虽然酒精度是11%，但美味易喝均衡程度几乎感受不到酒精影响，也忘了这是款喝之前可能让人先入为主觉得腻口的甜点黑啤类型，实际上因为可口好喝而很少有的小小添加了两次而被啤迷朋友惊呼说没想到说不怎么喜欢甜点黑啤的家伙竟然自动添酒了。
for guys who knows about the big stouts from TG--the Assassin series( along with KBBS - SR 71- Mornin Delights and the most recent Shadow Raptor) are big stouts which needs no introduction.
However-- i certainly have some doubts about how well Tequila barrel can complement/enhance stouts--even if this is Assassin.
after sipping it initially as well when it's much warmer---i'm curious about how the base beer would be---for this tequila version--it was very obviously rough on the edges---there was no palate pleasing roundness--alcohol was obvious--but despite the lack of balance---this is undoubtedly a Big Stout--the rich base of the stouts dominated all things even in somewhat rougher manner.
对爱喝黑啤，也懂什么是过去多年来最被啤迷推崇追捧大黑啤清单的一定知道这家美国爱荷华州酿坊有几款盛名在外黑啤作品，包括被认为是黑啤金字塔顶端之一的KBBS，此外还有SR-71，Mornin
Delight以及有着几款不同食材添加或桶陈处理分支的“杀手”系列。
这款是经过龙舌兰酒桶处理版本，整体来说并没有那种讨喜的浑圆饱满，相反的非常菱角外露，闻起来喝起来都能清楚感受到酒精感，但霸道的黑啤底蕴粉碎了被认为没酿好只是泛泛之流黑啤的可能性，虽不圆润也不均衡但确实是有实力的霸气大黑啤。
Antidoot L'Obscur Amaro
the one which caused a "commotion" with the guys immediately upon opening--the first guy who opened the bottle went "errr...smell very strange"--then 2nd guy smell and right away had this "horror look"--3rd guy took a smell and nothing good came out of his facial expressions as well---following comments were made after each smell and took initial sips:-
"yaks--like medicinal herbal tea"
"smell like newly dead body--if this were to be my first Antidoot--i will not seek for it anymore"
"with obvious dislike expression"--not my style of beer"
"with somewhat struggling expression"--i'm trying--give it some time and see how..."
I sadly missed out on the initial nose upon opening as i was enjoying other glasses slowly and wanted to let this one warm bit more before pouring---from what i tasted its was sort of in between abshinte/herbal/ wood/ with hints of herbs & mints on the nose though it's likely neither--taste sourish brown ale with all the herbs/roots influence--certainly not a pleasing one--as well not an easy one but definitely not awful--far from it--this is a very polarizing one for sure---and perhaps thought provoking too.
分享会中最有趣的一款，一开瓶就引起一阵骚动，导因是最初开瓶後的酒体气味让啤迷朋友们都或皱眉或露出困惑或啼笑皆非的表情，说是好难闻好奇怪（个人因为慢啜之前其他酒迟倒入杯而错过了体会最初开瓶味道），朋友们刚喝都觉得味道不容易接受，有位朋友说如果第一次喝这家比利时新贵酿坊作品是这款的话，肯定会对这家酿坊水准打上大问号。
个人喝到时并没有感受到朋友们说的难闻怪味，气息酒味微酸涩草本加苦艾酒风味，绝对不是易喝讨喜类型但也绝对不难喝，是可以开拓味蕾感知的一款。
Hill Farmstead Civil Disobedience #28
another one which also caused a little commotion--this time mainly due to how this dark blended ale tasted---it was nothing close to what Hill's fans came to know of---there was nothing very recognizable about this blend ( if compare to CD 2020 which was had at same session)---it was tasting more to the direction of vinegar, wood, herbs. malts with sour tones---very unlike the mellow lemony easy drinking nature of CD 2020.
当天另一款让啤迷朋友们皱眉头的盛名酿坊作品，“公民起义”系列是酿坊每年都会出的混酒作品，而每年混合选酒都不尽相同，有趣的是每四年就一定会出一款黑色混酒作品，这款就是黑色版本，跟当天喝的同款2020年版本无论酒体颜色或口感风味完全南辕北辙，要是说2020版本是酿坊一贯美味易喝有层次的话，#28则是让人有点摸不着头脑的风味，微酸中带醋味，木桶，麦芽，草本，基本没有讨喜的味道，对期待酿坊一贯风味呈现的啤迷来说是很反差的味蕾体验。
Fallen Acorn leave home with an orange and pretend you're laughing at it
2nd time drinking creation from this newly found UK brewery--this time also an easy drinking style of beer --basically wheat ale drowned in good company of orange blossom plants + orange blossom honey---very light body yet aromatic nose and mouth feel once it hits your palate---with lingering layers of honey, floral notes---awesome depth and layers for a seemingly easy light beer.
第二次喝这家英国新酿坊简单易喝型作品，这次是使用了橙花草本加橙花蜂蜜酿造的小麦啤酒，味道非常清香特出，是一闻一喝就立刻感觉很好喝，蜂蜜花香特出，酒体轻盈非常易喝但层次明显感受得到，余韵悠长带回甘，简单中尽见功力，不是高手绝对办不到。
The Veil Never Calm3 Xtreme
a really heavily fruited Gose---but this is really more of a fruited juice bomb than anything else--such thick body and color with intense nose of guava /passion fruits/pineapples---no hints of alcohol at all---personally did not think i was drinking a beer but more of a concentrated fruit juice---the joke was if we were to mix this with some soda water/ sparkling water and give it to anyone---people will just drink this thinking it's fruit juice......
近期大热的“不像啤酒”类型作品，超重手水果投放让人怀疑到底是喝浓郁果酱汁还是德式酸咸啤，无论从酒体颜色浓度都不是啤酒”应该有”的模式，味道口感是很香浓的青色番石榴味道中带百香果和凤梨，酸甜果味中喝不出任何酒精味，朋友说如果加入气泡水稀释调和大概所有人都会自然的觉得就是果汁，完全不会想到竟是啤酒。
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