WEEK 198---2021 Most Memorable Beer List---by CT(KL)--Part 2

 

Having discussed some all dark brew collections in PART 1---here's onto something relatively more easy drinking as well as funky---Saison & Lambic---before closing the list with session beer, neipa & other styles such as herbs farmhouse ale/ barrel aged cyder/ mead / in Part 3 (later date).

去年喝过的酒中，上期说的好些大黑啤之外，自然也有其他类型风格啤酒，当中少不了个人偏好的农场风格啤酒（Saison）和比利时天然发酵酸啤（Lambic），虽说本地基本很难看到新鲜顶级酿坊印度淡陴IPA（其实近年市场潮流趋势来看应该说是类果汁印度淡啤NEIPA了），去年多得啤迷朋友分享也能嚐到好些美国空运直送的新鲜啤酒花酿品，然后也有好几款易喝性很高但有层次的欧美浅啤作品等等，这期先来看看Saison和Lambic的情况：-

SAISON

the list might look quite narrow with mainly bottles from 1 particular brewery from Vermont--the reason for this is simple--since getting beer mail into KL can be a relatively expensive/time consuming/ as well "worrying"(of getting stuck at custom) exercise at times-- and when you can get some saison from Hill Farmstead--why would i not want to get a box full of some variants available?

BA Dorothy(batch 4)was the one which stood out---the blend of various other brew selected for this one---plus barrel influence--just so easy drinking yet upon first sip you know it's so full of layers/nuances--the immeidate reaction was to go even slower sips in between since it's a share of 5 so you only get so much a pour to appreciate.

Other very much note worthy Hills includes:-

Arthur( both Puncheon version & regular)

Leaves of Grass variants

Florence Foudre

Brother Soigne ( revisited after years)

或许酒单看起来很单调因为主要是一家美国酿坊的几款不同作品，个人偏好加上从国外找酒进来是件“劳神伤财”的事，加上农场风格啤酒绝对是这家美国Vermont偏远农场酿坊拿手绝活因素，Hill Farmstead毫不意外成了首选。

去年喝过好几款不同作品中，最让人惊艳的是BA Dorothy (batch 4)，经过桶陈处理的酒加上勾兑酿坊几款其他啤酒而成的最终酿品是那么简易却韵味十足，美味程度愉悦程度都是绝顶的，一款啤酒可以做到这种层次是让人味蕾享受之余也感恩的。其他不能不提的还有桶陈版和常态款Arthur，Leaves of Grass不同小款，还有以副品牌Grassroots出品，很多年前喝过然后去年再重喝的Brother Soigne等等。

此外，去年最亮眼的一款农村风格啤酒是另一家美国高手酿坊Side Project的 白葡萄酒旧桶陈放版本Coeur de Cuvee(batch 6) ，没期待情况下好喝度是大惊喜。

Hills aside---there was this pleasant surprise from Side Porject with Coeur de Cuvee ( batch 6 ) --full of ripen peaches goodness--very balance & tasty.

LAMBIC

International travelling was not really viable last year for us here in Malaysia---so the trip to Brussels never happen---with Lambic generally very hard to come by this part of the world---and the belief that some Lambic do need longer time of keeping--last year not many lambic were had though still managed to cracked some good ones:-

比利时天然发酵酸啤或许是令人爱恨分明又或让一些喝啤酒人难以跨越的坎，天然野生菌发酵带来的独特霉香（不少人觉得是难以适应的臭）是特色，加上酸味主导，难怪有啤迷说提升个人味蕾鉴赏力关键考验之一就是会不会欣赏Lambic的美。

去年喝到的Lambic不多，疫情影响出不去，分享会次数少，加上好Lambic来之不易所以最好陈放一定时间後喝才不至于浪费好酒的信念，喝得少是有点无奈的正常情况。

因为2020的意外大惊喜圣诞包裹，去年非常罕有的在本地分享会开喝几款不同水果提味BOKKE作品，最有印象是2018年装瓶的Steengaard，均衡酸香中充满桃和杏的气息，让之前喝过几款其他BOKKE作品但没能完全明白为什么这家比利时小作坊那么备受推崇的啤迷朋友终于臣服的一款。

Bokke

thanks to the surprise Xmas pack from 2020---shared a few Bokke over a few sessions---we had 4 last year namely :-

Oude Ghost 2016( which was from 2018 MBCT)

funky--woody--dry--more oak barrel influence after warmer---balance sourness & funk---pleasing one.

Abrikoos Gewurztraminer(2019)

added 3 varieties of fresh apricots into 1-2-3 years old lambic--apricots goodness--sour--a littlerough on the edges--though some intentional "oxidization" did made it  tasting more ripen apricots with salt.

Framboos Nayaux(2019)

fresh raspberry, madagascar & tahitian vanilla beans & apricot pits added to 2 year old lambic--tasting berries with sour notes--though not rough but still not rounded--another which can do with longer keeping.

Steengaard (2018)

simply full of apricots & peach goodness--balance--sour but in a pleasant way.

BOKKE Abrikoos Gerwurztraminer & Framboos Nayaux,   都是2019年装瓶，前者加入三款不同品种杏子，后者加入覆盆子香草荚桃核入味，两者都有再陈放久些会更好的情况，喝起来皆有不够圆润情况。年初啤迷朋友第一聚时也把2018年东京啤酒庆典买到的Oude Ghost（2016）开了分享，初期味道霉香中带干口感和木桶影响带出的香酸甜，回温後木桶气息更显现，酸和霉香更均衡。

out of these---the 2 most memorable ones were Oude Ghost & Steengaard---in fact one of the guys was so impressed with Steengaard he said--"finally understand why Bokke is so highly regarded".

Bokke aside---there were also some other Lambics very much worthy of mentioning:-

3F Aardbei Kriek Bio(18/19)

very strawberry forward--after warmer the jammy feel is even stronger--memorable one.

3F Zen Y Frontera ( blend 92)

obviously we had it earlier than should---the lack of sherry barrels influence as well think body made us wonder how much better/rounded this one could be say another 2 years down the road....?

去年喝过值得提起的还有：-

3Fonteinen Aardbei Kriek Bio(18/19)满是草莓果香的一款，特别是酒回温後果酱感觉更明显，虽不至于浓稠但从气息口感都能感受到草莓的影响，是有趣的味蕾体会。

Zen Y Frontera(blend 92) 很可惜的明显喝早了，无论酒体厚实度还是霉香或雪梨酒旧木桶的影响力，在在都让人感觉到其实应该再陈放久一些等让风味更丰富圆润後才喝。

Tilquin Groseille A Marquerean Verte

forzen gooseberry in young lambic---tasting almost like salt & pepper sour beer---quite interesting.

Tilquin Groseille A Marquereau Verte 。以青醋栗入酒桶陈而成，喝起来闻起来都像是有些盐和胡椒的霉香果酸啤酒，相对新颖的味蕾感受。

Cantillon Nath (2020)

a  rather fresh rhubarb lambic from the master brewery---tasting green guava-ish to this Asian palate( rather than Rhubarb since it's not something Asians very familiar with)--hints of salt--mellow & really drinkable.

Cantillon Nath 2020，大黄（rhubarb）并不是亚洲人更熟悉的食材，喝起来风味有点类似青涩的番石榴，去年没什么喝到Cantillon其他作品情况下是不错的一款。

*Also--though not mentioned in newspaper column--can't ignore the simply delicious Gueuze Girandin black label (which came together with the Bokke surprise pack)--woody--funk--very pleasing.