the month of Feb was when CNY celebrated--not by just Chinese here in Malaysia but rather whole nation with people taking advantage of the long(er) holiday period---visiting relatives and friends or simply went travelling locally--and then Covid numbers went sky rocketing basically a week or so after CNY---with numbers hitting 20-30K daily--the planned bottle share for mid Feb with the guys obviously did not happen.
进入三月，新冠疫情数字农历新年後呈直线上升情况下，原计划的二月瓶子分享会被迫取消，大家只能各自偶尔喝些适合在家或独酌或跟家人分着喝的较易喝类型啤酒，期间啤迷朋友有从美国空运了一小批新鲜类果汁印度淡啤(NEIPA)，原本打算二月分享会当着“间隔酒”喝些结果只能大家分了拿回家各自喝。
没能开分享会的二月到三月初其实没什么喝，除了几罐上述美国酿坊新鲜类果汁IPA，间中也只是旧酒重温的喝了点比利时啤酒和丹麦品牌经典黑啤：-
the whole of Feb to early March--with no sharing that would also meaning rather dry period for my palate--had a dinner meeting with non-beer geek friends where a few beers were had---then had some fresh NEIPAs brought in by the guys partly meant for bottle shairng session( which had to be split among guys for home drinking) "-
PHOTO TAKEN FROM 3Fonteinen FB
while writing this piece for newspaper column--a day earlier came the news of ARMAND's passing---though i have never met the grand master of lambic in person---he has certainly impacted my lambic discovering journey through his work with 3 Fonteinen since many years ago when 3 Fonteinen and Cantillon are the two breweries i would always seek out for whenever possible.
Had this Cuvee Armand & Gaston ( bottled Nov 19) during dinner meet with my non geek friends who appreciated the beer---the sourish/oaky/light funky tone of the beer complimented the meat dishes very well.
A fitting bottle to mark my respect for ARMAND.
向比利时酸啤大师致意
3Fonteinen
Cuvee Armand & Gaston是喝过好几次的比利时大师酿坊常态款，新年期间跟不是啤迷朋友聚餐时拿出去分享喝，混合了一，二，三不同年份的天然发酵酸啤然后放置橡木桶等待时间发挥作用，当然装瓶之后时间还是会继续发挥功能，喝的这瓶是2019年11月装瓶版本，相对来说仍是“年轻”的Lambic，口感气息有明显橡木桶影响，微酸中带一点涩但喝起来是舒适的，配搭当天晚餐肉类和猪油渣蛋饭更解腻。
#写时前一天（3月6日）3Fonteinen官方消息说酿坊灵魂人物Armand因病辞世，社交网络上酸啤迷都在默哀，仅以此瓶以大师和他父亲命名的酸啤作品向大师致意，虽然没见过面，但3F众多酸啤作品还是深刻影响了我的酸啤探寻之路。
NEIPA
it's always hard to get really fresh top notch ipas or NEIPAs here in KL, these 4 cans were flown in from the States thanks to guys efforts. while more of a Saison & Lambic person--certainly won't say no to really fresh top notch breweries ipas. here's short note on the 4 :-
类果汁印度淡啤
这次空运进来的美国酿坊品牌包括Electric,
Green Cheek, Highland Park, Monkish, North Park等等，因为个人口味对类果汁IPA并不是那么渴望所以只要了四罐，分别是;-
North Park Lupulin Collider (batch 2)
A Triple meaning how well can this hide it's alcohol presence is key---pineapple, citrusy, more orange peel after warmer but still did not hide alcohol well.
酒精度较高的Triple 比较考验酿酒师如何让酒精味不抢，凤梨气息中带有柑橘，回温後带出橙皮香涩但酒精味没藏好是败笔
Monkish Sticky Traffic
A double with 4 different types of hops thrown in--more balance than the Triple ---overall a comfortable one.
加入四款不同啤酒花酿造的双倍类果汁IPA，没有之前三倍那种不适酒精感，整体喝起来中规中矩。
Highland Park Pillow
brought this to share with non-geek friends during dinner meet---was a bit surprise to see friend wanting more pour of this saying it's tasty--a smooth one and quite soft, nice one.
也是双倍IPA，用了两款不同啤酒花，喝起来像酒名那样是柔顺不呛的，同桌吃饭平时不喜欢酒的朋友相当喜欢，还主动让添加了，好喝的一款。
Monkish Bathe in Bass Line
A double with lots of oates and 2 different hops--rather tropical fruits forward with back end hops bitterness coming through--a decent one.
另一款双倍果汁IPA， 加入大量麦片还有两款不同啤酒花而成，热带水果气息中带有啤酒花苦韵，相对易喝但没让人留下深刻印象。
Revisiting Mikkeller's Classic
Beer Geek series ( breakfast, brunch, vanilla shake) stouts is one range of stouts from Mikkeller which i encountered during my earlier craft journey--it's been quite a long while i last had any from this series--until recently when a friend brought both Beer Geek Breakfast & Vanilla Maple Shake during dinner meet. Of the two--breakfast is still standing it's ground strongly fater all these years---though i have had some big stouts through the years--but this rather basic stout is still one to be reckoned with--all things considered it's still a very solid stouts worthy of recommending to newbies.
as for Vanilla Maple Shake--still much prefer the original version without maple added.
久违的丹麦黑啤
丹麦名牌Mikkeller的啤迷黑啤系列是个人最早期接触到并留下记忆印记的欧洲黑啤之一，非常多年以前当本地酒吧同时喝到瓶装和啤酒泵版本时，Beer Geek Breakfast及一系列其他变奏版本都是个人黑啤选择（之一），多年後新年聚餐朋友带来再喝到原版及加了香草枫糖的Beer
Geek Vanilla Maple Shake，感觉是原版啤迷早餐黑啤实力依旧，并没有因为个人对黑啤味道层次表现要求更高了而经不起考验，以可口度易喝性甚至所谓性价比来说，早餐黑啤还是值得推荐给新朋友的。至于变奏版，个人口味来说还是比较喜欢原版没加枫糖的Beer Geek Vanilla Shake。
