Monday, March 25, 2024

WEEK 220---Most Memorable Beer & Mead 2023(2of2)--by CT(KL)

 
Final part of last year's most memorable list, as some of the ones listed here are from sharing sessions either here in KL or HK/Tokyo, i have long had this feeling that sometimes if you are fated to meet a certain bottle/can then somehow you will--that feeling was further enhanced with the bottles i have met last year.
Here's the list:-again numbering is just for counting purposes--nothing more.
去年是瓶子分享会次数不多但选酒质素有惊喜收获的一年,无论是在本地分享会还是年中/年底去了香港及日本和新旧啤迷朋友聚会中都有意料之外盛名难寻好酒出现,虽然说喝不喝得到某款特定大酒要看缘份的说法有点虚无缥缈,个人来说还是有点相信是那样因为有些酒是强求不来的。

1)Blue Suede Shews--Pips Meadery
Have heard of this highly regarded ONE since some years ago--it was talked about since this is 1 of very few ultimate mead bottles 1 or 2 of the KL tasting group guys view very highly--and finally last year in Tokyo--totally out of the blue--had this in a surprise share from a tiny bottle size of 175ml--while some might say it's just too small to share--personally something like a 20-30ml pour would be really good enough & be very very satisfied with what's coming through the nose and then palate--I have no idea how cashewnut blended in honey & blueberries can be so fxxking awesome--there is not a moment of doubt whatsoever why many regarded this as the Ultimate ONE from Pips--it's just so senses catching--the smell of cashewnut was crazy yet it was not overpowering the balance of this mead--basically can't describe in details how this went since pouring and then frist and more sips after--it's just something you will automatically go very slow, want to savour it and thankful for  the share.
使用蓝莓,腰果,以橙蜜为基底酿造的这款蜜酒是这家美国酿坊最被追捧的盛名作品,能在東京喝到这款限量作品实在是意外惊喜,去朋友家聚会前完全不知道原来他手中藏了那么一支大作,虽然是只有175ml的小巧瓶装版本,但这样级别的蜜酒其实只要有20-30ml就已足以让人慢啜细品回味无穷。
从开瓶到入杯,扑鼻而来的是腰果融和蓝莓橙蜜带来的出色醉人香气,入口是带有坚果气息的蓝莓蜂蜜风味,带甜是自然的但绝不单调也完全没有丝毫过甜或腻口问题,绝对是非常和谐美好的顶级蜜酒味蕾享受。

2)Gorsen/framboos 2022-Antidoot
Due to some rather annoying custom issues here and the fact that I need some bottles while in Tokyo last Nov--had my box of Antidoot sent from Brussels to my beer buddy's place prior to trip--cracked a few bottles of Antidoot of diffrent styles during my stay at different sharing sessions--from beer-barrel aged cider to beer-wine hybrid--of all that were shared in Tokyo--this one stood out for me personally--soaked in sour cherries & raspberries--this one was tasting relatively fresh with nice fruity aroma--sour with hints of light sweet on the palate--was very smooth sipping & enjoyable..
在東京开喝了好几支自己出发前几个月就从比利时寄去啤迷朋友家的一箱会员瓶子,其中以这款加入酸樱桃和覆盆子的作品最出色,非常明显果香气息中带出略微的酸甜口感,是第一口就会喜欢的富有层次易喝型作品。有别于比利时天然发酵酸啤(Lambic),这家虽然也是使用天然发酵方式酿造,不过因为所在地区分别,基酒更多时候是易喝型的农场风格啤酒(Saison)或比利时金黄淡啤(Golden Ale)担当,口感气息上没有Lambic的更显著的酸味和独特霉香,是更温和易喝的基酒,加入酸樱桃和覆盆子会带来果酸香但Antidoot作品从来就不是Lambic,新接触朋友要注意别先入为主觉得因为发酵方式是天然的所以就一定是Lambic

3)Amakusa Fruited Sour Beer 
Banana Can-Filament-俺!おれオレ!
It was not until late last year in Tokyo at a few different bars that i have met with these fruited beers from a new brewery based in Kumamoto--3 different types of fruits used seperately in 3 fruited sours--Banana/Mango/Oranges--all 3 were tasting more like a thick fruited milkshake than a beer in a palate pleasing way--nothing cloying or thick til you sick type--had lighter ones from this same brewery-pale ale-ipas-hazies--all were fairly ok but not impressive--personally i like their fruied sours the most--will not hesitate to taste again should i see them or other fruited variants next time around.
去年底去東京发现的其中一家出色日本本土酿坊,三款不同水果风味的奶昔类型酸啤(香蕉芒果柑橘,其实都不酸,更像水果奶昔啤酒)都各有精彩,相比喝过的这家其他几款不同风格啤酒比如IPAPale Ale等,明显的水果奶昔(或者说果泥啤酒)玩的最让人留下印象,是那种虽然喝着啤酒但感觉更像是水果奶昔的感觉,而且三款不同水果的作品都各有千秋,同样的有趣好喝,是个人去年東京行新发现的出色日本酿坊之一。

4)BBT(Beer Barrel Time) 2023--Side Project
Thanks to the guys here--had the pleasure of tasting 2021 & 2022 version previously--though it's from the same brewery with the same name--each year's version will have some differences due to choices of barrels & treatment from the brewery--not here to do any sort of comparison among the 3 different year bottle--only wantt to say if you know how to appreciate a big stout--BBT of any year is one you don't want to miss out.
美国密苏里高手酿坊的年度重点作品(之一),之前也有幸在本地啤迷分享会喝过21年和22年版本,这次是23年版,虽然是同一款黑啤,但因为每个不同年度批次都有不同混酒比例和其他酒类酒桶选用差异,加上陈放时间的不同,每个不同年份的这款黑啤作品还是会有风味呈现微差或明显较大区别,虽是那样,可确定的是喜欢风味浓郁多变以及酒体浑圆黑啤的话,无论喝到哪个年份BBT都会是高水准作品。

5)Zen Y Frontera(batch 2 & 1)--3 Fonteinen
It was not something i would imagine having these 2 side by side at the same time--but it did happened during a share in HK last year thanks to a newly met beer geek friend who generously shared these two bottles--Had 1 of the 2 some years ago in a Copenhagen bar--it was so tasty we( shared with some geek friends who attended MBCC)were basically quite lost for words--to have the chance to revisit this old batch of Zen Y and not 1 but 2 was quite a Lambic holy moment to savour.
Both obviously were top notch Lambic--the balance of oak/wood/sourness/as well sherry casks brought about complexity--if i need to pick 1 over the other than it's batch 2 for it being more out-showing/slightly more direct than batch 1 which was very subtle but on another level for balance and smoothness.
多年前在哥本哈根抢到当时专卖吧最後一支可内用batch2作品,犹记得从第一口开始一起分享的啤迷朋友们就已经惊艳到不行,个人也认为是至今喝过比利时天然发酵酸啤中毋庸置疑最佳三款之一,由于这是市面上非常难找绝版作品,能在香港见啤迷朋友时分享会上同时喝到batch2加上batch1,虽说个人相信能不能喝到某款顶级作品有时还真要看缘份,但一次过可以喝到两款神级作品除了感恩还能说什么。

6)Papilio Raspberry sour--Vertere
Had this in a bar in Tokyo--a saison-ish fruited light beer from this rather hyped/highly regarded Japanese new brewery--also had some of their other styles of beer but this one was most memorable though this one was at times quite easy sipping and not with any strong fruity influence to impact on one's palate memory--it was quite memorable for it's subtleness.
另一款让人留下印象的日本酿坊作品,从某个层面上来说只是一款带有浅显覆盆子风味的易喝型啤酒,有趣的是,虽然不是那种网站高风评或让人一喝即刻惊艳的酒但就是回想时会记得当时口感风味表现的作品,或许有时候简单平实中见功力才是会让人留下印象的酒。


7)More Jasper than All Jasper--Other Half x Fidens
A collab brew from 2 of the finest hops brewery--putting each brewery's name sake series IPA (More Than x Jasper) together and work out a new variant--Had this one in KL during a share--it was flown in so still nicely fresh on the palate--a Triple ipa but was well made and balance--always a pleasure to have the chance for some well made fresh ipa here.
美国两大类果汁IPA高手酿坊的合酿,而且是前辈与后起之秀之间的合作,主轴是将前者的More Than系列和FidensJasper系列酿造基底麦芽混合起来,并使用后者的酒花投放手法让合酿变成充满Citra啤酒花风味的类果汁作品,这是款三倍印度淡啤(Triple IPA),意思是酒精度更高(10度),虽然是在本地喝到但因为是美国直送所以酒花鲜香和IPA该有的甘甜苦涩都能嚐到,是好喝的一款。

Some worthy ones not listed in newspaper column 没列入报纸专栏的一些好酒:-

1)Cedar Kogan--ShigaKogen x Oxbow x Jester King
A rather interesting one shared by a geek friend in Tokyo--in fact while at the share this one prior to opening some at the share were a little hesitant about whether we should crack this one or another sour beer--well it was surprisingly nice--including to those who initially hesitated if we should crack--this is quite a nice barrel aged saison with some funkiness--certainly not 1 dimensional.uanwa
在东京分享会时,一起喝的朋友们对是不是要开这瓶保持观望态度--结果还是开了--大家反应是意外的有点惊喜--日本在地酿坊和两家美国酿坊的桶陈农场风格啤酒合酿--有层次好喝的。

2)Ariere Pays--Brasserie Auval
Had this rather hard to find bottle( not only in Asia but even in Canada itself it seems) in HK during a share--a barrel aged rustic ale--not a big or hyped beer--just an easy to drink bone dry low abv beer--it's my first ever beer from this long wanted to try brewery so worth a note.
亚洲难得一见(据说在加拿大本土也不是那么容易找得到)的酿坊易喝“干身”作品--在香港分享会上喝到的--不是什么高评分的大酒--之前就对这家酿坊相当好奇--终于喝到一款值得记录下。

3)Heritage Blend--Neon Cider
A friend brought this to share here in KL--didnt know it was actually made in HK-while the general perception on cider is that it's rather straight forward and easy to drink fermented apple juice and that's it--That's not true as a well crafted one can be anything but--this one was quite tasty and memorable.
之前在香港小住过一段时间的本地酒友带来分享的瓶子--这款作品绝对可以打破一般人对苹果酒只是发酵酸甜果汁的偏见--均衡易喝有层次。

4)Existence is Passion--Second City meadery
Had this one in KL thanks to a beer buddy who kindly share this during a steak lunch meet up--A black currant mead added with vanilla & passion fruit--this one was amazingly nice--the blend of those 3 adjuntcs with honey made this one quite a memorable one after the most impressive Sichuan Peppercorn varaint.
本地酒友分享的美国蜜酒酿坊又一出色作品--这次是黑加仑子+香草+百香果--非常不同于之前一期让人惊艳的四川麻辣作品--这款均衡香甜,是让人舍不得大口喝的佳酿。



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