WEEK 185---2020 Most Memorable Beer List---Part 2/2---by ct (KL)

Here's the final part of  my last year list :-

上期回顾了几款不同类型风味啤酒，以下是去年喝到让人较有记忆点的其他风味酒款：-

IPA/NEIPA

Other Half  Double Pontoon Juice

Cloud Water TIPA NZ Hops 01

Black Iris Don't Fear The NEIPA

thanks to local geek friends who seek for these cans from overseas via beer mail---i was able to sample a few really fresh cans during the past year (between 2-4 weeks from canned date)---among the few cans tasted--these 3 were the standouts --the OH brew was smelling really intense--so much so that a geek friend sharing blurted out the word "durian-y"--referring to how intense the nose of this NEIPA caught his senses---while the CW TIPA was quite different from what some of us has come to expect--there was more bitter tone of hops than the "expected" fruity/juicy mouth feel, not West Coast though not really very NE.   As for Black Iris---it was my first ever can from this UK brewery was very pleasant--no cloying issue that some might find in a NEIPA---and the beer name was worth a smile if you have heard complaints from hardcore traditional West Coast IPA lovers.

在类果汁印度淡啤（NEIPA）近几年蔚为风潮大受欢迎之後，IPA一直以来只能是苦哈哈的既有刻板印象已被颠覆，NEIPA类似果汁甚至近乎果味奶昔的酒体外观风味口感让原本可能因为苦味让一些新朋友味蕾受惊吓的印度淡陴变得香甜醇鲜平易近人，但这样的反差也出现一些酿坊作品让啤迷觉得过甜腻口的缺点。

虽变身成类果汁，但NEIPA依然是展现不同类型啤酒花新鲜风味酒款，喝的时候啤酒新鲜程度依旧是绝对关键因素，时间/温度/储藏/运送条件好坏等外在因素都会对啤酒花鲜香表现造成决定性影响，基本来说一款NEIPA（传统苦味IPA也一样）的最佳赏味期是装瓶/装罐日期三个月内。当然过了三个月之后也能喝，但就最佳赏味角度来说，已错过可以最大程度品味啤酒应有风味表现时间点。

去年在本地喝到以上三款分别来自美国纽约酿坊，英国曼彻斯特酿坊和诺丁汉酿坊，三款分别喝到时基本都少于或介于一个月左右，也算是以自己方式暂时解渴长期以来在本地难以喝到真正新鲜IPA/NEIPA的问题，三款不同作品中，来自纽约酿坊的Double Pontoon Juice最浓郁香醇，让一起分享的啤迷朋友甚至觉得有点“类似榴莲香味”的错觉，品酒感受来说是满有趣的评语。第一次接触的英国Black Iris 酿坊Don't Fear The NEIPA除了酒名称幽了那些只认可传统苦哈哈IPA风味啤迷一默，关键是喝起来舒适没有NEIPA过甜过腻问题，而英国最为人知的Cloud Water酿坊三倍作品不太像酿坊为人知的类果汁风格而是果汁感中带出啤酒花苦韵，可以在顶级新鲜啤酒花作品匮乏的本地喝到这些不错作品是乐事。

Pastry Stouts

Evil Twin  This Must Be Top 10….

Anchorage  Blessed 

Other Half   2020 Green City Imperial Stouts V1

the idea of making your stouts as pastry or dessert possible is the in trend among brewers in recent time---people were willing to pay crazy secondary prices for those with big hypes/reputations too.

the past 1 year with no international travelling--as well very limited sharing sessions--it was only natural that i have not sample much stouts at all( as i hardly ever crack a stouts to drink alone)---the 3 mentioned above were all from the very few sharing sessions---though comparatively these 3 are not the biggest/hyped pastry names but they are all really tasty ones

---with interesting green bananas flavours very noticeable in brews from Evil Twins and Other Half--as for the relatively "bigger" hyped Blessed from Anchorage---it was real nice but not something which makes me go wow--thought the alcohol hints can be better hidden--as well lacking in that silky smoothness.

直接翻译就是“糕点甜点黑啤”，是近年大行其道的黑啤类型，跟字面上意思那样是比一般黑啤更倾向呈现“糕点甜点”特色的黑啤。

在黑啤中添加如咖啡香草巧克力之类食材增加啤酒风味层次是存在已久酿酒师常用的手法，pastry stouts意味着加倍翻倍投放心中想呈现食材风味，简单来说就是大手笔加倍投入，为的就是让黑啤更接近“糕点甜点”风味层次。

如果以稀有难寻/高评价追捧角度来看的话，个人喝到的上述三款美国酿坊作品可说平平无奇，不过喝酒这回事就是喝到什么就是什么，去想象自己原本可以或还没喝到的“高评价”盛名啤酒是不切实际的，换个角度看，能通过啤迷朋友自身找酒方式在本地喝到上述三款各有特点黑啤还是爽的，特别是其中两款不约而同都有突出香蕉风味特点。

Sour Beer

Wild Flower St.Florence 2018 : Sauvignon Blanc

3 Fonteinen + Brouwerij Lotebol :  Tuverbol

sour beer is one of my personal favourite beer styles---but only for the ones with finesse/balance---not in your face sort of sour but nicely layered/delicate ones---away from Belgium Lambic--these 2 above were 2 nice ones sampled last year---Wild Flower brew for how the adding of wine grade grapes in a barrel aging process has turned a Lager base beer into something really nice and layered---while the 3 Fonteinen collab though used some lambic to blend with triple blond beer---it was not the usual 3F lambic we are familiar with---the blending did turned the whole beer into something else--it was more sweet sour than a typical lambic profile--very interesting nice and easy yet delicate enough to want to slowly savour. 

酿得好均衡有层次的酸啤，无论是比利时天然发酵酸啤（Lambic）还是其他欧美澳纽酿坊的各式野生菌发酵酸啤是个人比较喜欢啤酒类型。去年由于疫情影响原计划好的布鲁塞尔和哥本哈根被迫取消意味着少喝了很多精彩酿品，特别是能在布鲁塞尔喝到的一些较难寻或只能在当地酿坊品饮室/特定酒吧开喝的Lambic作品。不过，喝craft beer也不只是追逐难寻稀有酿品，能喝到虽不算盛名难寻稀有类型但均衡好喝或风味呈现有惊喜趣味的作品是能让啤迷开心的事，比如这次酒单中澳洲酿坊和比利时酿坊两款，其中，澳洲酿坊作品是将淡啤（LAGER）使用葡萄酒品种级别葡萄桶陈浸泡时间工序将原本只是清爽解渴的基本啤酒变得层次分明均衡可口。而比利时两家酿坊合作酒款则使用比利时三倍棕啤（TRIPLE BLOND）混合天然发酵酸啤（LAMBIC）而成，作品展现了两者之间融合特色，酸中带类似烤麦芽甜风味表现，易喝有趣。

Worth Mentioning

Omnipollo Double Karpologi

a fruited sour using pineapples, peaches, passion fruits with addition of vanilla---it might come as too sweet too sour at the same time for some during the first 2 sips--but once the palate overcome the initial sensation--and especially after the beer gets warmer--its a nice light sweet sour sips.

北欧水果酸味啤酒，加入凤梨桃子百香果和香草，开始喝可能会觉得过甜过酸，一旦味蕾适应加上回温效果，会觉得有趣好喝。

Antidoot L'illumine Kriek Framboos

had this one during a sharing session earlier in the year--could be sue to 'distractions" from other beers during that session--it did not hit me ( in fact another Antidoot did)---then cracked this one last day of 2020 at home---it was different this time--really tasty--more jammy with sour cherries goodness--really nice.

第一次喝时是去年早前分享会朋友带来--或许因为有其他更深印象的酒“干扰”当时觉得只是不错--但年底在家喝时明显酸樱桃气息口感浓郁--让人改观。

3 Fonteinen Cuvee Armand & Gaston 

obviously there are many different variants of 3F---as well some perceived "higher/more complex/delicious ones"---this one though was really balance with plenty of oak influence coming through--sometimes we do overlook the seemingly right in the cellar type of bottles---this one did caught up with my palate attention.

或许不是3F最显眼的瓶子---但这次再喝倒是留了印象--均衡好喝木桶影响明显。