It's customary of this blog to write about every year's most memorable beer ( and mead too)--this is my list for last year--though a little late as we are now into March 2024 but this is a casual blog so there's no strict deadline anyway.
This is part 1 of 2 as there's limited space for newspaper column--along with what's written for the column there shall be a few worthy ones not included in the newspaper pieces--as always the numbering is just for counting purposes--not meaning to indicate first/second/third choices whatsoever.
以下是2023喝过最有印象啤酒/蜜酒清单，没有排名先后，顺序只是随意。
Had this farmhouse/saison-ish sparkling mead which actually taste and feels more like a naturally fermented saison--at a bar in SheungWan Hong Kong--had a few other style beer from this Australian small brewery before but this particular one was a pleasant surprise--partly due to the name suggesting a light sparkling mead--meaning probably more to a melomel/light mead than a slightly sourish sparkling easy to sip saison--quite like this one.
香港上环一位啤迷朋友专卖吧喝到的澳洲小酿坊作品，说来有点奇妙因为小酿坊批量不多所以在澳洲本土这家的酒并不容易找到，这款集合酸啤，农场风格和轻蜜酒于一瓶的作品让人刮目相看，稍带气泡酒口感也让整体表现加分，是易喝有层次的综合性作品，如果看到酒名称就直观的认为一定是甜味气泡蜜酒那就错了，作品整体表现远远超出了只是发泡蜜酒的偏见。
if you like hazelnut--this one is full of it from the moment the bottle was cracked and poured--very intense nice smell of those goodness from those nuts--although body of the beer on the whole is rather thin for my personal preference--but no harm done--it's still a nice adjunted stout--and gets better after getting warmer.
酿坊黑啤中有不少是加入榛子作品，无论是不是酿酒师个人偏好，榛子黑啤可说是这家酿坊的招牌作品之一。去年初本地分享会中喝到这款就是榛子香味气息爆发作品，虽然个人喜好来说酒体不够厚实是缺憾，但从一入杯就满满榛子气息可说凭一己之力弥补了一切，那种霸道直面而来的香味很美妙，除非对坚果敏感，不然不可能不会喜欢这么满腔满鼻都被充斥的榛子美味攻击。
A saison from an up and coming Japanese brewery based in Chiba--in fact had a few other styles of beer from this small brewery--from Belgian style wit beer to biere de garde as well slightly heavier ones--this one very obviously stood out as the most pleasing personally with it's oak and sour plum like taste and character in a rather balanced way--would not hesitate to try again if i see one next time.
近期受到懂的啤迷朋友关注的日本千叶县小酿坊，去年尾到東京时有机会喝到几款不同作品，从较倾向比利时旧式风格的作品到法国易喝型餐桌酒再到农场风格啤酒作品，虽然不是每款都对味或让人想喝第二次，但这款Saison是明显出色的，橡木桶气息加梅果风味让人喝得愉悦，是有机会想再试的作品。
Brought this one to share in Hong Kong last year--as Covid related situation affected the production of Bokke(there's not been any new releases for a 2 years period if im not wrong)--so it was nice to be able to share this one with old & new geek friends in HK--3 types of plums were added to the lambic--blend of oak barrel and aroma from the fruits--this one was quite smooth to the palate.
从吉隆坡带去香港分享的比利时混酒小作坊天然发酵酸啤，因为近两三年特别是疫情期间酿酒师基于各种因素影响没有新作品面世所以任何一支啤迷能找到或已在手上的都弥足珍贵。在旧葡萄酒木桶中加入三款采自法国和比利时不同果园的成熟李子浸泡提味，作品呈现的是结合李子果味和吸收葡萄酒旧桶风味的酸啤，入口有果香，酸味适中，整体表现均衡可取。
The somewhat hyped NEIPA brewery from the states--a new beer geek friend i met in Hong Kong has got direct supply of this small brewery--though i have said that NEIPA is not really my beloved style of beer but as long as they are balance and not overly cloying then all is good--this one was rather nice--nothing mind blowing--but nice nonetheless.
可说是市面上难求的美国小酿坊类果汁印度淡啤，去看酿坊Instagram的话每次有新酒出来都是有点像是跟不是会员或住酿坊附近有机会喝到的啤迷说“是的，又有新酒出现，不过都很快完售了”。在香港分享会上喝到的，新认识香港啤迷朋友有酿坊从美国直达通道，虽说个人最喜欢啤酒风格并不是强调啤酒花鲜香表现的印度淡啤或类果汁分支，但遇到均衡好喝IPA/Hazy IPA也会喝得开心，认识已久的啤迷朋友说作品有成名已久近年作品有点变味美国高手酿坊早期作品的细腻美好风味再现，是认同的。
6)Derivation batch 15--Side Project
Until some 3-4 years ago--any big stout from the like of Side Project in KL was rather hard to come by--what's more when a bottle such as Derivation came knocking thanks to a new geek friend who asked for a share. From first sip when it was still fairly cold for my liking it was already showing what a thick and tasty stout this can be--obviously got better as it warms up--truly enjoyed this one.
在本地分享会喝到的美国高手酿坊Side Project难寻盛名系列黑啤，难寻是因为只有限量会员们能买到，然后也基本只能在密苏里品饮室有限量瓶子可内用，能在遥远的吉隆坡开喝这款黑啤还真让人惊喜。从开瓶入杯第一口在酒还稍嫌过冻没有完全苏醒过来情况下，厚实的口感和浓郁气息就已经宣告了这支黑啤的实力所在，在逐步回温後美味程度也提升，盛名在外的确不是没道理的。
This is one of the most unique mead i have had so far--in terms of what was used as adjunt--the name does give a big big clue--Numbing--it was Sichuan Peppercorn--yes--both spicy & numbing at the same time--if you eat Mala Hot Pot then you know what im saying--but this is in a mead--which to many is supposed to be sweet and nothing much elses(obviously NOT)--this one was so well made it caught me by surprise--in a big pleasant way. This was really unique--1 of the best mead i have had last year( along with another totally different one--to be written in Part 2)
说起蜜酒，几乎所有人的第一反应就是“甜死人吧？”，确实蜜酒是使用蜜糖为酿造基底，所以会让人觉得蜜酒一定是甜味是可以理解的事 。不过，这款使用花椒入酒的作品很不一样，是会让对蜜酒有刻板认知的人大跌眼镜一款，让味蕾享受蜜糖结合黑加仑酸香和香草风味同时带来麻辣感受，没错是麻辣火锅那种麻辣而且花椒香气很出色，以一款美国蜜酒作品来说，这是很特别的一款，更是出色的一款，是个人去年喝到最特别的一款蜜酒（另外还有一款完全不同风味的蜜酒--下期再聊）。
to be continued......未完待续
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