WEEK 225---Benchmark Beer

 

Was talking to a newbie about craft beer in general & the topic of "benchmark beer" pop out, here's what was discussed:-

近日和刚接触craft beer不久的新朋友聊天，话题离不开一些新人想了解基本概念，以下是一些对话概括，由于新朋友对“指标性作品”这点有着较大好奇所以稍微集中讨论一下：-

Q1: seems newbie need to go through a certain period of "palate training", what's that in a nutshell?

to put it in the simplest form--as most (if not all) newbies started from the other side of the beer world, i.e. MACRO BEER--there's a very big possibility that one's palate would be shaken up considerably during the initial stage of craft drinking since the varieties of flavour profiles available in the world of craft beer can be overwhelming for some in the early stages of trying out craft beer--hence a certain period of "palate training" would be needed for newbie to slowly discover/getting used to the varieties of beer styles.

During that period of time--whether one have had any "benchmark beer" would in a certian way impact on one's palate appreciation level going forward.

问1：-据说喝craft beer是需要一段时间训练味蕾的，具体情况是什么？

喝craft beer是有味蕾适应/训练过程的，这是有点资历啤迷们都经历过也明白的事。

什么是味蕾适应/训练过程？就字面意思那样，指的是让之前从没喝过风味变化多端不同类别craft beer的新人们味蕾有一段时间的适应期/训练期以逐渐学会如何欣赏啤酒中带来的各种风味表现。

 在适应期/训练期间，喝什么样水平的作品是会对个人味蕾鉴赏力带来直接影响的，有鉴于味蕾训练的最终目标是要提高个人对不同类型风格啤酒的接受度/欣赏和审美能力，过程中有没有喝过不同类型风格啤酒中的指标性作品（Benchmark Beer） 会对个人味蕾鉴赏力形成期带来相对大程度的影响。

Q2: what about? what is a "benchmark beer"?

just as the word suggested--a benchmark beer is a beer which stand out amongst many others same style beer in a particular beer styles.

问2：- 指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）是什麽？

就像字面意思那样，指的是同类型风格啤酒中具有指标意义的作品，可以说是众多酿坊的同类型作品中出色的具有标杆意味的作品。

Q3: so many same style beers out there from so many different breweries--how to know which is benchmark beer?

this is the question newbie most intrigue to know since there are hundreds of same style beers out there--how to determine/what's the criteria needed to decide that a beer is benchmark or otherwise?

the answer to that is that there is no definitive or authoritaive answer to determine what constitute a benchmark beer--perhaps BJCP guidelines do have some form of more formal suggestions of which are some outstanding "benchmark beer"of a particular beer styles.

in fact some highly regarded "benchmark beer" are more of the "unoffical" opinions gathered from various sources--i.e. opinions from beer geeks/brewers/beer rating sites/apps--in another word one could say that it's all "others opinions".

though there seems like no "official" or lack of "authoritative" guidelines as to what render a beer as "benchmark"--but 1 thing is clear--only an outstanding brew would stand a chance of coming into contention.

问3：要怎样在那么多不同酿坊同类型作品中找出指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）？

要如何找出指标性作品是新朋友最好奇的，毕竟同一类型风格啤酒范畴内可以有来自几百几千家不同酿坊同类型作品，具体要如何确定什么才是指标性作品？ 是以什么标准来界定呢？

从一定程度来说，啤酒裁判认证课程（BJCP） 对不同类型风格啤酒的风格范畴区别描述中会举例一些特定酿坊的指标性作品作为风格表现样本推荐，这或许是比较接近既有观念中的“官方/权威”说法。

不过，换个角度来看，更多时候答案很可能是“并没有一致正式认可指标性作品”，换句话说，指标性作品很大程度上是多数啤迷认可的“非正式”意见或口碑，这些可以是集合啤迷社区/论坛意见以至评酒APP中针对不同作品的风评而来。

确实，指标性作品并没有明文规定的入围准则，一切似乎都以个人口味/别人意见/口碑为基础，但这并不意味着随便什么酒都能成为指标性作品，事实上没有一定高水平作品是绝不可能被认可的。

Q4: what's the point? why need a "benchmark"?

in a not so similar way--a benchmark is like the guide--if you are trying to qualify for the Olympics for 100m sprint--you need to first know what's the qualifying time then only know how to prepare or what it takes to qualify.

Of course craft beer drinking is not a competition--but a benhcmark beer wil help 1 to understand a beer style better--knowing if you are drinking a nice or bad brew better as benchmark beer will provide some form of taste profile guidelines if your palate knows how to appreciate/understand the nuances/flavours.

问4：-指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）的重要性在哪里？

或许可以这么说，就像跑一百米选手那样，需要知道奥运入围标准才能知道自己需要如何准备才能跑出符合入选资格成绩。当然，喝craft beer不是比赛，不过指标性作品起的作用某种程度上来说是相似的，只有味蕾具备一定程度鉴赏力後喝过後才会明白不同类型风格啤酒的高水平作品指标范畴大致上是怎样的，和低水准作品区别在哪里，重点是只有通过自己品饮体会後，味蕾才能逐步更好的领略不同水平作品风味呈现。

 

Q5: highly rated beer = benchmark beer? 

many geeks as well newbies are very familair with beer rating sites as well APP such as Untappd which probably is the most popular--as we all know Untappd do provide  beer ratings/scores which many use as some form of "guide"--so the question naturally arises--Does a high scoring beer in Untappd automatically become a "benchmark beer"? the answer to that is probably NO but that's also very subjective--because a high scoring beer might not be necessarily the better examples of a particular beer styles--a lower scoring beer might be better representation of a particular beer styles so solely basing on Untappd scoring is not the way--  Think of a certain Michelin guide--especially regarding street food--ask the locals if they all agree with the list?

问5：-高评分作品就一定是指标性作品（Benchmark Beer）？

当今很多啤迷/新朋友都会使用诸如Untappd这样的评酒APP来记录或点评自己喝过的啤酒，这是类似大众点评的网上评酒社交媒体，本身也会根据算法排列出不同类型风格作品的各式“排行榜”，既然是排行榜那就会有排名高低，不过要说某款高评分作品一定是某类型风格啤酒指标性作品的话那就见仁见智，因为有可能评分较低或所谓排名没有那么靠前甚至前十不入的作品才是啤迷/酿酒师们公认的指标性作品。情况或许有点像是跑跑人街头美食指南那样，有人捧为美食圣旨，有人则不置可否。