WEEK 233--2024 Most Memorable Beer & Mead List(part 3/3)-by ct(KL)

 

Final part of last year's most memorable list- with about 14 mentioned ealier--here's some more for the record:-

去年喝了什么留下较深刻印象作品酒单小总结，之前两篇共提及约14款不同风味作品，以下是另外一些肯定值得被提起的作品：-

Bokke- Mia 2019 & Framboos Pjassel 2019

Cracked these 2 last year with geek friends at different places/occasions--Mia was shared here in KL during Xmas sharing session--while Framboos Pjassel was brought to Tokyo for a small share.

去年两次不同地方的分享会把手中所剩无几的两款不同风味Bokke作品拿出来共享，其中以接骨木花加上两种不同酿酒葡萄入酒而成的Mia是在圣诞节时和本地分享会成员开喝，另一款以3种不同覆盆子加桃子入酒的Framboos Pjassel则是去年东京行的分享作品。

In fact these are 2 of very limited Bokke left and I do admit that it's not something i would consider cracking easily but then will not be hoarding these forever / to wait for so "very very special" occasion only to consider cracking--after all good beer are meant to be shared with same wavelength/like minded geeks as i do believe that til the day a beer is opened--it shall remain as Bottle--not beer.

对啤迷来说，有时候一些较难寻酿坊作品是不轻易开喝的，分享也是看情况或确切来说视与谁分享为基准，某些特定酿坊作品难寻度/复杂性等因素让啤迷感觉需要在对的情况下拿出来和有共识的啤迷朋友分享。去年喝掉的两瓶Bokke作品对个人而言属于不轻易拿出来但也不是会珍而重之要收很多年非常特殊情况下才舍得喝那种，酒始终是要分享喝掉才是酒，一直收着很久都不舍得喝的大概只能算是个瓶子。

风味表现方面，Mia有着类似胡椒带辣气息味道，初入杯闻香到入口都有被不同于多数天然发酵酸啤以霉香酸味或果香等较惯常的风味表现而意外到，相对来说东京分享的Framboos Pjassel则充满果酸香及橡木桶影响带来气息，两者风味各异但都是让人会细味慢饮的作品。

Mia is a grape lambic with Elder Flower influence-was surprised at the almost peppery aroma & taste with initial sips--while Framboos Pjassel was more of the familiar fruited lambic nuances with fruits & natural fermentation funk as well oak coming through.

Standard- Day Dreamin'

Black currant mead in collaboration with a Illnois local coffee roaster--with coconut & vanilla added--what's interesting with this one is that not only those adjuncts can be tasted/smelled--there was this lambic-ish fermentation funk attracting the nose attention.

本地啤迷朋友的分享瓶子，来自美国伊利诺蜜酒酿坊作品，以美国当地“白日梦”工坊烘培的黑咖啡，椰子以及香草加入黑加仑子蜂蜜中酿造而成，喝起来除了上述食材风味，更有黑巧克力，以及意料之外的类似天然发酵带出霉香风味。是留下印象的一款。

Bierstadt- Slow Pour Pils

Heard of this US but very German pure style brewery for sometime already & finally got to sampled this one ( as well their Hells Lager) during last year's Tokyo trip--was really impressed & thought this & Charlie by Hill Farmstead( 2% abv) were the best ones i had last year in terms of low abv simple easy drinking beer.

In fact had both on tap & can version of this "simple beer"( in fact it's not easy to achieve that kind of clean/crisp/tasty level at all)--brought cans back to KL to share with fellow geek friends who yet to sample and they were all in agreement.

去年喝过“淡如水”轻度易喝型作品中除了再喝一次的Hill Farmstead Charlie超低酒精度（2%）之外个人最有印象的一款，来自美国酿坊但取经自德国低度易喝啤酒的作品已听闻好一段时间，去年机缘巧合在东京酒吧碰上两款来自这家酿坊的易喝型作品自然不能放过，实际上啤酒泵版本和罐装版本都喝了，都同样让人很有印象，大道至简或许是合适形容词，这是毫不花俏简单中见功力的干净作品，让人仿佛回到啤酒最简单但又有层次的境界，记得分享罐子时跟一起品饮本地啤迷朋友开玩笑说，要是亚洲可以经常找到那真的是可以整箱买来因为美味之余还可以是极度合适本地气候的“清凉茶”。

Pulpit Rock-Alle Sammen

Had this when at the same session there were 2 other big dark brew from Side Project--this is a "StoutWine"--blend of stouts & barley wine--but personally it felt very much a stout more than barley wine though there are traces of it to be felt in terms of mouth feel & senses--This one was a surprising one in terms of how well it stood up against the likes of Rye BBT & Derivation Grand Cru--in fact it did not got drown out but gave all of us quite an impression with it's thick body and leyered goodness of dark chocolate/caramelized dark sugar/vanilla/roasted malt all coming together.

黑啤(Stout)混合大麦酒(Barley Wine)的浓郁厚实作品，虽是二合一不过从酒体到闻香味蕾感受都更加倾向大黑啤感受，不得不提的是喝到这款作品时同场开喝的有两款也是美国顶级酿坊Side Project的大黑啤，不过以黑啤作品受到啤迷追捧的Pulpit Rock酿坊作品面对大师级黑啤毫不逊色，以出色的浓郁黑巧克力香草气息加上麦芽太妃糖焦糖等多层次风味表现让当天一起共享的啤迷朋友们一致好评，是当天稍微让人有点意料不到的惊喜印象作。

Side Project- Single Thread 2023

It's a blessing that we have La Coterie members here among the group guys--this one is a member's only & not allocated but need to grab when released--though generally Side Project is known for their big stouts & barley wine like M.J.K but saison & sour are what they do as well.

This is Oude Fermier soaked in Marionberries then blended with a young saison--fruits aroma was evidently clear-light sour with oak barrel influence & hints of funk-quite like this one.

虽然酿坊以好几款大黑啤（还有一款赫赫有名的大麦酒M.J.K）备受啤迷推崇，不过酸啤和农场风格啤酒也是酿坊致力的方向，这是只供会员抢购的一款桶陈农场风格啤酒，以自家橡木桶陈农场风格啤酒Oude Fermier为基础投入紫蓝莓浸泡入酒後再混入另一款相对比较年轻的农场风格作品，在混合後装瓶静置一段时间留待瓶内发酵熟成。

作品比预想中有深度层次，富含莓果香气，微酸中带出木桶陈放气息，更带些类似天然发酵酸啤的霉香味道，舒适易喝中能感受到作品不同层次表现。

WEEK232--2024 Most Memorable Beer & Mead List(part 2/3)--by ct(KL)

Part 2 of what were some memorable ones from last year list, as mentioned earlier last year was rather limited in terms of sharing sessions or travelling for beer--while early part of year trip to Bangkok was more of a chill trip--the year end trip to Tokyo was much more of a beer centric trip in terms of sharing as well visiting local bars.

去年是既没什么出游也很少在本地和分享会成员们见面开喝的一年，啤酒探索意义上比较重要的出游是东京行，至于去年初的曼谷行实际上并没有遇到什么让人印象深刻的啤酒，这也意味着去年总体来说喝的作品数量不多，不过对啤迷来说craft beer更注重的是质量而不是数量，整体来说过去十二个月个人还是有喝到好些不同酿坊高质作品。

 一如既往以下是只随意排序没有排名先后的去年最有印象酒单另一部份酒单：-

Hill Farmstead- Works of Love 2019 & Anna Montmorency

Had 2 of these beauties at different time & places--the former was locally shared by member of the tasting group--as geeks would know this the collab series from the brewery--working with different brewers/breweries each time when it comes to making a new one--this version of Works of Love had cherries & black berries added & brought together Russian River + The Lost Abby into the frame--while it says dark farmstead ale--the color is more of deep ruby red tha dark--flavours & mouth feel was one which full of cherries & berries goodness--with hint of funk too--how fine it turned out to be was in a way beyond expectation of the bottle owner.

Anna Montmorency is also a fruited beer--brought this one to Tokyo to share--also a pleasant surprise in that it has became one which is very different from the base beer--the cherries definitely added depth and flavours.

Works of Love是美国顶尖酿坊Hill Farmstead和美国境内或以外的其他不同友好酿坊/酿酒师合作的“常态合酿款”，这款放入樱桃和黑莓浸泡提味的农场风格啤酒是和美国两大经典酿坊Russian River以及The Lost Abbey合酿的作品，牌面上绝对是重量级联手，实际上作品喝起来也丝毫没让人失望，反之陈放的葡萄酒桶和水果风味都为易喝型的这款作品带来犹如比利时果酸啤酒般的风味表现和层次感，

Anna是酿坊的“普通常态款”，而Anna Montmerency  则是使用了当地农场采摘的蒙默伦西酸樱桃（Montmorency Cherries）浸泡，加入从不同葡萄酒旧桶中选出的Anna 原酒放置超过两个月提味而成，带去东京分享时啤迷朋友有点惊讶于这款水果变奏版作品的整体表现，微酸甘香的风味层次让味蕾很是享受。

Concious Ale-Cuvee Ami Int Edition

This is more of a geeks blend rather than a particular brewery's beer--had this in Tokyo with the man himself who made this blend--a blend of sour ale with 2 different types of saison--was a very pleasant tart one with hints of funk even though it's a saison rather than Lambic inspired sour ale.

美国啤迷朋友和另外两位朋友合作的农场风格啤酒，严格来说更像是啤迷间试炼的作品多过于正式酿坊作品，虽那样却一点不逊色，实际上喝起来的口感和整体风味表现相当出色，带有一点类似天然发酵酸啤的气息味道，属于有层次的易喝类型啤酒，是东京分享会中喝到感觉有意外惊喜的一款。

Pips- There's a Snake in My Bluet

Any geeks who follow Pips would know what Blue Suede Shews stand for in terms of how delicious a mead can be (blueberries-cashew nuts & orange blossom mead)--did not expect to encountered with this one--Bourbon barrel aged versionn of BSS--thanks to geek friend who kindly shared this--obviously got bourbon barrel influence--if bourbon- blueberries & cashew is your thing--then no questions asked--this one is top notch--though personally if i had to pick then would prefer the Original version of BSS.

酿坊的Blue Suede Shews绝对是个人至今喝过最佳蜜酒之一，充满腰果莓果蜂蜜香味的作品至今让人难忘，这款是放置波本旧桶陈放并加入乌干达香草荚提味的变奏版，换句话说是意图把原有的Blue Suede Shews变得更有波本和其他层次风味。能喝到这款要感谢东京啤迷慷慨分享，整体风味表现来说或许因为个人以原版作品作比较，感觉这次酿坊加法没有让人惊艳，相反地会更想喝到原版腰果莓果蜂蜜融合一体的美好。

Uchu+One Drop- Wassgood

A collab brew between Japanese brewery & a Sydney outskirt small brewery--while Uchu is more popular among geeks with it's Ipas--this fruited sour/smoothie was really nice--thick and very fruit juice like--it's very easy drinking with no hints of alcohol or this technically being a beer.

可说是去年喝到相当有印象的果泥啤酒作品，来自日本山梨县酿坊“宇宙”和澳洲小酿坊的作品，实际上也喝了澳洲这家酿坊的另一款果泥作品，但口感层次都有过甜单薄问题，明显的没有这款合酿作品的浓郁鲜香酸甜中自带均衡的层次表现来得出色，更重要的是这款能让人一口接一口的喝下去而完全不会出现腻口现象。

Side Project-Rye BBT 2022 & 2023 + 10th anniversary double barrel Rye BBT

It's quite hard to imagine having these big ones from Side Project here in KL until quite recently with guys from the tasting group having membership and access to these previously hard to come by beers. Thanks to guys sharing--had 1 of the Rye BBT earlier last year during a steak lunch meet--while another was during Xmas share--hard to pick which is better over the other since there are some differences between 22 & 23 in terms of what it is--but if i had to really pick then perhaps it's 2022 edging slightly.

Also had the 10th annivesary double barrrel Rye BBT--thanks to a US based geek who happened to visit Tokyo same time as my last trip-very much barrel influenced vanilla dark bomb is what i remembered.

去年在本地喝了两款不同年份的密西根顶级酿坊裸麦版本大黑啤，第一次是和分享会成员们的牛扒餐聚，另一次则是圣诞聚会。此外也在东京分享会喝到酿坊庆祝10周年推出的特别版四小瓶（四款不同作品）盒装的双重桶陈裸麦版BBT，一年中得以喝到三款不同桶陈/酿坊不同黑啤勾兑而成的裸麦版BBT真是件乐事。

要是问说个人对于哪一版的更有印象，其实还真的很难选，虽然不同版本因为酿酒师选用的烈酒旧桶和不同黑啤勾兑比例有所不同会带来风味表现上的区别但黑巧克力焦糖香草以及一些旧桶风味包括些微辛辣口感影响是存在的，真要选的话，个人口味会稍微倾向2022版本多一点（纯粹个人口味，无关高低）。