Ardbeg Uigeadail

Ardbeg Uigeadail, OB, 54.2 %, 700ml, 硬盒版

另一支較容易入手的阿伯，由年輕的酒和陳年於雪莉桶的老酒調製而成，一樣未經 Chill Filtering，濃度更是接近原桶威力，有和Laphroaig 10yo CS、Lagavulin 12yo CS嗆聲的態勢。

Package: 和10yo類似，但土色的Ardbeg標誌被方大且更醒目，驕傲地強調它是「終極威士忌」的標語大大減少。

Color: 淺琥珀色，雪莉桶的影響十分顯眼。

Nose: 前段滿溢著海鹽、優格般的乳甜、香草以及泥煤。進行到中段則令人感受到厚重的雪莉、更多泥煤以及些微的碘；最後由青草、雪莉以及一股奇異的羊騷味收尾。

Body: 酒體呈輕→中等厚度，非常緊實。

Palate: 整體而言擁有Cask Strength豐富的味道。一入口舌尖便被藥水甜、雪莉、泥煤以及一股宛若機油般的奇異味道衝擊。之後，濃濃的海鹹味隨高酒精度散開，如燎原野火般不急不徐地蔓延，意外輕柔地裹住舌頭，同時藉由雪莉甜中和辣味。煙燻味似乎和麥甜合而為一，較感覺不到，但泥煤卻不斷地在鼻梢挑逗著。

Finish: 鼻腔殘留著泥煤與雪莉甜，舌頭上則是Ardbeg特有，爽脆的海風/鹽味。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBB

Comment: 特殊的Nose在品飲當時筆者不甚喜歡，但人在福中不知福，在SMW款項較少的美國，那股味道極度令人嚮往。有機會必將再次品飲！

p.s. 圖片裡的產品是舊的軟盒版，據說雪莉味道更明顯。

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

From the words of the guys on BeerAdvocate.com and the great Michael Jackson, an "American Microbrew Classic".

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing CO, Chico CA

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 5.6% ABV, 12 oz

Color: Robust, pear-ish gold with a hue of copper.

Tasting Notes: Splendidly fragrant citrus, hop and grains arise, the diverse flavors are well integrated. Palate starts rather slow, beginning a smooth and foamy sizzle that gives way to crisp flavors of grains (bread-y) and layered hop bitterness. The presentation is quite raw, primordial and powerful. The finish is almost tea-like, with the hops still at the sides and rear of the tongue, laced with some saltiness.

Comment: A pioneering beer at the time of its inception, this is a classic anyone interested in seriously exploring the choices of beer besides Budweiser, Miller, etc. (all that mass-produced, thinner-than-water lager) should try. It literally made me cry. Well, the Pale Ale’s taste can’t take all the credit, since it was a situational sensation that caught me back there – I had left Taiwan for nearly 1 1/2 months, sipping a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale after dinner – I suddenly thought of my father, that stumpy, fat, inflexible and often strict Mr. Nice Guy Scholar that often disagreed with me on my academic/political issues. The loss of having those discussions, and projecting his image onto the father figure in 朱自清’s essay 背影 seriously jerked my tears: I quietly sobbed a few tears, as if allowing that moment of weakness tore through the façade of my armor. You may ask, why not my mother? The answer is apparent – we Skype every two days and she’s darn pesky. Case closed. Anyways, perhaps due to this incident, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale will occupy a special position in my beer pantheon, as something that triggered a true incident of nostalgia. Surely I will pick up a six pack again, when I’ve done a good share of exploring other fascinating beers.

9/27/09

Sea Fever - John Masefield

既然提到了，就貼一下原詩來分享吧！

Sea Fever - John Masefield (1878-1976)

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the brown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength

First, a little myth-busting: when certain whiskies reach their maturity and are prepared for bottling, the distilleries usually dilute it with water and blend it with spirit from other casks, brining the ABV down to the market standard of 40%. Never assume the bottled strength as the whiskies’ original concentration, even at higher proofs (such as the standard Wild Turkey 101). This is where Cask Strength whiskies enter. A Cask Strength is a product that aims to emulate a whisky’s condition fresh out the barrel. They are most likely still blended with spirit from other casks (and perhaps some water to maintain uniformity), but on average a CS product will be a more intense, gratifying, ecstatic experience compared to the standard bottling. Cask Strength whiskies are not for the faint of heart either: this is hardcore love, through and through.

Package: 外盒主色為深綠/紅條紋，感覺比10yo沉穩一些。

Color: 搶眼的深金色，乍見之下容易誤以為有雪莉桶的影響，但仔細端詳後便能察覺裡頭沒有任何「紅色系」的蹤跡。

Tasting Notes: 就nosing而言，一般Laphroaig 10yo 那股明顯、活潑的碘味被壓到較後方，前頭充滿香甜的橡木、香草及鹹鹹的海潮香。這裡的海味香當強，幾乎可說是「海腥味」或「海騷味」了。給它大約5分鐘，海藻及碘的香氣逐漸從香草底下浮出，野性十足。入口後立刻能注意到的是舌尖上明顯的甜/鹹味，一種宛如被海水親吻的感覺，伴隨濃濃的麥甜。緊接著是油滑酒體帶來的溫泥煤─用「巨浪」形容似乎不大恰當，那感覺十分廣闊、厚重但溫柔─給人的印象是略亮的陰天下(威士忌不像cocktail，和大晴天的海灘印象不太合)Islay的綿長海岸邊，有著幾戶零星住家，其煙囪冒著燒泥煤的煙，一幅抑鬱與溫暖並重的畫面。被這波泥煤擁抱後，碘、機油等粗獷的味道紛紛登場，好不精彩。最後以塞滿鼻腔的smoke和在喉間久久不去的dryness收場，好。10yo CS你好樣的。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBB

Comment: 這是筆者去年五月退出Nakama樂團時，團員贈送的好物。曾經於International Whisky Awards贏得2005年「最佳威士忌」大獎的Laphroaig 10yo CS可謂泥煤中毒者的解毒劑 (或「致毒」，哈)。Andrew Jefford曾於其2004年詳細描述艾雷島的 Peat Smoke and Spirit一書中表示，10yo CS是一支能將酒廠特色表露無遺的酒，原文是 “the whisky that lets the beast out of the cage”，意境類似某忍者漫畫中，某李姓人物將四肢的加重物拿下，變得身輕如燕一般。雖然不是單一酒桶且完全未經稀釋的威士忌，Laphroaig 10yo CS強悍的ABV確實是這個價位中(大約55~60 USD)，最美妙的艾雷經驗。

Laphroaig 10yo

Distillery: Laphroaig, Islay, Scotland

Laphroaig 10yo, 43%, 750ml, USA Version, Bought @ Leroy Package Store

I love Laphroaig. Despite being the blandest of nouns, verbs and adjectives, “love” is the bluntest, most efficient term I can employ to express that burning, ever-growing longing for this peaty malt. Ardbeg引我進入艾雷威士忌的殿堂，但真正擄獲我心的則是Laphroaig，它質樸且柔美，豪爽而不粗曠，性格介於Lagavulin和Ardbeg之間。若說Ardbeg的泥煤味厚實、充滿大地的芬芳，Lagavulin的泥煤深沉，擁有中藥般複雜、華麗的味道，Laphroaig呈現的便是飽吸海洋恩澤，以藻類、碘和海潮構成的peat。雖然Laphroaig在各種味道的平衡上不及Talisker，但平衡原本就不是它的賣點；赤裸裸的海之味，更勝以「老船長」作為酒標的Bunnahabhain，若說John Masefield的Sea Fever一詩有匹配的威士忌，Laphroiag肯定是首選之一。

Package: 外盒看起來有些笨拙、粗糙，以黑白為主，加上一點綠色。瓶身則是碧綠色，上頭貼著樸素的酒標(有時還沒貼平)，十分耐看、可愛。

Color: 活潑亮麗的金黃，不深不淺。比Ardbeg深，但比Lagavulin淺得多。

Tasting Notes: 起初直攻鼻頭的是那股Laphroaig專屬的碘味與海風，底下夾雜些許細緻的大麥與香草(Bourbon桶的痕跡！)，好味道。放置久些，則有類似海騷/馬糞/海藻或大地的氣息，比起10yo CS鬆散一點。入口後酒體中厚、絲滑且纖細 (和Ardbeg的Firm不同)。Palate算不上複雜，若有似無的麥甜、香草、泥煤和海鹽結實地衝撞著味蕾；吞下肚後，一股dry peat smoke從喉嚨回升，finish很長，很溫暖。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBBB

Comment: 這是筆者第二次購得的43% ABV版本，與研究所學長們共飲，意外地令他們中意。Brendan的味蕾飽經美國Mircrobrew精緻小廠啤酒的鍛鍊，已有相當功力與品味；女友Theresa則表示此酒令人想起煙燻火腿，甚為喜歡。來自奧地利的Johannes大哥則是參訪蘇格蘭過多家蒸餾場的神人，在下羨慕地要死。在喝過美妙的10yo CS和有趣(?)的QC後，標準的10yo似乎有些相形見絀。去年十月(2007)初品這支43% 10yo 的感動已成永恆(追不回來了嗎?!)，但每一口都讓人莫名地安心、舒適。結合麥芽、大地、海洋風味與血汗勞力的威士忌，真他媽的感動人心呀！此生宏願非去一趟艾雷不可。Let’s go!

12/24/08 Christmas Eve @ Binghamton, NY

p.s. Samuel Huntington died on this night. He lived a merry 5 years longer than his intellectual nemesis, Edward Said. Perhaps a bit too peaceful an eve to pass on for someone whose works were so polemic and detrimental?

Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Let's follow up with another fruit-flavored beer, locally (state-wise) produced, too!

Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company, Ithaca NY, Brewery located in Ithaca

Ithaca Apricot Wheat, 4.9% ABV, 12 oz (bottled)

Color: Light gold/yellow, traced with some maple brown.

Tasting Notes: Nose is pleasant with sweet and mellow apricot aromas, the fruit being less awkward than that of Sam Adam’s Cherry Wheat. The body is medium to light with nice carbonation, gentle wheat flavor blends in with apricot, with the latter being the dominant. Grain sweetness is less noticeable, and hops are virtually non-existent. The downside to this refreshing beer would be its finish; an odd, overripe scent of either rotting fruit or stale barley kicks into the nose after swallowed.

Comment: Another fruity wheat beer that goes down dangerously easy. In the fruit department, it is less sweet and more refined than Sam Adam’s Cherry Wheat, but it loses in the crispness factor. I was somewhat disappointed by the absence of hops – I guess Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale really changed my opinion on the ugly flower. In conclusion, the Apricot Wheat is certainly enjoyable and appetizing, but perhaps not the most distinctive one out there.

9/22/08

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Here's the very first beer I recorded since getting to Binghamton in August!

Brewery: Boston Beer Company, Boston MA, Breweries located in Cincinnati & Ohio, USA.

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat (wheat beer), 4.5% ABV, 12 oz bottle

Color: Light amber with a hint of red.

Tasting Notes: Nose is profoundly sweet, with a pleasant odor resembling a cherry coke, followed by slight maltiness and a faint aroma of hops. On the palate the beer is livingly crisp, with the sweetness of cherries taking center stage. Smooth wheat flavors (traditionally less assertive than barley) further enhances the fruity sweetness, while the hop influence is felt lightly in the finish, never encroaching the dominance of the fruits.

Comment: A very sweet, easily drinkable beer and I patronizingly declare it a more feminine member of the Sam Adams roster. However it is a bit too sweet to my taste, as the cherry becomes slightly overpowering after downing half a bottle. Despite my preference lying with those having a darker finish, the Cherry Wheat is a welcome change on occasion.

8/19/08