[HK] Good Bye 2016!!

Ready for tonight countdown!!

Today is December 31 2016, which is the last day of 2016. The countdown has began, it is time to welcome the New Year with your family or love one. I wish Happy New Year to everyone and this year will bring Good Fortune to all of you!!

[HK] Hong Kong Mak’s Brewery "麥子啤酒"

In recent years HK has appeared different local brands of Craft Beer, in my previous page has mentioned Hong Kong Beer and Gweilo Beer. This time, I tried a local brewery call Mak’s Brewery, locate in HK Tsuen Wan, It was establish by 3 young Hongkongers in 2014, they believed Hongkongers can brew some good craft beers too. Their masterpiece call “Salt Farm(鹽田)”, is a Witbier style beer, taste similar to Hoegaarden with light citrus flavours. Besides Salt Farm, Mak’s Brewery has other style of beer such as Ale or Stout. For example, I tried Sugarcane Stout, Longan Pale Ale and Mint Beer, each beer has used unique ingredient. 

Mint Beer (ABV 5%): This beer is a Pale Ale style beer, brewed with dried mint leaves, the mint taste is very refreshing, quite suitable to drink on summer. The color is hazy copper, with mint and honey aromas. It taste mint and little of Chinese herbs, medium body, not much bitter, refreshing style beer, easy to drink.   

Longan Pale Ale (ABV 5%): Longan Pale Ale sound like full of oriental style because Longan is a fruit from East Asia such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc, similar style to lychee. Longan also has dried and I guess, this pale ale added dried longan as ingredient. The color is hazy light brown with white bubble on top. It has basic pale ale aromas, didn’t show much longan aroma. But, it taste strong of longan flavor, sweet and light bitterness.


Sugarcane Stout (ABV 5%): This is a Stout style dark beer brewed with sugarcane. It shows solid black color, with coffee and smoky aromas. First, it tastes malty and light bitterness then aftertaste found brown sugar (Chinese Brown Sugar Pieces) sweet. Overall, this beer didn’t have strong enough of sugarcane taste, just feel like drinking a sweet stout.

近幾年香港出現咗好多唔既本地品牌手工啤酒, 我之前都出過兩篇文關於本地手工啤酒 ''Hong Kong Beer / Gweilo Beer''. 今次我就試咗一隻本地手工啤酒叫做”麥氏啤酒”, 工場位於荃灣區的工廠大廈.麥氏啤酒係由3個香港年青人創辦, 他們認為香港人都可以釀出好飲既手工啤酒, 目前佢地既代表作叫做”Salt Farm (鹽田)” 係一款比利時白啤酒 (用小麥來釀製), 味道就同Hoegaarden差唔多, 帶有輕微既香橙味. 除了鹽田啤之外, 麥氏仲有釀製好多唔同Style既啤酒, 例如今次我試咗甘蔗啤酒(Stout Style), 桂圓啤酒 (Pale Ale), 薄荷啤酒3款, 每一款啤酒都用了獨特配料來釀製.

薄荷啤酒(ABV 5%): 薄荷啤酒係一款淡愛爾啤酒風格, 釀製時加入乾薄荷茶葉. 入口時可以飲到非常清新既薄荷味, 好適宜夏天飲. 口感Medium Body, 唔算太苦, 清新薄荷味,加上薄荷,蜂蜜,少少藥材芳香. 係一款清新型既啤酒,容易入口, 飲多幾枝到唔覺醉.



桂圓啤酒(ABV5%): 聽到桂圓啤酒就感覺好似飲緊桂圓肉糖水, 呢一款係Pale Ale Style 既啤酒, 顏色淺啡色,杯頂上帶有白色泡泡.佢聞落就唔覺有好重桂圓香,不過飲落就有好濃郁既桂圓味道,算係少甜,少苦.除咗桂圓既特色之外,其餘就好似一般Pale Ale啤酒 甘蔗啤酒 (ABV5%): 

甘蔗啤酒係一係司陶特黑啤, 好似健力士黑啤一樣STYLE. 啤酒顏色比較深色呢款啤酒顏色係實黑色, 帶有咖啡和煙燻芳香. 起初開始飲只感受到味道同一般黑啤差唔多, 不過AFTERTASTE就飲得出有少少甜同片糖既味道. 其實我覺得同飲緊其他黑啤個分別唔係好大, 可能因為片糖味道唔係太特出.

[HK] Watson’s Wine Lucky Bag

[HK] Watson’s Wine Lucky Bag

From now on to 21 Aug, HK Watson’s Wine has a Lucky Bag (福袋) for $668. Lucky Bag is kind of lucky draw, you pick your own bag and inside the bag has 3 bottles of red wine that total is value from $1000 - $2000. The range includes French wine, Italian wine, Spanish wine and Australian wine. This deal has nothing to lose, why not give it a try, only $668 for 3 bottles of red wine that is around $222 for each and I have a chance to pick the expensive one.

Let ‘see which wine I got:

• Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 2010
• Chateau de Lamarque 2012
• Penfolds Cellar Reserve McLaren Vale Tempranillo 2012

Wow…Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere!! In HK it cost minimum $800 to $1000. The Staff told me that I picked the most expensive one lucky bag, it values around $2000. Only Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere is already over $668 and it is quite amusing and exciting. If, you intend to buy one, please hurry up, because those bags have limited number for each shop.   

從現開始到8月21日香港Watson’s Wine有一批福袋 (Lucky Bag)售價＄668, 大家對福袋應該唔會好陌生. 福袋內里有3枝紅酒總供價值到＄1000～＄2000, 款式包括有法國,意大利,西班牙和澳洲紅酒. 個福袋＄688有3枝紅酒每枝酒大約＄222, 其實我覺得係好低玩, 仲有機會抽到一D貴價酒.

大家睇下我抽到咩酒：

• Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 2010
• Chateau de Lamarque 2012 
• Penfolds Cellar Reserve McLaren Vale Tempranillo 2012

嘩!! Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, 香港正價最少都要賣＄800﹣＄1000. 個STAFF同我講, 話我抽到呢一袋係價值最高既一袋, 價值大約＄2000. 其實單單一枝Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 已經超過＄668, 抽到靚酒, 又有得玩, 真係咩都低哂. 如果有興趣就要趁快, 因為佢同我講數量有限！賣完即止！

[France / Italy] Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 & Fattoria Le Pupille ElisabettaGeppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009 Wine Tasting

I have been so busy on these past weeks but still have time for wine tasting. These 2 wines are worth to try, let’s share these simple wine reviews for your reference.

The 1^st one is Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010, from Gigondas which is locating in Southern Rhone Valley. The terroir here is limestone and clay slopes up to 1,300 ft. Here is Mediterranean climate hot temperature, dry and sunny. Gigondas only has black grapes plantation, so no white wine is yielding. The wine blended big amount of Grenache grape, it gives the wine firmer and longer aging potential. Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 blended with 80% of Grenache and 20% of Mourvèdre, the average age of the vines are 75 years old. Before, I decanted for around 30 mins. The color is dark purple, has plum, cherry, spices, black pepper and light smoke aromas. In the mouth can found richness of plum and cherries, powerful tannins, aftertaste has little mineral. Overall, this wine is dry and full body with luscious fruits, can drink now or keep in cellar for aging.    

The 2^nd one is Fattoria Le Pupille Elisabetta Geppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino diScansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009, an Italian wine from Southern Tuscany. Morellino di Scansano DOCG is a dry red wine region from Village Scansano. Here the wine made with at least 85% of Morellino grapes, which is identical with Sangiovese grapes, the characteristics are medium to full body with cherry, plum, herbs and cedar aromas. Then, it matured in barrel between 4 to 12 months, for “Riserva” wine had 2 years of maturation which has 1 year in barrel. Fattoria Le Pupille winery owns by Elisabetta Geppetti, she is also the President of Morellino di Scansano Consortium. This Morellino di Scansano blends with Sangiovese and Merlot, the grapes are from Poggio Valente vineyards. After fermentation, the wine matured in a big barrel for 15 months. This wine shows very fleshy fruits aromas such as cherry, plum, raspberry, and it has tobacco, nutmeg and liquorice aromas. Overall, it is full body, dry with high acid and balance tannins, then aftertaste has richness of fruits come out, I found this is ready to drink now

近期因工作比較忙所以好少出文,不過都可以抽少少時間出嚟飲下酒. 就飲咗呢兩枝紅酒感覺都值得同大家分享一下.

第一枝係 Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010, 來自法國隆河谷南部的 ”Gigondas”. 這裡是地中海氣候, 溫度比較熱, 乾燥和陽光普照. 主要土壤是石灰石和粘土, 地勢是斜坡型最高可到1,300FT. Gigondas主要種植黑葡萄為主, 所以只有釀製紅酒沒有白酒. 而釀造紅酒的主要葡萄是Grenache, 這款葡萄釀出來的酒會比較硬身, 可陳年, 帶有香濃的Plum(李子)風味.  Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 用了80% Grenache 和20% Mourvèdre來釀製, 每棵葡萄樹的平均年齡是75歲. 飲之前Decant大約30分鐘, 酒色深紫色, 有李子, 車厘子, 香料, 黑胡椒芳香和輕微的木桶煙燻香. 口感方面帶有豐富的李子和車厘子味道, 單寧較強勁, Aftertaste 可感覺到一些礦物質既感覺. 整體這是一款Dry 和Full Body 紅酒, 而帶有出色的水果風味, 濃郁得嚟又容易飲. 現在可以飲用或可以繼續陳年.

第二枝是來自意大利Tuscany(托斯卡納)的紅酒Fattoria Le Pupille ElisabettaGeppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009. Morellino di Scansano DOCG 主要生產紅酒, 位於Tuscany南部的一個村莊叫做Scansano. 這裡的紅酒最少85%都是用Morellino葡萄來釀製, 而這款葡萄其實是跟Sangiovese "山吉歐維榭" 同一種葡萄, 釀出來的酒是近乎中等到厚身, 帶有車厘子, 李子, 草藥和雪松芳香. 釀成酒之後會放在木桶內陳年4至12個月, 如果”Riserva”紅酒需要陳年2年最少1年在木桶內. 酒莊Fattoria Le Pupille的莊主是Elisabetta Geppetti, 她又是Morellino di Scansano聯盟的會長. 這款酒主要是用了Sangiovese其餘是Merlot, 所有葡萄都是來自Poggio Valente葡萄園, 當紅酒釀成後放入大型木桶內15個月. 這款酒有飽滿的水果芳香, 有車厘子, 覆盆子, 李子和有一些煙草, 肉荳蔻(Nutmeg), 甘草的芳香. 整體這款酒的口感是, Dry, Balance 單寕, 酸度較高的紅酒不過Aftertaste可帶出豐富的水果甜味, 我覺得現在可以飲用.

[Argentina] Familia Zuccardi ‘Zuccardi Q’ Malbec 2013

Nowadays, I became interested in tasting of Malbec wine. Maybe last time, I had YarraYering Agincourt which has little bit of Malbec in the blend, make me want to try the Malbec from Argentina. At first, I tired Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2014 from Argentina Uco Valley, which is not an expensive wine buy from Supermarket. Overall, this Santa Julia Reserva provided basic Malbec characteristic likes dark red purple color, rich, juicy, ripe and warm fruit flavors, tasted full body, dry, balance acid but lack of tannins. Normally, Malbec wine would contain higher level of tannins. Then, 2^nd time I tried Zuccardi Q Malbec 2013 which buy from Watson wine shop. Unexpectedly, Santa Julia and Zuccardi are owned by Zuccardi Family.   

Zuccadi winery is in Uco Valley, the major wine region of Mendoza, Argentina. The climate here is high altitude, dry, high temperatures during the daytime and at night the temperature will decrease to be cooler. The winery located in the foot of Andes Mountains which is desert area and the weather is dry, vineyard here must need to use irrigation cultivation, the only water source came from Anders Mountain snows. In the old time the owner Joss Zuccardi father Alberto Zuccardi developed the first irrigation system in Argentina. After the success of the irrigation system, Alberto became interested on winemaking, around 60’s he established Zuccardi winery. The Malbec for Zuccardi Q is from 2 different vineyards La Consulta and Vista Flores. After fermentation, the wine matured in French oak for 12 months and 6 months more in bottle before release.

My Taste Note: I decanted the wine for 30 mins. The color shows dark purple, it has complicate aromas such as, plum, cherry, little strawberry, spices, herbs, licorice, lavender, and mint. The palate is dry and full body, it has soft acid with firm tannins and slightly sweet for aftertaste. Actually, drinking this wine is similar to Chinese Herbal Tea, it has complicate taste and little bit of tannins astringent. Overall, this is worth to drink, which is around HKD $130.   

   

Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2013

近來,我突然愛上了Malbec這款葡萄,可能上次飲Yarra Yering Agincourt內有少少Malbec成份,所以令我想試清楚來自阿根廷Malbec的味道是如何.剛開始的時候我在百佳超市買了Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2014來自阿根廷Uco Valley,這枝酒價錢大約$100以下.整體這枝Santa JuliaReserva都有Malbec的基本味道,例如顏色上有深紫紅色,口感豐富,帶有溫暖和濃厚的果味, 酒身偏厚,DRY,不算太酸只是單寧比較薄.正常Malbec的紅酒都會帶多少少單寧. 第二枝,在Watson Wine買了一枝Zuccardi Q Malbec 2013.當我上網找多一些資料,原來Santa Julia和Zuccardi這兩個酒莊,都是Zuccardi家族旗下的酒莊.

Zuccardi酒莊是位於阿根廷的主要酒產區Uco Valley,這裡的氣候都是高海拔,白天溫度會較高, 夜間溫度會降低,葡萄熟成時間比較長.酒莊設置在Andes Mountain山腳,周邊都是沙漠,由於這裡的氣候比較乾燥,葡萄園需要用灌溉種植,唯一的水源是來自Andes Mountains山上的積雪.在1915年莊主Joss Zuccardi的父親Alberto Zuccardi在阿根廷研發了第一套灌溉系統.之後,當灌溉系統成功後Alberto開始對釀酒有興趣,大約在60年代他創立了Zuccardi酒莊.這款Zuccardi Q的葡萄是來自兩個不同的葡萄園La Consulta and Vista Flores.當酒釀成後會放在法國木桶裡陳年12個月和裝瓶後再陳年多6個月.

My Taste Note: 飲之前我將紅酒Decant 30mins. 顏色是深紫色,帶有複雜芳香包括有,西梅,車厘子,小小士多啤利,薰衣草,香料,草藥,甘草和輕微薄荷.味道方面是Dry, Full Body,適當酸度,帶有精細單寧,不過在舌底可感覺到輕微的單寧澀,最後Aftertaste略有微甜.其實這款酒有小小似飲緊涼茶,複雜的味道加一些單寧澀和輕微的甜味.整體我覺得這枝紅酒非常低飲,價錢大約$130.