Category Archives: ~ Events ~

Dewar’s 12 Years gets a makeover

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The Dewar’s 12 Years Old Scotch is one i always enjoy drinking. Good-tasting stuff. Well-balanced, lively, clean easy-drinking whisky. I remember we (+ the cousins n uncles) polished 20 bottles of this before my brother’s wedding-lunch, at like 11am.

Insanity? Nope. Biasa.

The 12 is not seen very often here, but i feel it’s got potential to do better.

The White. Classic

In fact, the standard Dewar’s, the White Label, is decent stuff as well (with over 100 awards). Can be enjoyed with water. The White is also the number one-selling Scotch in the US. (The top-selling whiskies featured here before).

In the ‘Fields (Brickfields), its only 70 bucks a litre. I usually keep one handy in my room.

Notes

It’s come a good way since John Dewar’s small wine and spirits store in 1846 in Perth. But it was his son Tommy that travelled the world by sea to market it. Like he said way back then – “If you don’t advertise, you fossilize.” He created the first alcohol cinema ad – in 1898!

Bye!

Anyway, Dewar’s of Aberfeldy decided to give its bottles a new, contemporary look. The event was cool – at the Turf Club in Sg Besi.

Hello

My first visit there. Its huge. It happened in the corporate box overlooking the track. Fat cat, with it’s own bar n shit.

Ringside

My brunch

After some bubbly, we got down to the real stuff. I enjoyed mine with water & ice. Sometimes soda.

The new design incorporates a wave in the glass, symbolizing the well-rounded whiskies that Dewar’s creates.

Slurp!

There are 40 whiskies from all over Scotland that go into each bottle of Dewar’s. And the unique feature is that although the whiskies that go into the blend are already aged, the blend is then aged again in oak casks, before being bottled.

Makes the drink smoother, creamier, with a lingering finish. It’s called double-aged, obviously. Dewar’s has been doing this for over 100 years.

Ta-daa!

The main flavour found in Dewar’s is honey, which comes from Dewar’s own distillery, the Aberfeldy (which is also sold as a single malt).

The current master blender is a chick! That’s a first!

Full gallop

Made bets on the race. Win some, lose some

Party warmin up

This is where we bet

This where the cheap seats bet

The door gift? The best gift at such events. My very own Dewar’s 12 Years. The new design of course.

It’s lookin at me right now…

 

Brain damage: 7/10

 

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Gettin fresh with cocktails

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Sagatiba did a great cocktail session at View Rooftop Bar, G Tower, called Fresh Mixology Session with John Gakuru. In town for this was John, who’s Sagatiba’s brand manager based in London.

Funny thing – i shot all pictures blind – my camera’s lcd screen is blank, and there’s no viewfinder. Gotta mentally imagine the picture n shoot. Haha! Koyak.

Mari mari mari

Bartenders in action – John, Ben Ng (Fluid Alchemy), Junior (View) and Josh (21), all established guys.

For some reason, i wuz expecting a classroom / education session. Instead, what i got was an all-out, party-style, cocktail-making and drinking session! On a rooftop.

Definitely not disappointed.

It was very well-organized by TWE. Congrats Michelle, Vincent, u boozepimps!

In session. In the end, everyone was buzzed

Each bartender has minimum three special fresh cocktails created, and u just go up to each of them and make a request from their list.

Too easy.

Caipirinha with a twist

My first drink of the afternoon was at Junior’s station – Pineapple Cardamom Caipirinha: pineapple chunks, 30ml cardamom syrup, 60ml Sagatiba Pura. Interesting; lil too sweet for me.

Hit up the Kayu Manis next: a whole lime, 30ml palm sugar, 60ml Sagatiba, one cinnamon stick. This one’s refreshing, tho very limey after awhile.

Stick it!

Ben was my next visit. He fixed me a shooter called Red Hot Smoke. Totally loved this – zesty, fresh, slightly herbal-spicy.

Ben's poisons

It’s a mix of smoked Sagatiba and gazpacho (tomato, aged balsamic vinegar, chillies, ginger & citrus). I had many.

Smoked 'em

I checked in at John’s station. What i loved most was this –

Sagatiba Wallpaper

It won cocktail of the year by Wallpaper magazine. Nice mix of tangy n light sweetness.

Its 30ml Sagatiba, 20ml fresh passion fruit puree, 1 bar spoon of passion fruit syrup, 2cm of a vanilla pod, 1 small piece (5mm) of red chilli (to taste) (optional).

Vincent of TWE havin d chili option

Unfortunately, all the notes i made while drinking is gone. The wind was awesome on d roof, so i wondered how paper planes will perform if i threw them off, so unintentionally away went my notes.

Ridiculous! D stupid shit i do when am cruisin. Making paper planes from your media release gotta be waay up there.

Lift-off point

John also fixed me a berry-lime mix

Yuuummm seng!

Afternoon drinking. I like.

I think i asked John on several different occasions for particular styles of cocktails, etc, that i wanted him to make. He obliged, in style. We chatted n shit.

John takin a break

There came a point when John yelled, referring to me, “Who is this guy?? Really, who are you man?”. Haha! I guess i got his attention. After introductions, he says he’s been to this blog. Alco.

Main bar, View. Style. Will be reviewed on this blog soon..

John’s got skills, and it was an honour sampling his varied styles of cocktails. He gave me ideas.

Chachaca is pretty versatile, good for cocktails or shots. If u like rum, but would like a stronger-taste liquor base for your mixes, consider Sagatiba, either Pura or Velha.

The slingers - Josh, Ben, John & Junior. Very happy

A funky, casual, professional cocktail showcase in a great atmosphere. We could use more of these!

 

Brain damage: 7.5/10

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Beerfest Asia 2011

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.. is around the corner. This is an annual festival that showcases beers from all over the world, and is open to the public.

"Hmmm. I think i swallowed these seven; you had those two"

Fortunately, there are countless styles of beers.

Unfortunately, it’s in Singapore.

Happening June 16-19,  the event includes its Asia Beer Awards. Starker (Malaysia) scored some silverware last year.

There’s whole lotta other stuff goin on too.

Beer that will give u wings

Shd be fun especially as u get to sample all the beers before u buy ’em. I’d go, but just had a vacation in Sabah last week, so to scoot again next week would be too much.

There’ll be 25o types of lagers and ales, commercial and craft brews. From the website, looks like Malaysia’s participating beer brands this year are Jaz and Connors.

Ermm… no comment.

Well, that’s the truth of it – we have very few Malaysian beers. No thanks to government control. If they were liberal with licences, i’d be a goddam brewer. Haha

If ur there, have a blast, and try as many as your body allows! Here’s the link.

Haha! Vietnamese promoters kickin it olll skool

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Tasting-out Glenmorangie

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Scotland’s best-selling single malt had a tasting session recently, which i totally enjoyed. Mainly coz i’ve never sat in one spot and tried the range that the award-winning Glenmorangie offers. Now i’ve got new good buddies.

Set

It went down at The Hill, and pre-dinner drinks were Glenmorangie of course, which i had on the rocks. The fine whiskies were accompanied with pretty fine food as well.

I find Glenmorangie to be pretty experimental with their aging techniques, giving their whiskies different and more subtle flavours compared with other singles. In the ’60s they began using ex-bourbon casks when others were using sherry casks, and in 1996, they introduced their wood-finished range, utilizing port wood casks and wine barriques as final aging vessels. These styles are now used by many distilleries.

The first of three whiskies on the list was the Glenmorangie Original, the backbone of the range, aged 10 in American white oak bourbon casks. I liked this. It gives a floral-spice nose, while in the mouth, it has a short spiciness, a lil sweet, with a mild finish. There’s no tongue-bite, and has a hint of smokiness. Very good balance, to me at least.

A sit-down session

The Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or exhibits whiffs of vanilla. Taste-wise, it’s light caramel, woody, and creamier than the Original. There’s a persistency in the finish. But you wouldnt think that it weighs in at a fine 46%.

The Nectar is aged 12, with 10 years in American bourbon oak followed by time in Sauternes wine casks from France. This final aging is what gives this Scotch its distinct flavour.

Hot stuff

My first whiff of the Glenmorangie 18 Year Old somehow gave me flashbacks of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Damn. Must be some sort of craving that needs to be quenched. Hmmm.. (*hint hint* to Charles. Paging Charles Wright.)

It gives out sweetish and pleasant toffee notes. It tastes extremely smooth, sweet-sour and multi-layered. It finishes just as silky. It kinda reminds me of a very good aged rum, with a nutty tease.

Slowly matured for 15 years in the finest ex-bourbon oak casks, a proportion is transferred to Spanish Oloroso sherry casks for the final three years of maturation. Excellent.

I like. All three

I sure have renewed interest in Glenmorangie when it comes to drinking Scotch. Will certainly look forward to our next meeting!

 

Brain damage: 7.5/10

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