Category Archives: ~ Whisky ~

The Glenfiddich ‘distillery’ in Carcosa

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William Grant & Sons took over the awesome hill of Carcosa for a few days for Glenfiddich to set-up a little mock-up of distillery.

The party went on for several nights, catering to about 3,000 whisky fans.

I love Carcosa. It’s such a cool spot, with the beautiful main building which has a great classic interior as well. Tastefully renovated too.

The pad

The pad

Anyway, the set-up was classy, and Glenfiddich 12, 15 and 18 were served. Guests were treated to group tours to the ‘distillery’ which was built outside.

Tour in action

Tour in action

After a history lesson on the brand, we were schooled on how whisky is made, with a cool presentation by my buddy Ian Brosnan, who did a great job.

The 'distillery'. Looks great eh?

The ‘distillery’. Looks great eh?

Cool screen

Cool screen

The replica of a still was quite a sight. The last time i saw stills was in Scotland a few years back. I guess the only thing missing was the lovely aromas of alcohol brewing!

The still is still

The still is… very still

The party however was in the main building. Service was excellent.

The bar, which was kinda smalll

The bar, which was kinda limited with the drinks

Halim and his smooth crew

Halim and his smooth crew

Cool stairs. Where to?? Checked it out of course

Cool stairs. Where to?? Checked it out of course

Glenfiddich's head cooper (aka woodman), Ian McDonald showed up. These are the guys who build the oak barrels. They do 126 per day at the distillery in Dufftown

Glenfiddich’s head cooper (aka woodman), Ian McDonald showed up and got down. These are the guys who build the oak barrels for maturation. They do 126 per day at the distillery in Dufftown

The 12 is matured in American bourbon and Spanish sherry oak casks. Glenfiddich translates to valley of the deer in Gaelic.  It’s still managed by the fifth generation of William Grant’s descendants.

The good stuff

The good stuff

The 12, with its famous triangular bottle, is definitely one of the single malts that i enjoy. I find it easily enjoyable, pleasant, and smooth. Fresh with a mellow finish. Hence, it’s the world’s best-selling single malt. It’s expressions go up to 50 year-olds.

They are also the first ones to package whisky in cyndrical tins.

Let’s hope they have events at more cool spots like this.

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Door gift. I tot it was a lil bottle of perfume and dabbed it on my face. It worked. Kinda

 

Brain damage: 7/10

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Fifty Six Degrees whisky

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KL was graced with a new Scotch whisky brand recently when Fifty Six Degrees launched at the supercool spot, M8.

FIFTYSIX_01
56 Degrees is a blended whisky, consisting of single malts and a single-grain whisky, aged in American bourbon oak casks and finished in sherry casks.

56 degrees is the latitude of the Scottish Highlands.

A single grain whisky is made in a single distillery, from unmalted grains – most often barley, corn or wheat. (If produced with malted grain, the end product is a single malt.)

Boy of M8 gettin d party started

Boy of M8 gettin d party started

It describes itself as a ‘’smooth and rich new-age blend’’. Well, it’s smooth alright. Extremely smooth, easy-drinking beverage. Guests enjoyed many glasses and it went down easy. In that sense, it’s a good whisky for any occasion, breakfast included.

Very interesting.

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Very smooth

The whisky is produced by 56 Degrees Marketing Sdn Bhd and Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd, a Scotch producer which also does whiskies like Glengoyne, Isle of Skye and Tamdhu.

“The best feature of 56 Degrees is that it can appeal to both whisky aficionados and novices’’- Kristine Goh, CEO of 56 Degrees Marketing. Yup, it probably can.

Launched!

Launched!

Chillin with a guy in a kilt

Chillin with a guy in a fancy skirt

This new blend has a balance of citrus with a malty heart, plus a fresh, creamy palate. Can be enjoyed on the rocks. It’s actually a Highland whiskey, blended with the Asian palate in mind.

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The awesome party went on till late, as we moved from the restaurant to the lounge

You can find this whisky at The Roulette Restaurant Bar, Naughty Nuri’s, Piggy Tail, Sid’s Pub, Chapter One Bar & Bistro, Hour Place Restaurant, Eight Gourmets Gala (EGG), and Castell Gastrobar.

 

Brain damage: 8.5/10

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Glenlivet unveils a new whisky

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Scotch producers Glenlivet recently blessed planet Earth with a new expression, labelled the Guardians’ Chapter, a limited edition.

It was unveiled at an outlet of the oldest barbershop in the world, Truefitt & Hill, in JW Marriott, KL. Guardians were entitled to a complimentary service at the outlet – The Royal Cut, or The Ultimate Shave. Nice.

Obligatory

Obligatory

The Exotic is the result of a special voting process by thousands of Guardians spanning 37 countries including Malaysia. Master Distiller Alan Winchester created three whiskies (single malts) to choose from –  Exotic, Classic and Revival in Sept 2013.

In the domestic market, the Guardians’ Chapter will be available only to the Guardians for purchase at RM398 a bottle, or at selected travel retail.

Mall party

Mall party

The Exotic is rich and luscious. I find it velvety smooth as well, and almost Cognac-like in it’s hints of sweetness, making it easy to drink.

It’s cool that they went for a high ABV of  48.7%, but you’d never know it – you wouldn’t feel any burn, at least when enjoyed with rocks.

I recommend it.

Incoming

Incoming

Sluuurp!

Sluuurp!

After several delicious whiskies, I went for the Royal Cut. Quite a detailed process, considering my hair was pretty short to begin with. It was a relaxing 45-minute experience which i enjoyed. Fortunately we could drink during the session. And then the party moved to Omakase + Appreciate.

Hard at work

Hard at work

Truefitt & Hill hails from an era of craftsmanship, with a history that began in fashionable Mayfair, England, in 1805. Patrons have included  Oscar Wilde, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Astaire and The Thirsty Blogger. There’re several outlets here.

Fondling men's hair for 200 years

Fondling men’s hair for 200 years

Says Pernod Ricard Malaysia’s Angelyn Gan, “Taking our Guardians on a little trip back in time to experience such classic old world grooming services is what the Guardians programme strives for with each event.”

Good job there PRM. Some of the previous events have been cool too. Something i always look forward to!

Hey Monkey-Man. Need a leg-shave?

Hey Monkey Man. Need a leg-shave?

Brain damage: 8.5/10

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KAVALAN Single Malts

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So, a whisky from Taiwan?? The main thing i saw in that country were some fruit wines!

But am open-minded, so i didnt think twice and wasn’t skeptical when i was invited to taste a range of Taiwanese malts. In fact, i sacrificed a much-needed nap. Haha

Was it worth it? For sure. All KAVALAN whiskies i tried were good. It was tough to pick a favourite.

Gobble up!

Gobble up!

On the firing line that evening at Whisky Tango Foxtrot in Damansara Heights were four varieties, out of a total of seven expressions! Quite a range.

The welcome drinks were the KAVALAN King Car Conductor (46%) ABV. I didnt ask how it got its name.

Ridin with The King

Riding with The King

An easy-drinking whisky, a lil spice, a lil sweetish, with a medium finish. Good balance. Actually all the whiskies are easy on the palate.

The Classic is the best-seller, and gave me a nose of liquorice. It tastes clean and pleasant, with some fruit-spice in the mix.

Style

Style

The Concertmaster has a weird bottle. It looks more like absinthe than anything else. It’s richer than the rest, with some sweetness and some complexity. It was a lil difficult to figure out as i had a damn cold.

Tripped-out

Tripped-out

An interesting drink is the Solist Ex Bourbon Cask. The name says it all – it’s aged in those barrels. This deep whisky does give you a quick bitch-slap, but it passes quickly, and you’d never guess it rolls in at 57%.

Champ

Champ

Unsurprisingly, this is Taiwan’s first single malt, and it’s only been tickling livers since 2008. Very young.

But it’s whooped ass. Between 2010 to 2013, KAVALAN won an incredible number of gold medals – at the highly-respected IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition) and SWSC (San Francisco World Spirits Competition). It was also in the best-selling whisky guide, 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die. Prices however are on the high side, more than most Scotch whiskies.

It’s named after the earliest tribe that ran the show in the Yilan Valley.

The barley is sourced from Scotland, and the distillery is an hour from Taipei.

Takes a million visitors a year

Takes a million visitors a year

You can get them at certain bars (Barn Thai, Whisky Tango Foxtrot) as well as retailer Single And Available in BSC (Bangsar Shopping Centre), where there are monthly tastings.

The whisky has no age expression, and since it’s not a Scotch, they can legally be younger than five years.

As long as they taste good and are balanced, I have no issue with age!

 

Brain damage: 7.5/10

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