One of ‘em is John John Hazelnut Ale. Named after two Johns.

When i last checked out the range of Rogue beers, the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, the base for John John, was one of my faves.

This brew spends six months in barrels that were used to age rum. Tried it recently, it’s quite yummy, a lil sweetish with nutty hints. ABV is 5.6%.

The Double Choc. O yea, there's also bingo Friday nights. Cash prize

Another addition is the Double Chocolate Stout, flavoured with bittersweet chocolate. This one’s in your face, full and robust. There are sweetish, cocoa aromas. In the mouth, it’s creamy with a long bitter finish.

Morimoto Black Obi Soba sounds like some Jap lizard dish, but it’s a beer with specialty malts & hops, making it full and crisp.

Tastes better than it sounds

The McRogue Scotch Ale was also tested. This comes in a little bottle, and is malty, hearty Scotch ale.

There’re various food options that can be paired with the beers there, and the staff can give recommendations. I usually sink my face into pork ribs. Always works.

This crazy-lookin rogue is found on many bottles

Brain damage: 7.5/10

Nice

The Porsche Design Studio, created in 1972 by Dr FA Porsche (whose cool granddad designed my cool car), has collaborated with JW to produce the ‘Blue Label Collection by Porsche Design Studio’ – four fancy collector’s items, including a luxurious ‘mini’ bar.

Chillin with the Chiller

The design classics from the Collection are the Cube, the Mini Cube and Chiller. All three follow the blend of beauty and functionality epitomized by The Private Bar, fusing the classic and the modern through luxurious leather and brushed metals.

The Mini Cube

They’re priced from $860 for the Chiller, which i think is real cool and a good deal. The bottle’s case opens up to double as an ice bucket!

The Cube

The Private Bar? It’s this eight-foot tall bar in a vertical cube. Hit a button, and the cube’s top rotates automatically and opens up to reveal a luxurious bar, with a couple of Blue Label bottles, four glasses and an ice bucket, ready to rock. An alcohol Robocop.

The tall, robotic bar, aka Porsche Design Studio Collection Private Bar

It’s crafted from the finest materials, including luxurious leather and brushed titanium. Also has a chiller built-in.

Strictly for Blue Label

If you get order one, JW will throw in an ultimate Blue Label luxury experience in Scotland giving you access to the secrets behind the Walker family’s blending crafts and some of Porsche’s most powerful cars.

But at 500 grand apiece, you better be a multi-millionaire eh?

Here it comes

Grant’s 12 is made of a blend of fine single malts and grain whiskies, matured in oak for a minimum of 12 years. It also does an additional three months in American oak casks. The result – a full-bodied whisky that’s real smooth and rich. It’s main notes – mix of vanilla n spice, and a lil fruity too.

Grant’s is from William Grant & Sons (how come it’s never … and Daughters?) Ltd, a family-owned distillery since 1886. It won Distiller of The Year at the IWSC in 2010 and 2011.

Starter

The event took place at one of my favourite-lookin lounge, Flo. Food was great, and there was haggis too. Tender stuff.

Funky joint

Main bar

There were guys in skirts dancin

I’m pretty sure that the award-winning Grant’s 12 has been in Malaysia before, I’ll tell u why. My bro got married a few years ago, so after the ceremony in the morning, there was a drinking session at a members club for the groom’s posse before the lunch. Within that short period before we makan with the bride’s side n all, we polished 20 bottles of Grant’s 12. Good stuff.

We were very late and very high by the time we showed at the hall for lunch. And the dancing began.

Ready to party

Great to see you again Grant’s.

Loads of stuff went on. Such as:

Hit Laos for the second time...

Yup

Alcon rocked da house, all over the media..

The best chocolate / dessert mountain i ever seen, Traders Hotel 5th Anniversary

Did KK..

And Langkawi

Mac Daddy went in for a pimp-up

And Bersih street party

Party Season was heavy.

Did a bush bbq party

Carlsberg had a rockin Oktoberfest, cooler than Where's the Party 2..

Hit Thirst

Threw a morning party for my birthday at El Meson

Popped this bottle

Hennessy had a kick-ass, fat-cat dinner, with amazing surround screens

Chilled at Esquire's contributors rooftop party

Spotted a UFO in Paulie's car

My bro's birthday party..

A girl in a tree..

Rocked it with Grandmaster Flash..

Ended it all in KK, again, tho i doubt am goin back there anymore. Scene has gone downhill/boring

I deserve a break.

2012? Well, who knows watsup. Lots of talk about it being the finale, for humans maybe.

In fact, my column in Esquire this month is about that – how to spend the final day before that doomsday date in December. A one-day guide on how to party-up in style from noon, and basically drink yourself to death at exactly midnight. Check it out. Haha

Brain damage: 8/10

While the can was mostly gold, it’s now got two shades of brown, making it look more attractive. A bit like a coffee i gotta say, but i prefer it over the old design. Bolder.

Special eh?

The bottle, in line with the redesign of Carlsberg’s bottles, has a more radical change. The new bottle is minimalist, with not much of a label. A lot like the Green Label beer, but in a brown bottle.

This classic lager has some history with me, tho not as much as the Night Train.

Kicked my ass a few times. Never could get used to the strong flavours though. At 8.8%, it’s a good bang for your buck.

The new large SB bottle (left), and the new Gold (right) vs old

Many drinkers have a past with this beer.

I’m tempted to try it again tho. It’s been years since my last dose.

With the number of brands of strong beers available here now, I feel Special Brew has a tough battle ahead. There probably 15 lagers above 8% around. (Some up to 13%! Haha). That was probably one of the incentives to change its looks. The other – all Carlsberg’s main brands are undergoing  a change, even the Gold.

The new look is currently in Malaysia only.

Amazingly, the beer was originally brewed by the Danes for Winston Churchill (England’s WWII PM). His visit to Copenhagen in 1950 was commemorated with a ‘special’ brew (originally 9%) produced in his honour.

Churchill’s favourite drink was cognac, so in brewing him a commemorative beer, the brewers at Carlsberg created a stronger lager with cognac flavours among its tasting notes.

Interesting eh? I bet 90% of Special Brew drinkers never knew that part.

But if it is, am all good. Had an amazing run so am OK to checkout.

As u can see, i havent been to this blog in weeks. Very busy. Party Season’s fault.

Time for a break.

Watched 2011 sink at a beach, Sabah

Anyway, if ur STILL thirsty, check out the promo below, at Movida.

Happy 2012!

Was there Friday, and got a sweet deal. Only $27.55 NETT for a pint of Jaz Fresh / Aromatic / Lychee, and you get two more free. So dats like only $9 per 500ml.

I think there’s a similar deal for the 5-liter kegs.

Sure beats any of ‘em, $50 for 3 pints thing.

Refreshing

Was never a fan of the bottled Jaz, but tried the Aromatic (draft) – its pretty good stuff and goes down in a hurry. It’s fruity, with  a creamy body too.

The outlet is at The Pyramid in Sunway, and is quite new. Brussels Beer Cafe also just opened there tonight.

17 Saloon is related to Overtime (Starker beer), and the original outlet is in Sunway Giza. The same deal is on at Giza. (Enquiries for 17:  012 321-3475)

Food is Asian & Western. There’s liquor too. It’s a large outlet, with cozy, chill sofas too.

And, this cool deal is daily from the morning – 11am to 9pm!

Pre, during and post-Christmas drinks anyone??

At these prices, the parties goin on in the Sphinx's belly sgonna get him wasted too

And it’s an invite-only gig. So there’ll be music n free booze (lager that is).

It’s kinda all-expense paid.

It’s a 12-hour event by Carlsberg that’s called Where’s The Party?

Where??

It’s a secret, and u’ll know when the chartered bus gets u there.

The last one went down at a resort in Sepang, and it was fat, at the Golden Palm Tree Resort. Massages n various fun games too.

I’d love it to be at the beach, but who knows. Wherever, it shd be interesting.

So, interested? The first 10 people who like the Facebook page from this blog will win a ticket. Easy!

Not sure how they will give it out tho. TODAY (Thu) is the last day for tickets.

The best part is – i can get sumtin too – if 100 readers from here like that page, i get a camera.

And if u only knew what baaad shape my goddam camera is in at the mo, u’ll really like the page! Here.

Sudah mari

It’s been available since Nov last year at duty-free, and was meant to be exclusive to that segment, but not anymore.

Should be enough for our table

“Overwhelming demand dictated that it should be introduced to a wider audience but still as a limited edition targeting key gifting occasions,” says Charles Wright, JW brand manager.

Charles, a major fan of the DB

It uses whiskies from Scotland’s west coast, thus making it peatier, smokier and more intense. I enjoy it with water. Anyway i reviewed it a few months back here.

The bottle is nice – shape-wise, the same at the Black Label, with a charcoal tint. Labelling is a lil different. ABV is unchanged at 40%.

We also enjoyed a guided tasting session

U can get your thirsty throats satisfied with this award-winner at Cold  Storage, Jusco, Sunshine and other retailers. Recommended retail price is about $209.

U want it, get it, coz it’s estimated to run locally until CNY 2012.