A gastronomic trip with John Walker XR21

Many drinkers might be unaware but John Walker & Sons is a range of super premium whiskies that includes the exquisite XR21, which contains whiskies that are aged for a minimum of 21 years and drawn from extremely rare Johnnie Walker reserves.

XR21 organized a great dinner in Georgetown, Penang, to showcase the craftmanship of local cuisines and insights not just about the drink, but also the ingredients used in crafting the right dish to pair with, called XR21 Mastery. We were pampered alright.

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The balcony of my fancy-ass pad

The star of the show. the XR21

The dinner location was awesome – at the Khoo Kongsi. We were given a guided tour of the traditional association before the drinks started flowing

20170904_190803The three-course meal was created by Chef Spider Kong (am serious), owner of private dining restaurant Soul Food. Dessert was by Chef Jeffrey, the Head Pastry Chef at Metisser Dessert Parlour.

The delicious line-up consisted of Tiger Prawn Kerabu, Chicken Ravioli, and followed by a choice of Seared Barramundi or Tamarind Lamb..

Rajesh Joshi, who is the Marketing Director of Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia, says that ”This platform will be bringing flavours of traditional cuisines made with local ingredients across the nation to life, which will be paired with the XR21. The XR21 provides intriguing layers of surprising and delightful flavours.”

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Pre-dinner cocktails

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Long-distance entertainment. Haha

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Dining was on a performance stage

The dessert features the locally-famed Amra fruit, which can only be cultivated in the Tropics and is commonly produced into juice, pickles or used in salads. It was stuffed with chocolate mousse and was probably the most spectacular dish of the night!

You nailed it!

You nailed it buddy!

The Tamarind Lamb which i had is char-grilled, with polenta cake seasonal vegetable, confit cherry vine tomato and cooked with tamarind red wine au jus, which has a hint of acidity that balances the flavours of the rich and juicy lamb cutlets. Excellent stuff!

Score

Score

The XR 21 Mastery is a platform created exclusively for Malaysia which will feature local hidden gems and expertise in the culinary industry, as obviously our food is the world’s best.

Majestic aint it?

Majestic aint it?

The dinner in Georgetown showcased that, incorporating modern flavours into traditional cuisines of Penang. And the location and setting just made it all the more appropriate and outstanding.

The after-party was awesome at Mish Mash, Ben Ng‘s joint. Things got a little hazy during/after that; however the hotel was fortunately crawling-distance.

Brain damage: 8/10

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The 3-Michelin Star Macallan lunch

Single malt player Macallan  introduced its 1824 Masters Series range through a luxurious dining experience that interestingly, collaborated with Aziamendi 88, Malaysia’s first 3-Michelin star chef pop-up restaurant.

Whisky time

Whisky time

The chefs were brought in from Aziamendi, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in Phuket, Thailand, for the month-long pop-up restaurant experience at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.

Pre-gaming

Pre-gaming in the lounge

As is the trend now, guests were given a whisky cocktail to start. While we were warming-up, a little basket was served to our tables. It’s called the Picnic, and is a mix of appetizers, including some caviar, and a little ball filled with booze that you pop into your mouth. Nice.

I luv picnics

I luv picnics

And there was another cool item once we took our lunch seats, a starter called The Bonsai Tree, which had items hanging on it that we could harvest and eat.

Three of Macallan’s expressions were paired in sequence through the course of the dining experience; The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old, The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Years Old & The Macallan Rare Cask.

Each expression brings about its own unique character and taste profile, complementing the exquisite food that was served. It was a six-course whisky-pairing dining experience.

Eating n drinking commences

Eating n drinking commences

One of the items was a very unique foie gras one, called Foie Gras Ashes.  It had shaved bits that literally melts in your mouth; served with the Fine Oak 15.

Looks like ash alright

Looks like ash alright

 

I particularly enjoyed the smoked tuna, as well as the lobster, which was as juicy as a beach cocktail.

 

Grilled lobster

Grilled lobster

 

The aged duck was well-presented, and had some strong flavours, thanks to the accompanying condiments. This was served with the Rare Cask.

 

Well-presented

Well-presented

The treat for that day

The treat for that day

Macallan is a huge user of seasoned sherry casks to age its whiskies. The casks are made, then sent to Spain to be used by the sherry wineries for 18 months, then brought back to Scotland to age the Scotch. Sherry casks impart notes of vanilla, dried fruit, chocolate and wood smoke.

The Macallan Fine Oak is actually aged in three different barrels. I found it smoother than the 12; more floral even, with some citrus too. It comes in at 43% abv.

LMT020

The Rare Cask has an amazing 16 cask profiles, and is sold in a decanter. It holds whiskies that are 13 – 30 years old. I found it a little nutty, with some tropical fruit, and it gives you your money’s worth on the finish! A real long one.

The Rare Cask Black, which comes in a black bottle, will only be available in travel retail.

O yea. Dessert. The chocolates were incredible

O yea. Dessert. The chocolates were incredible

As it was a Monday event, we didn’t drink much. The highlight and surprise of the day was when we were served some Macallan Reflexion, a very rare and expensive dram.

It contains whiskies that are 20 – 30 years old, and is from smaller 250L casks, increasing its intensity. But i found it to be very very smooth and the perfect end to a wonderful lunch.

Having a pop-up Michelin experience was definitely a brilliant idea to showcase Macallan’s top line-up, in an unforgettable F&B experience.

 

Brain damage: 7/10

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