drinking at the malt

took a colleague to the malt in jakarta and there was a table reserved for me. not that it mattered as there were only a few tables occupied for the opening night.
one would think it would be packed but the chill of the global financial meltdown must have spooked many in the indonesian capital.
hence we were made very welcome.
there was not that much by way of choice except for the special on highland park 16 years old or the glenmorangie quinta ruban. we went for the highland park and some snacks.
the single malt came neat with ice cubes on the side, sticks of bittersweet chocolate and a carafe of japanese green tea. yes, the insidious mixture seemed standard at the malt but i would have none of that. asked for water if any was required.
that came promptly.
the highland park 16 years old was a deeper gold as the 40 percent alcohol by volume single malt is sherry casked. its nose had faint notes of smoke and vanilla together with some nuttiness.
took a sip of the dram together with the bitter chocolate - an excellent combination when trying out any single malt. the highland park 16 years old tasted of fruits with some spice and smoke.
the finish was pleasant without any drama. had to have more of the chocolate to keep this orkney whisky a pleasant dram.
by the way it was the gold medal winner - best in class at the international wine & spirit competition in 2006.
there wasn't that much of choice for other single malts as most were sold by the bottle.
will have to round up a crowd to get some of their bottles most of which i have had previously elsewhere. prices are higher than other cities but not as bad as other places in jakarta.
still, its next to the office and that is a plus point.
and this blog has just reached a milestone of sorts.
this is the 100th post.
have i drunk so much? or so little?
cheers!