merry murree

finally got myself a swig of that murree's millennium reserve. not the 21 year old but the 12 year old during my last trip to karachi.
my mate had just enough for me to take on swig while he preciously kept the rest and offered me a selection of other whiskies. but what a swig it was.
all said and done, its a rather pleasantly smooth whisky with just hints of lingering spice and not much peatiness.
the green-gold liquid is 43 percent alcohol by volume and matured in oak casks after being brewed in traditional pot stills. it is probably a whisky that had stood the test of taste and time without the pretensions of hints of a variety of influences.
what one would call a decent dram.
and one that is quite hard to find - metaphorically and physically - as murree is the only single malt and whisky and beer producer in the muslim world. and its beverages are not for export.
so, if you have the time, and the inclination, head for karachi for some decent drams and good food.

biryani and shandy

made my second trip to pakistan this year and it coincided with the start of ramadan, called ramazan in pakistan but it means the same.
except ramazan started on friday september 14 while most of the rest of the muslim world began fasting a day earlier.
even without visiting during ramazan, there is a plethora of good food in pakistan and it ranges from samosas and naans to of course, biryanis. and a lot in between.
my favourite is of course the biryani, be it chicken or mutton, and almost every shop makes a wonderful version of the biryani.
anyway, had the most excellent chicken biryani with tender pieces of chicken marinated in a variety of spices together with dollops of yoghurt to accentuate the taste.
and had it with some ben shaws bitter shandy - which to my knowledge is not available anywhere in malaysia.
and it is quite funny considering that there is almost no alcohol sold in pakistan without a permit - for non-muslims and expatriates - hence why i have yet to get my hands on some murree single malt whisky.
but it wasn't that bitter a shandy and with just a tot of beer in it, it tasted heavenly with the biryani. something sweet and fizzy to counteract the moist ghee in the biryani.
maybe i was just too thirsty. maybe i was just too hungry. but both went together so well that i am looking forward to more of both in pakistan.

this and that

been a while due to travels across the country and region.
was in east timor in late june and then later to pakistan where i went to look for the murree single malt but alas, nowhere to be found.
pretty frustrating considering i was just a few stone throws from murree itself.
so decided to go up to penang to meet up with friends for makan and music.
will update on that soon.
meanwhile, if you have nothing much to do these next few days - go to the cotton club in maju junction - plonk thirty ringgit for a drink and listen to arguably the best guitarist in town, paul ponnudorai, perform.
its on for july 24 and 25, 2007, 8.3ppm onwards.
cheers!

the murree single malt

for some in pakistan, january 2007 is something to look forward to.
according to a news report, the murree brewery in rawalpindi - the only whisky maker in the muslim world - is entering into the rarefied league of scotch makers by launching a 21-year-old single malt.
the brewery - one of three licensed in pakistan and legacy of the british raj - currently makes 8 and 12-year-old whiskies. none of the whiskies are for export.
i have been to islamabad twice but never made it to rawalpindi though it was just a few kilometres from the islamabad airport. damn, would have been worth a visit and some snaps.
this is a photo of the old brewery ruins in ghora galli built a year after 1860 when the brewery was incorporated.

in his monograph "the complete book of whiskey," author jim murray says that murree's 12-year malt classic not only compares favourably with scottish versions, but "is much better than a number of lesser scotch malts which come nowhere near in matching this whiskey's crisp and delicate maltiness."
the enthusiastic review says it "would not be out of place in speyside," referring to the region of scotland where most malt whiskey distilleries are located.

looks like i've to score a bottle from an old friend if i ever want to imbibe this. will wait for the review somewhere out there first. cheers!