vintage glenfiddich

we were at the local in bangsar, ordered our beers and proceeded to talk shop. across us on the wall was a glenfiddich poster that simply said, a day is a taste, a year is an appreciation.
that was the start of an evening preceeding friday the 13th.
nothing evil of course happened last night.
went for a dinner party with some close friends and during dinner, the blackberry was buzzing with a chat from the plonkwonk myplugoo plug-in on the left of the site. the guys from the glenfiddich blog were calling in to send a release on a recent vintage selection this week.
so they sent me a release with some photos and a promise of a video.
good to know this site has some interesting visitors.
anyway, have always said that glenfiddich is a great introduction to the world of single malts and have yet to be proven wrong.
and so, the chaps from glenfiddich cobbled together an international panel led by renowned malt master david stewart to select this year's bottling of the vintage reserve. they chose cask number 4414 for "its exceptionally rich and complex 31 year old glenfiddich".
they shortlisted six european oak casks that had been filled with new-make glenfiddich in 1975 or 1977 with the samples drawn. nosed, tasted and debated over three intense hours in the distillery in the scottish highlands.
the casks had been stored in the dark, damp conditions of a traditional dunnage warehouse since march 7, 1977 with head cooper don ramsay, who repaired and prepared the oloroso sherry butt (cask), and head warehouseman eric stephen , who is in charge of security, drawing the samples. the pair had been working in the distillery for more than 45 years.
speaking of names and apart from david stewart, the panel comprised his assistant brian kinsman, whisky writer gavin d. smith, whisky industry author and journalist professor walter schobert from germany, russia's scotch whisky expert erkin touzmohamedov and jimmy bradley, owner and chef of two award-winning new york restaurants - the red cat and the harrison.
"the selection panel really experienced the wide possibilities of aroma and flavour produced from one cask to the next. in our shortlist, we had two casks filled on the same day, yet they were markedly different in colour, nose and taste from each other," stewart said about the chosen cask.
he continued to speak my language further.
"having such an international panel has been a great experience, with the common language of whisky being a strong binding factor. the whisky from the six casks varied in colour from a light brown toa red hue and the flavours from a delicate citrus notes to more distinctive dried fruit and spicy sherried flavours. the selected glenfiddich has a hint of malt cereal, lemon balm, light smokiness and leather characteritics that the panel all agreed would be worthy of a glenfiddich vintage reserve," he added.
the others sung praises too.
"this was by far my favourite. it has none of the burn associated with whiskies of such strength and produced a fantastic nose that didn't dominate the whisky. the malt cereal characteristics are there which can often be hard to find with sherry butt whiskies," said erkin touzmohamedov.
gavin smith added "there is a delicate smokiness to the finish that comes upon you rather unexpectedly when you've experienced the light citrus nose to begin with."
that's that for the time being as the vintage whisky will take its time to make it to the market.
the limited edition single cask release will be restricted to approximately 450 bottles and a suggested retail price of £375 with the official malt master tasting notes and bottle strength revealed after the cask has been bottled and distributed.

islay festival of malt and music

summer's here and its feis ile time in islay.
first apologies for not even writing these past few weeks. been travelling and refraining from the water of life save for wee drams of bowmore cask strength in jakarta.
back to the islay festival of malt and music or the feis ile as its known in gaelic. it began in 1986 and starts in the last week of may as the sun beams start up summer for the northern hemisphere and warm the bitter cold of the north where whisky is made.
bunnahabhain sent me a mail about their bit for the festival ranging from distillery tours to their rather famous bunnahbain burgers.
all events start on may 26 right up to may 30 - five days of distillery tours and other events that end up with an open day.
if you happen to be anywhere near there, especially after the uefa champions league in moscow this week, go try the just launched bunnahabhain 21 year old limited edition pack.
of course its a week of whiskies and ceilidhs - err dancing! and of course some good rustic food.

gongxi grog

the lunar new year celebrations are continuing in full swing an we had had better selection of single malts this time, including some rare gems at the house of sin, as the man is called among friends. he brought out bottles of single malt for his party that began in the afternoon.
i got in late at night for the party and there were a couple of bottles at the table. one was a chivas regal 12 year old while the other was more enticing.
it was the cragganmore 12 year old scotch whisky, a single speyside malt quite renowned around the world for its aroma.
with 40 percent alcohol by volume, the gold-hued speyside malt has a complex aroma that is at once fresh and delicate with hints of fruit and smoke.
the palate is smoky and a wee bit sweet with a lingering peatiness in the finish. suffice to say the bottle finished pretty fast.
time for another bottle as the few of us looked at the host with pleading eyes. the mandarin oranges at the table was no help as we lounged to welcome the year of the earth rat in proper fashion.
out came the macallan inspiration 1851. unlike the other the macallans that we have had, the inspiration is bottled in a design from the 19th century and even stoppered with a driven cork and sealed in wax. the wax took some time but i finally ripped it apart with the help of a ribbon beneath the wax.
phew! the things one do for single malts.
the 41.3 percent alcohol by volume whisky has been sherry casked, like other macallan whiskies. It is copper gold in colour with a nose filled with fruits, spices, nuts and malted barley and just a hint of smoke.
the palate is smooth and spiced with ginger and cloves for a nice sweet not so smoky finish. not exactly the best on offer from the macallan but good enough to pass the night in anticipation of something better.
having said that, the bottle went out quite fast too.
the host was on song and decided to bring out a bottle that was sold to him with the caveat that it can only be opened on his wedding day. but since he didn't think that was going to happen in a hurry, and it had been seven years since the bottle was purchased plus it was my inaugural attendance to his party, the bottle was taken out of its case and opened with a flourish befitting the occasion.
the bottle was a rare knockdhu 23 year old cask strength speyside single malt whisky.
heck, he had a bottle that was numbered 3 out of 3,000 bottles bottled with the cask strength single malt. hows that for a limited edition whisky.
with 57.4 percent alcohol by volume, we were astounded with the fruity nose that just had that hint of smoke to make one imbibe the wee dram faster.
the palate was fruity and creamy like a summer strawberry sorbet. truly one for a wedding. the finish was a bit spicy but this is one single malt that belied its age and indeed a pleasure to drink.
a great start to the lunar new year it was.
yum seng!

whisky galore

whisky galore - there is just so much to write about whisky this week.
friends in kuala lumpur went for the chivas 18 whisky tasting while the enthusiastic zeal of the freshly-converted-to-single-malts in djakarta ensured a steady supply of whisky for me.
also, there is a remake of an old film based on a Sir Compton Mackenzie book which i have read called - whisky galore! and guess what, surfed the world wide web and found that there is a beverage afficionado who has made a videocast of tastings called the beverage review.
the latest videocast - with host michael lam in his christmas cap - is on the macallan cask strength single malt.

meanwhile, after a couple of weeks in djakarta, my single malt enthusiast-friend amazed me by getting his brother come over from kuala lumpur with more single malts.
a surfeit of single malts to delight us all.
apart from the half bottle of 15-year-old french oak reserve the glenlivet, our choice expanded to the bowmore cask strength and the bowmore darkest.
the host had the privilege of choice and he chose the bowmore darkest.
good choice and we imbibed it with care, this time with an ice-cube to release the serpent that coiled out sinously like a belly-dancer jiggling her way through the floor.
a bit of toffee, some cinnamon and the oily peaty finish in the bowmore darkest made us finish a fair bit of the bottle. i had three tumblers of the darkest and left for home satisfied.
considering that we had some beers and sake earlier during a superb meal at the hamako japanese restaurant in blok m, djakarta. the salmon was firm and fresh and went well with the wasabi.
might post a review of the restaurant if i do make a return visit there.
merry christmas and a happy new year folks!

whirlwind whisky weeks

it has been a hectic month.
in and out of malaysia, from singapore to thailand, where i am right now as i write this.
the only constant has been whisky. the single malt kind, of course. no photos, couldn't be bothered to spoil the enjoyment of the water of life with namby-pamby photo-shoots.
add on the fact that inebriation was the word and the mood during the drinking sessions.
anyway, on with the whisky.
we started with a 10-year-old talisker, which used to be hard to find but all it takes now is a quick tour of bangkok's don muang airport and before you can say it, its there in a handsome navy blue box.
talisker is the only distillery in scotland's island of skye and is rated among the best single malts in the world. my introduction was through a rare bottle that made its way to my friend's treasure chest years ago.
i never forgot the big, bold, peppery and peaty taste and the 10-year-old is no different. after a couple of sips, its pungent and peaty ruggedness grows on you though its not a gentle spirit.
the award-winning 10-year-old with 45.8 percent alcohol by volume, rocks your world and you will never be the same after that. you will just find any which way to get a bottle of the golden liquid with a shot of pink yourself.
a year ago, it was about the macallan 10-year-old cask strength, this month it was the standard 12-year-old macallan stored in handcrafted oak casks from jerez, spain, which hold rare sherries for at least three years before its shipped to the macallan distillery to hold the water of life.
the conglomeration between the sherry oak and spirit produces a rich and sensuous 12-year-old macallan.
the colour is a rich natural caramel shade of gold and the taste is sweet and sexy, smooth on the tongue and pleasant all the way in. its a natural addition in any serious whisky enthusiast's bar.
and now comes a difficult whisky that can is either a love or loathe at first taste.
this whisky is laphroaig from islay.
its hard to get it in malaysia and singapore but possible although my recent forays to thailand via the don muang international airport has yielded a treasure trove of single malts that include the laphroaig.
how does one describe a spirit that has bewitched many a serious drinker.
well, its oily, its peaty, its nutty, its bloody strong and bloody pungent. a splash of water will release the serpent of a taste that will bite you for life.
and just to let you know, it was voted 'the best of the best' in the champions of whisky competition 2005!
inebriated? you bet my friends and i were. more tastings on the way soon as i travel the region and pick up a bottle or two here and there. cheers and slainthe!

single malt march

the chivas regal, neat as it was, didn't quite cut it.
it didn't assuage the pain.
it didn't make us drunk.
it did go well with the spicy mutton pizza at the national press club.
it also made us poorer at d'vine in plaza damansara.
it also led us to go on a single malt march in kuala lumpur over a few nights this week.
so we - a mate with a heart shattered to shards and i - beat a path to the rib shop for the single malt to soothe our souls. we found it in a bottle of 12-year-old bunnahabhain single malt whisky. and let's just say it was a bargain to boot - considering the prices of drinks these days.
bunnahabhain, which means mouth of the river, comes from the isle of islay that is famous for a few other single malts such as bowmore, lagavulin, ardbeg and laphroaig - some of which have been tasted, drunk, enjoyed and reviewed by yours truly.
the bunnahabhain, neat or with a wee cube of ice in a tumbler, warmly caressed our palate and surprisingly teased us with its lighter-than-usual sweet and smooth Islay taste but long and full-flavoured finish.
apparently bunnahabhain's water is piped from streams in the surrounding hills and is less peaty than might be expected.
all was good with the world. especially with a tumbler of bunnahabhain at hand. and good conversation and good company.
the single malt march continued the next night at the finnegan's pub in jalan sultan ismail. the drink du jour being the bowmore single malt whisky.
we settled on the bowmore cask strength, as the bowmore darkest - the ruby red and ravishing revelation of a drink - was no more in stock.
the auburn cask strength was creamy and rather peaty and more than warmed an otherwise chilly night in kuala lumpur. the brawny beast in a dram of the drink went on a quiet riot through the palate and reinvigorated the spirit, and more than anything, the soul.
the price was nice and even better than some places that placed a premium on plonk they call blended whiskies.
our soul revived, our pockets still jingling with change, we made our way to no black tie - the good music place that has just reopened five doors away from its old spot in lorong mesui, off jalan nagasari in kuala lumpur (near hotel istana-lah).
we strode in as recorded jazz music filtered through the bar and an awesome performance area all decked out in parquet. the place was more than nice and the range of drinks pretty awesome.
there was no bowmore darkest here too. so we ordered the bowmore 17 years old. almost as nice as some of the 18-year-olds i know. whiskies i mean.
we cupped the wonderfully oval tumblers that held the 17-year-old mellow nectar. it was not as brawny as the cask strength but complex with peat smoke and some toffee for a lingering and satisfying finish.
satisfying enough for us to order a couple more each. the bill brought us back to earth though. it was 45 ringgit a pop - affordable if you consider a 15-year-old glenfiddich going for 55 ringgit a tumbler in d'vine.
on that note about prices, no black tie is a great place for good jazz but the cover price of 45 ringgit plus a standard drink is a lot too much to pay for performers that regularly perform elsewhere and where there is no cover charge.
the whisky can be expensive but the music... well, at least one can just sit at the no black tie bar and imbibe the spirits and listen to the music without paying the cover.
or buy some great jazz cds and take it to the ribshop or finnegan's - the drinks are affordable and the management can always be persuaded to play your kind of music.
on that note, slainte mhath!

whisky wonderland

whisky wonderland is what i would call my friend's home, though one has to go through a pair of rottweilers to enter this plonk paradise.
be that as it may, a simple evening of margaritas and chicken fajitas in american chilis bangsar turned to serious whisky when he invited me over for a nightcap. it turned out to be six of the best.
six tumblers of single malt - all different in character and taste.
and all absolutely smashing.
it started with the bowmore cask strength islay single malt, a strong peaty smoky malty whisky that boldly dominated the palate with a taste of dry ash and with a long, long finish.
it lingered on the tongue and warmly spread through the body as i slowly emptied the tumbler.
the rottweilers looked and one of them sniffed me and eyed the tumbler eagerly.
the auburn single malt has 56 percent alcohol by volume and definitely comparable to other cask strength whiskies.
the evening was progressing well as my friend scanned through his wooden trunk of single malts for another bottle.
he settled on the lagavulin 16 years old single malt. a slight colour akin to the weakest of teas, the lagavulin burst in with a more subtle peaty taste that nimbly danced at the edge of my tongue.
the whisky, with 43 percent alcohol by volume, started off drily before strengthening aggressively with a rather oily and salty and fruity flavour, drawing one to sip it slowly but surely.
a rather good contrast to the peatier bowmore with discernible differences that i could appreciate as i finished it rather relunctantly.
it was also time to try something older and tastier.
and out came the glenlivet 18 years old.
the oak-casked whisky is also 43 percent alcohol by volume but very different from the lagavulin 16 years old.
the golden amber liquid was creamier, peatier and so much smoother - and like the bowmore, lingered long after it finished though not as strongly as the bowmore. it also had hints of honey, spice and nuts - flavours to keep one interested in it for a while.
it was time for a classic single malt and the glenfiddich 12 years old special reserve in its distinctive triangular green bottle appeared. the golden liquid is 40 percent alcohol by volume.
said to be the world's best-selling single malt, the 12-year-old has a fresh and fruity flavour with the peatiness solidly in the background. this makes the whisky a great entry-level single malt for one making the jump from blended whiskies and even sweet bourbon.
i can say that with conviction as i used to prefer this over the peatier bowmores. but times change and tastebuds broaden in search of stimulation. indeed, variety is the spice of life.
having said that, my friend fished around the trunk and came out with a single malt quite unknown to me.
the signatory vintage single islay malt scotch whisky was a bottle with a plain label that revealed everything except the taste. initial research shows its one of the only three indepedent bottlers and is actually the smallest distillery in scotland.
the single malt was a vintage 1993 that was bottled in early 2004 - yes, most cask strength is about 10 years old. the light golden liquid was 43 percent alcohol by volume and had a distinct peaty but sweet taste.
this was the fifth tumbler of single malt for the night but it held its distinctive taste, subtle and smooth yet bold with the slightly higher alcohol content.
it was time to relax and the sixth tumbler provided that, something easy to settle the spirit and the mind, the body and the soul.
we settled for the glenlivet 12 years old which like the glenfiddich 12 years old, is 40 percent alcohol by volume and another good entry-level single malt.
the glenlivet is a speyside whisky, smooth and soft with a fruity and floral flavour with some hints of vanilla, striking a different note in the palate. like its elder relative, it is also casked in oak, providing a woody finish to the single malt.
the night was coming to and end. not quite.
we had another bowmore cask strength, one for the road as it were.
a smashing time indeed with six of the best and one to spare.

single malt - the macallan 10 years cask strength

cask strength single malt is an acquired taste.
heck, single malt is an acquired taste. and in most circles, one who raves and rants, waxes lyrical even, about single malts is simply a ladida in the crowd.
so, let's just say that going on and on about cask strength is hyper-ladida.
but the macallan 10 years cask strength (which comes in either uk or us editions) is exceptional and the couple of drams i had last night justified the verbosity of those who have imbibed this whisky.
the first whiff of the mahogany liquid revealed a caramel toffee scent with sherry.
no wonder as the pungent and strong whisky is stored in spanish oak and sherry influences of spices such as cloves and ginger and balanced with dried fruits and citrusy chocolate.
the first dram was in a shot glass and it left a fiery peppery trail from the roof to the throat, taking no prisoners along the way. hot and happening and what a mouthful of spirit. the force was strong in this speyside creation.
the next dram had a couple of ice cubes to chill the whisky but it robustly ploughed ahead with little restraint. a fire water by any definition. of course, as this cask strength comes at 58.80 percent alcohol by volume.
a delicious macallan.
impressive. most impressive.