Kanpai!
@111hotpot
Today we've got set of three Cognacs from one of the category's rising stars, Grosperrin. Cognac is definitely enjoying alittle bit of a moment right now, which has arguably been led by craft houses with the likes of Grosperrin - and really it's a rather fascinating story this groundswell that cuts to the heart of the big thing going on with Cognacs at the moment. Quite the riveting live or die.
So let's get into it, and along the way it'll also help us understand alittle bit more about Grosperrin as well and it'll provide us the secret key to enjoying these very lovely expressions that spread the geographical regionalities and were bottled for Singapore's Auld Alliance bar, selected by a two local aficionados, James Phang and M&E Drinks.
The Auld Alliance bar in Singapore.
For lack of a better way to say it, the Cognac business has been a pretty mixed bag in 2023 - the Big Four (That's Hennessy, Martell, Courvoisier and Remy Martin) haven't been doing so swell, and yet smaller, independent brands have surged in popularity.
A combination of finally having the Internet (and social media) to circumvent the need for massive marketing budgets as well as a stark lack of transparency from the Big Four (in the face of increased provenance disclosures from practically all other drink categories from beers to sakes, whiskies and rums) have created the perfect opportunity for independent brands to charge ahead. And boy have they!
Cognac has shaped up to be one of the most unexpectedly underrated spirit of the 2020s.
By capitalising on providing much more clarity, demonstrating a true scarcity (think single estate / single barrel Cognacs as opposed to mega blends), telling the stories of the Cognacs they bottle, showcasing incredibly well-aged expressions from across the region - these independent brands offer up an unbeatable value.
This rift proved that it isn't that Cognacs suffer from a lack of interest or demand, but rather consumers value and put their money where their mouth is when they feel a real sense of provenance, scarcity and singularity of estate style from their Cognacs.
And so this is where Grosperrin comes in. Grosperrin plays the role of a negociant (an agent that buys Cognacs and bottles them as opposed to producing their own) - which is no different from the Big Four, except that rather than having all the Cognacs purchased end up in a huge blend, each barrel is aged accordingly and bottled individually.
Jean Grosperrin, and his son Guilhem, who has since taken the helm of the Cognac bottler.
The house was established in 1981 by Jean Grosperrin who was by then a very experienced Cognac broker (his lineage being that of having been once Cognac distillers themselves). Through his decades of on the ground experiences with Cognac distillers, he had found it a shame that their small batch artisanal Cognacs were destined to simply be part of a mega blend at one of the Big Four, thereby losing any sense of provenance, distinctiveness and would be a piece of history of the craft and terroir drowned out.
For the record, the Cognac region is home to over 350 Cognac producers with 80-90% of their produce going to the Big Four.
Jean thus began acquiring these barrels which he would himself age, hoping to eventually bottle them at their most unadulterated cask strength and single barrel, with a Cognac lover's dream of information about its history, age and craftsmanship - still relatively unheard of. This eventually led to Grosperrin's motto "to bear witness to the Charente's heritage without artifice". Now going back to the special nature of Cognacs bearing incredibly historic vintages, Grosperrin's real value comes in their focus on hyper-aged Cognacs that are typically over 50 years old, and preserving not just their flavour that has gently and slowly matured for more than half a century, but thereby also capturing a piece of history of the land, craftsmen and distillation from generations prior.
Today the Grosperrin house is led by Jean's son, Guilhem Grosperrin.
A once in a (multiple) century opportunity has provided a huge tailwind for independent Cognac houses like Grosperrin.
Amongst a whole spectrum of spirits, Cognacs are rather unique in that you can find bottles that are fairly recently bottled but whose vintage dates back to over a century ago - not something you'd ever see in whiskies or rums! This is in part due to the ambient climate of the region, which is described as oceanic and thus with cooler temperatures and more humidity, hyper ageing can occur without hurting the Cognac's flavour by turning it overoaked or tannic.
Other efforts by Cognac houses to maintain their Cognacs well involve humid cellars and the use of glass demijohns that can even halt ageing altogether. This allows for Cognacs to sport incredibly historic vintages (we're talking 1800's to 1920's) to great accuracy of provenance - unheard of in any other spirit category. Many distilling families thus sit on troves of Cognacs produced generations prior, which are passed along as heirlooms.
And so today we've got some rather historic expressions that also help us explore the regionality of Cognac as well!
Cognacs are grape brandies that come from the designated region of Cognac, France. It spans several regions that move out in concentric rings starting from Grande Champagne, followed by Petite Champagne, Fins Bois, Borderies and then Bon Bois, which takes the region to the coast of the Atlantic Sea.
Today we'll get to try a Grande Champagne distilled in 1926, and then a Fins Bois from 1945, and finally a Borderies from 1964!
Let's give them a go!
Obviously a very striking label, can you guess the connection?
Well, it didn't occur to me, but the choice to have Marilyn Monroe's portraiture on the label is because she shares the same birth year as this Cognac - 1926! This Cognac is therefore over 90 years old!
It comes from the region of Grande Champagne which has the highest density of Cognac production and is characterised by hilly terrains made of chalky soils, which tends to produce floral and light Cognacs that are suited for hyper ageing.
Color: Deep Amber
Aroma: Very forthcoming and bold yet mellow, with big notes of yellow raisins, juicy green grapes minus the acidity, gooseberries, and also green grape juice (those Japanese or Korean green grape drink). It’s estery and bright but almost lightly leafy with a touch of muskiness.
Over time it turns brighter with alittle more acidity, more distinct mustiness, light vinous and vine leaves and old vines.
Taste: It takes a more tannic quality here - more bitterness and tartness here that coexists alongside the yellow raisins and green grapes. It’s darker here and more distinct, showcasing its age - this comes in the form of more musty old wines, cooked wine leaves, musky dried longans.
It’s more along the vein of dried fruit residual sugars, old leaves, more acidity and tannins that give a more drying touch and bitterness. It’s less airy and more definite, but that said thinner than its aromas would hint at.
Finish: More of that longan muskiness, more dry wood grains and old vines, black tea tannins - it’s almost perfumery, opening up even more than what was showcased on the palate. It’s lightly drying with the heavier tannins, but surprisingly more a textural sensation than anything - that is, not much bitterness.
This was a very interesting super aged Cognac - you’ve really got to factor in that age here - and in that sense, that it maintains this level of aroma and flavour is really quite remarkable.
On the aromas, it remained very robust and bountiful with all these lovely, juicy fruitiness, whereas on its palate is where you really get a sense of the age - much more tannins, more mustiness and muskiness, more of that drying quality. But it’s a tradeoff no? On the aroma, it’s almost medium aged, keeping with the juicy airinesss, but on the palate it’s much darker and more distinct and definite in its flavours. You can clearly tell how the age has worked on the Cognac, focusing its flavours to much more precision.
On the whole, this offered up a whole lot of complexity and progression - not to mention quite a technical marvel given its super age - but more specifically for me, I found the aroma and the finish particularly enjoyable with all that juiciness and concentrated fruit, and on the finish those lovely musky longans and vinous qualities of longans, old vines and wine leaves that I do so love!
We move on to the 1945 Fins Bois, marked by mixed soil that's similar to that of the Bordeaux region. If you're a big history buff you might recognise the artist's rendition on the label of the V-J Day Kiss At Times Square. After all, this was the year World War II ended! The art comes from Axelle Grosperrin, who is also the daughter of Jean Grosperrin.
This Cognac is over 75 years old and also holds an additional special meaning to the founder of M&E Drinks, I am told - in the flag at the top left of the drawing, you'll find the initials of the founder's father whose birth year is also 1945!
Color: Deep Amber
Aroma: Thick, sweet notes of dried fruits and fruit jams - quince, pears, apricots, plums and blackberries, a real fruit mix. There’s a light floral bouquet as well of jasmines. It’s rather vibrant and juicy.
Taste: Here the age comes through more - alittle drier and musty but at the same time quite waxy and buttery, there’s more of those stone fruits, with a side of osmanthus jelly, dried ginseng, dried cranberries, hawthorn. The fruit notes are still big here but alittle more on the dried side.
Finish: More of the wood grains coming through here, giving it a slightly more tannic quality, more of those jasmine florals, with some vanilla cream and cinnamon spices.
This has been a pretty big hit - and for good reason! It’s got all this big, juicy, very fresh and vibrant stone fruits that give it an incredibly aromatic profile that’s very delectable and quite the crowdpleaser.
I especially liked how on the palate there was a slightly more herbal and drier quality that gave it a nice textural and flavour contrast to the juicy fruits, taking it to a more earthy style that I really enjoy. Almost autumnal, and with this really nice depth and richness to it. This is really where this Cognac pulls ahead for me with all this added dimensionality and elegance.
The finish was alittle more confectionary, but also the tannins became more prominent sans the herbal notes, which gave the finish a very silky but light puckering sensation to it.
Deeply enjoyable!
Finally we get down to the 1964 Borderies! Another well-aged expression, this Cognac is over 50 years old.
The Borderies is the smallest of the main Cognac-producing regions and has the terrain of a plateau that holds soil that is mostly clay with many flint stones. This happens to be the oldest of the soils of the region, going all the way back to the Jurassic Period! This is said to create heavily perfumed and floral Cognacs.
This expression carries the artwork "The Gathering Dusk" by Singaporean artist, Tay Bak Chiang, and I've been told was selected because it best visually encapsulated how the bottlers found the Cognac to taste.
Color: Amber Honey
Aroma: Soft and perfumery florals - lilies and lilacs, supported by a good heap of acacia honey, apricot, yellow raisins. Incredibly floral, and then more herbal jelly, brown sugar, with a light grassiness. Really perfumery with some angelica root herbs.
Taste: Really vibrant! A burst of fruit jelly cups - raisins and quince. Lots of honey, with a light herbal quality. More of that angelica roots, fresh and poached pears, herbal jelly, stone fruit jams - raspberry and blackberry. Over time there’s some vine lychees and dried lychees - slightly musky and lightly tannic with a herbal drying quality.
Finish: More tannins here, alittle more woody and herbal. Deep long warmth, and alittle more dry here.
This was full of surprises, with a whole lot dimensions at each turn - on the nose it showcased a more perfumed floral quality, and then on the palate it was a vibrant burst of fruit jelly cups and fruit jams, before turning more herbal and slightly tannic on the finish, with a super deep and long warmth.
This stands out for all the power and expressiveness it has - be it florals, fruit jelly cups or herbal roots, it’s always expressed with a whole lot of vibrance and saturation, always incredibly powerful and forward. At times it has an almost rhum agricole vibe to it, and also alittle reminiscent of the early 2000’s TDL rums in that very unique lychee note that comes through more with each sip.
I really liked how there’s a sort of an evolution to its denseness, starting with brighter florals and then transitioning to richer fruit jellies and jams, before turning it even more earthy and grounded with the woods, herbs and roots.
A really elegant one to say the least!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Mead - that is fermented honey, whilst laying claim to being the oldest alcohol made in human history, is today unfortunately a rather niche category, being neither beer (strictly defined as fermented malted grain) nor wine (fermented fruit). This puts in its very own category, which while niche, don't let it fool you think ever thinking it's boring. Many a brewer have devised ingenious ways of imbuing the honey-based brew with a myriad of flavours you could not imagine possible.
How about a Banana Chocolate mead? What about some Peach Melba ones, or maybe a mead made with Rambutan honey? Flavours abound and while the process is long (taking months instead of days as compared to beers) and its base material - that is, honey - can be comparatively costly, meads can still find its ways to surprise you in the best way possible.
(Image Source: BoozyChewy)
Being based in a rather small island-country, Singapore, it's not a large populace to work with and so when I got wind of a very interesting Fried Chicken mead that was being brewed here - yep, you heard that right! - I was intrigued and had to meet the enigmatic person / persons behind such a crazy creation.
JYFoxMazer as he is known, operates as a one-man show, devising recipes, procuring exotic ingredients from far flung places, and then getting to work brewing these very intriguingly flavoured meads, primary fermentation, secondary fermentation, ageing, bottling - all on his own. And with no desire to go commercial, he tells me that trying his meads are a matter of fate - if you come across him, he'll more than happily share his meads with you. He shoulda called it "meading your fate", geddit?
It's hard to believe that with close to 10 years of experience brewing his own meads and possessing such levels of sophistication, this is but a hobby for him. When asked about how he comes up with these recipes, he casually tells me it's completely random and up to his own fancies - fair enough. He delves into his brewing genesis and shares that this all started when he was in university and was intrigued himself, and went from being an avid home cook to testing out his early iterations of mead. He's got a busy schedule and thus meads work best for him as he's able to leave them to ferment for weeks on end, and only necessitating his monitoring at the bare minimum.
Some behind the scenes. (Image Source: JYFoxMazer)
Yet, one can only marvel at the level of intricacy he possesses. Surely the choice to use red bananas over the common yellow variants for a mead that's aged on cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks and rum-soaked toasted cherry wood, does not come on a whim.
So with a couple of DMs, I got to meet JYFoxMazer at a local craft beer taproom where he so kindly shared four of his meads (I asked for the fruitier stuff) which I'll get to reviewing shortly.
But just to give you a sense of his range, we're talking Watermelon Strawberry to Cempedak Melomels (closely related to Jackfruit), with honey sourced everywhere from the forests of Indonesia (that Rambutan honey, which is supposed to give a stronger Rambutan note) to Egypt, Nepal and Bulgaria.
Meading my fate. (Image Source: JYFoxMazer)
Ultimately he's got no plans to have them sold, but will hand them to you if you ask nicely enough or as he (should) says, mead them by fate at a local taproom - most of them simply go to friends and family. He says he's going to start getting into kegs real soon ~
With that, we're going to give the following meads a go: the Boinana Bussy Banana Chocolate Mead, the Big Red Hairy Balls Rambutan Melomel, the Peach Melbamel, and the Blood of the Crown Musk Melon Melomel.
This one's a Banana Chocolate Mead - it's made with wildflower honey fermented with local bananas (pisang rajah bananas), and then aged on pisang merah bananas, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks and rum-soaked toasted cherry wood staves.
Color: Deep Gold
Aroma: Deep aromatic scents of cacao nibs, chocolate sauce and cinnamon. It’s backed up by a funkiness of overripe bananas. It’s reminiscent of banana bread and chocolate dipped churros.
Taste: The lush and dense sweetness of the honey comes through topped with a good hit of cinnamon and cacao nibs. It’s got all these confectionary tones nailed. There’s just the slightest bit of banana puree into the finish. Also a note of whipped cream.
Finish: The banana turns up into a higher tone here and becomes more apparent but still well-integrated and backed up by the richer honey notes. It finishes off with a lighter hit of cinnamon and cacao nib.
This was the big crowd favourite with all those warm confectionary notes being expressed so well - what particularly impressed me was the stacking or layering of these flavours that almost seem to come separately but combine to create this distinctive banana sundae image in my mind. It felt true to form - a full on banana chocolate sundae.
At times the banana notes can present itself in a rather funky way which seem slightly out of place, but otherwise this was incredible tasty and just incredible to nose.
This mead very interestingly makes use of Rambutan Blossom Honey and Rambutans.
Color: Gold
Aroma: Really fresh fleshy tropical fruits - mangosteens, langsat, jackfruit - it’s lightly vegetal and rather musky with a tropical fruit nectar aroma to it as well. There’s an animalic funkiness to it.
Taste: Medium-bodied, here it’s sweeter but retains all that muskiness - mangosteens and jackfruits but in a sort of concentrate. The honey notes come through more here as well.
Finish: Light bit of tannins, with a slight drying quality, more of that musky funkiness that tends closer to jackfruits here.
This nails the tropical vibe, although admittedly I’m not getting much in the way of rambutans, but rather adjacent tropical fruits instead. It has a really interesting muskiness to it that is alittle love-it-or-hate-it much as if it were another popular tropical fruit - the durian.
I like how concentrated the flavours are without overpowering the body which gave it a textural brightness for some contrast to overall create a balanced profile. That said, the obvious miss here is the distinctiveness of the rambutan flavours.
This Peach Melbamel is made with wildflower honey, Japanese peach juice, Yamanashi peaches and morello cherries, after which it's aged on vanilla beans and French oak.
Colour: Light Rose Pink, Salmon
Aroma: Initially it’s giving tart red berries, but with time it deepens into a more mellow and richer peach yogurt. It’s still lightly tart, but still comes off juicy with those strawberries and just ripe peaches, with just a slight bit of lactic quality.
Taste: This one’s richer with a well-rounded and well-integrated fresh peach and apricot juice that’s completely melded with the honey into one. It’s not overtly sweet, in fact very lightly tart, but is instead estery and rich - like eating a freshly harvested peach.
Finish: It gets even richer here - peach concentrate or peach schnapps, and slightly tannic, ending off clean and aromatic, with a lovely warmth.
This was very enjoyable - it’s incredibly well-integrated and well-rounded the peach flavours that it mirrors so well the experience of taking a bite out of a fresh peach - it’s not overly saccharine, but nails that quality of juicy esters with a slight tartness I associate with peach fuzz or skins.
Giving it some time to open up was a good idea, where it began to mellow out and deepen. I particularly enjoyed the evolving journey across the tasting experience where it started off from tart peaches to juicy peach flesh and skins and finally ending off in what felt like peach concentrate - very lovely experience!
Last but not least we've got the Muskmelon Melomel that's made with Bloodwood honey, Japanese muskmelon and cold-pressed honeydew juice, and then French oaked.
Color: Gold
Aroma: Started off being rather high toned and musky, but with some time it mellows out to a deeper and mellower, albeit still relatively high toned, unripe musk melon note - a mix of the peels and unripened flesh.
Taste: It’s lighter bodied here but paired with a gentler albeit rich musk melon flesh. It doesn’t jump out immediately but into the finish, the musk melon juiciness comes through more, as does the higher toned muskiness.
Finish: The musk melon flavours thicken here, make it richer and denser. It finishes off with just a slight astringency.
The musk melon notes are really distinctive here and definitely come through albeit it comes off rather high toned and with the muskiness, it’s definitely another love-it-or-hate-it flavour.
That said, the musk melon flavours came through rather differently at various junctures, which seemed rather sporadic, with the best moment showing itself in the finish with a really rich and deep juicy melon flavour. I think the combination of melon juice and the mead is a tenuous one as the melon juice notes tend to be much higher pitched than the honey, leaving somewhat of a gap in between its flavours.
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
Taiwan Beer is Taiwan's leading beer brand, brewed in the storied Taipei Brewery (previously called Takasago Brewery) since Taiwan’s colonial years under Japanese rule. Today, Taiwan Beer is known for being a light and crisp lager beer with a distinct bright-saké like note, popular as a thirst quencher while people eat Taiwanese stir fry dishes during scorching summers.
More recently, capitalising on the trend towards low- and no-ABV beers, while still keeping with their expertise in refreshing thirst-quenching flavour profiles, Taipei Brewery has released two new zero-alcohol flavoured beers under its Golden Medal line. The first was a Lychee Oolong beer (reviewed here), while the second that followed shortly after was the Taiwan Passion Fruit Yogurt Beer.
Aroma: Very refreshing and tropical with a bright, chewy sweetness. The prominent fruity notes of passion fruit and green mango lends a robust depth to the aroma, with mild zesty orange notes. This fruity sweetness is balanced by a light creaminess and some floral aromas of white petals and jasmine.
Taste: This had a slightly thick mouthfeel with a tangy, robust taste of passionfruit curd. There's also notes of white mango jam and a milky yoghurt-like flavour. It's very dessert-like and sessionable, with a substantial sweet and tropical body.
Finish: A tangy yoghurt note and panna cotta lingers on the tongue in the finish, and this intermingles with some light tropical accents of passion fruit and fresh mango!
I really enjoyed this one - it's a lot more deeper-bodied and chewy than the Lychee Oolong beer, and has a greater tropical, fruity profile that's very sessionable and refreshing!
Happy sipping!
@lotusroot518
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Vallein Tercinier is a fast-rising independent Cognac house that is really only beginning to see its renaissance despite a long and storied history. If you ever want to get in on something before it became big, Cognac is probably your best shot.
A big part of the Cognac story is that in its almost 400-year history, a big shift is finally occurring - where the big houses no longer wield nearly as much attention, whilst smaller independent houses begin to for once receive actual interest in their craft. Whilst other drink categories from beers to whiskies, sakes to rums, wines to gins, have all upped their game in terms of communicating the value of their craft and provenance, really taking consumers into their world to truly understand what makes their expressions special, Cognacs have largely fallen behind.
Vallein Tercinier's estate in Chermignac.
For centuries, most of the 350+ Cognac producers in the region have simply sold their brandies to major Cognac houses which turn them into mega-blends that obscure any nuance or singularity of these single estate Cognacs. Thus with this external shift in consumption preferences, more folks are seeking out smaller independent Cognac producers who are able to offer products that are much more artisanal, singular in expression and with that much more transparency. Such true appreciation combined with an actual scarcity has driven much interest in value and authenticity seeking drinkers.
Which takes us to Vallein Tercinier - a family-owned Cognac house located in Chermignac in the Bons Bois region, that had been early to arrive in the Cognac region, who then subsequently began developing their vineyards in the mid-1800s. The name itself is a combination of the family's estate's original founder, Robin Tercinier, and that of his great-grandson, Paul Vallein, who began growing the family's Cognac business.
Camille Dupuis.
Whilst Robin had began settling into Cognac in the 1700s, it wasn't until his grandson Georges Vallein, who had in 1850, began to develop the vineyards and began producing Cognac. Initially much of Cognac produced by the family (with their four Alembic stills) would be sold to Remy Martin and Courvoisier - two of the Big Four Cognac houses. As mentioned, this was a dynamic that was common across the Cognac region for most of its brandy-making history.
The family began to develop some ownership over their Cognacs in 1920 when Paul Vallein, Georges' son, acquired the brand Camille Dupuis, which the family would begin bottling and marketing Cognac that they produced themselves.
The war years were incredibly rough for the family and the family's estate and Cognac business whilst still surviving, stayed rather lowkey for the better of the next 50 years. It wasn't until the 1990s when the fifth-generation Tercinier, Catherine, joined the family business that the Vallein-Tercinier (VT) name began to regain its primary importance to the estate. She had made a call to retire the Camille Dupuis brand and would solely focus on developing the Vallein-Tercinier brand instead.
Sitting on a treasure trove.
What initially began with the reinstatement of the traditional Cognac grades - VS, VSOP, XO and Hors d'Age, took a massive upturn when Cognac expert, Pascal Baijot, of yet another fast rising independent Cognac house, Maison Grosperrin, had initially visited Vallein-Tercinier regarding the house's Pineau (an aperitif that VT also produces). During the tour. he had come to taste a Grande Champagne Cognac of Lot 65, and immediately remarked that the house should skip the blends and bottle single cask and single lot Cognacs for sale instead!
Without too much debate, Catherine had heeded Baijot's advice and did exactly that - the Cognac caught on to some positive reviews from notable critiques and almost overnight, VT's phones were blowing up with orders. This clearly indicated to Catherine that the demand for such single cask (bottled brut de fut or "straight from the cask") and single lot (known as millesimes) Cognacs were strong and that pursuing it would put the house on the right track - and sure enough the past decade has been incredible fruitful Vallein-Tercinier.
Today, VT is well-regarded and increasingly notable with drinkers, with the house itself in good shape and sitting on decades of sleeping Cognac casks. More recently, Catherine's nephew, Stephane, has also joined the family business and has sought to expand the family's geographic footprint in Cognac, as well as to plant new vines.
A centuries long revival in the making.
The estate now has over half its vineyards planted with Ugni Blanc vines, and continues to add hectares across the Fins Bois and Bons Bois regions. Distillation is also carried out over an expanded eight Alembic copper stills.
With all that said, let's give today's Vallein Tercinier Lot 52 Grande Champagne that's bottled for La Maison du Whisky a go! Single cask, brut de fut, from 1952 and bottled in 2023 (making it 71 years old!) is really the best way to taste what the house has to offer isn't it?
I was lucky enough to try this during Whisky Live Singapore 2023, which if you're looking to try some pretty rare expressions like this VT, do keep a look out for the 2024 edition that's happening at the Singapore Flyer on 23/24 November.
Let's go!
Aroma: Rather herbal, grassy and herbaceous - parsley, cut grass, dried herbal roots, quite vegetal really with a rather tannic and dry quality. In the backdrop there’s some Demerara sugar and light touch of raisins.
Taste: Still herbal, but certainly sweeter here with more pronounced brown sugar sweetness, alongside dried longans, lychees, with these gorgeous herbal jelly notes - much like a traditional Chinese herbal dessert (Cheng Tng). Still some of that woody tannins and Chinese herbs from the nose.
Finish: Incredibly aromatic with all these autumnal, more earthy notes - browned leaves, brown sugar, herbal jelly, old wood.
Initially the herbs threw me off alittle, being rather strong and austere. But it was very interesting, that much I’ll give it, yet it wasn’t really down my alley.
However, when it struck my palate, boy oh boy, this was incredibly enjoyable. It had all the herbal, earthy, mellow and sweet notes you associate with an incredibly well-aged rhum agricole. Fruity and perfumery, with a rounded and silky body - great structure at that.
All of which carried through into the finish where it deepened and the earthy notes developed into being more pronounced and refined - absolutely elegant and with this great sense of depth.
My Rating: 9/10
Score/Rating Scale :
Image Source: Cognac Expert
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Daishichi is a brewery that's often associated with the ancestral Kimoto method of Sake making because they do such a great job at that - we previous tried a couple of Daishichi's Sakes here.
For simplicity, the Kimoto method goes back to a time before the availability of industrial lactic acid that is needed to jolt a yeast starter to get it going so that the Sake will begin fermentation. Therefore what was necessary back in the day was for Sake brewers to use wooden sticks in order to mash a small batch of rice, water and koji until the mixture begins to warm up and lactic acid would begin to form.
Brewers producing the Sake starter.
In the realms of Sakes, it's rather well-recognised that the Kimoto method does yield some different results versus the more modern industrial process - it tends to create more creamy, richer and softer Sakes. And that is why some breweries have gone back to the Kimoto method - however given how labour and time intensive it is, requiring much more skill as well, it's usually reserved for special editions.
However, Daishichi is pretty much focused on this style and so everything from the brewery comes from the Kimoto method. And to that end, very interestingly, today we'll get to try a Umeshu that is produced using Sake that is made with the Kimoto method. This might actually be a first!
Wakayama is where the best Umes are from.
And at least for Daishichi, this is their first foray into producing liqueurs, and where better than to start with Japan's favourite Umeshu - liqueur produced by soaking Ume fruit in an alcohol base. Typically, Umeshu is produced using a Shochu base, however, in this case Daishichi has opted to use their flagship Junmai Sake. This is used along with Nanko Ume from Wakayama Prefecture - the best spot for Ume farming.
Let's give it a go!
Color: Orange Jelly
Aroma: Bright syrupy orchard fruits - jams and jelly cups, perhaps more specifically orange jam, apple jelly cups and also a light tartness of yuzu.
Taste: Surprisingly clean flavours, lightly sweet with apple and green grape jelly cups. There’s also a light tartness of that ume fruit. It’s a very nice delicate sweetness and bright fruitiness that comes with a warmer autumnal note of fall leaves.
Finish: Lingering fruit jelly cup sweetness.
Absolutely lovely.
This isn’t one of those heavy, super densely sweet umeshu’s - no, no, this is brilliantly bright and lifted, yet incredibly flavourful. It comes on a glistening texture that strikes the palate as utter fruit jelly cups, but at the same time is contrasted with warmer autumnal flavours.
Fantastic flavour profile with some solid balance and complexity.
This is the umeshu for those who find standard umeshu’s far too dense or sweet.
My Rating: 8/10
Score/Rating Scale :
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Vallein Tercinier (or VT for those in the know), is one of the frontrunners of a renaissance of sorts for independent Cognac houses.
In short, a combination of increased transparency, better appreciation for provenance and singular house styles, have all led to a growing rise in popularity of independent Cognac houses as opposed to the flagship blends belonging to the Big Four Cognac brands.
VT produces its own Cognac (as opposed to being a negociant which is somewhat closer to that of an independent bottler) and while their estate primarily has vines in the Fins Bois and Bon Bois regions, they do produce Cognacs from the Grande and Petite Champagne regions from time to time - each region showcasing a nuanced and different style of Cognacs as a result of climate and soil conditions.
What started out as a move away from simply selling their Cognacs to the likes of Remy Martin, eventually became a revival of the flagship VT brand with the traditional Cognac age-based classes of VS, VSOP, XO and Hors d'Age. Yet a spark from a fellow independent Cognac house, Grosperrin, would convince VT's fifth-generation Tercinier, Catherine, to make a bold move that would entirely change the family-owned estate's fortune - to begin bottling single cask millesimes Brut de Fut (that is single cask, single vintage Cognacs at cask strength).
As mentioned, this all coincided with a massive movement leaning into Cognacs that allowed for a greater appreciation of a more singular style (much akin to the move away from blends across whiskies and rums, and into single malts and pure single rums).
With all that said, let's get to tasting this Lot 85 Petite Champagne from Vallein Tercinier that's bottled for Precious Liquors.
Let's go!
Aroma: Lots of deep, earthy notes - dark chocolate, autumnal browned leaves, brown sugar, but throw in a little bit of plasticine in there. It’s rather dry and has a mustiness of old wood cabinets, with it a sense of agedness.
Taste: The same brown sugars and autumnal browned leaves, still alittle plasticky, but its developed into a wider more juicy richness of raisins, plums, and also some tobacco leaves and cigar box earthiness. Some burnt brown sugar to boot, with a slight acetone touch.
Finish: More dry here - cough syrup sans the sweetness, definitely more austere, with a more prominent bitterness and woodiness. Even so, it’s still very rich and oily, more of that browned leaves, barrel char, but with time more along the lines of floral blossoms.
This was packed with earthiness which I enjoyed quite a fair bit - it has all the depth and agedness you’d want, and at the same time it leans into a more dry style that provides a textural contrast to the sweeter flavours.
I'd suspect that those who enjoy more herbal and earthy flavours might like this a whole lot - particularly if you're opposed to the sweeter style Cognacs. Here you'll find a refreshing pucker that's not all that common.
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Raise your hands if you've ever fallen victim to the delicious wafting aromas of freshly roasted sweet potatoes that are often placed strategically right outside the entrance to Don Don Donki outlets. Only to find yourself involuntarily lured to take a step closer, until before you know it you're knee deep between the many aisles inside Japan's famous discount goods megastore - clutching a sweet potato in one hand and a basket full of items you didn't even know you wanted in the other.
Ah yes, yet another excellent example of sensorial marketing done way too well. In the same way that Cinnabon placed their ovens in the front of their outlets in the hopes of luring passerbys with the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, Don Don Donki's famous roasted sweet potato booth has become a beacon call beckoning curious shoppers to enter the store.
The ever-tempting Sweet Potato booth at Don Don Donki. (Image source: 8 Days)
Granted, their sweet potatoes are truly that good. Roasted to perfection, with a crispy outer skin covering soft sweet potato flesh that's almost syrupy sweet - it's no wonder that Don Don Donki's sweet potatos have gained a cult following.
Hence, it should come as no surprise that the Japan megastore decided to indulge everyone's sweet potato obsession one step further with the launch of Don Don Donki's very own Sweet Potato Liqueur and Sweet Potato Gummies.
The bottle caught my eye while I was scrolling through the Don Don Donki aisles (a regular past time of mine) because of the cute label - which features the famous penguin mascot Don Pen brandishing a roasted sweet potato in hand! As the label suggests, this liqueur can be drank on its own, but also poured over ice cream!
Let's give it a try!
Colour and Appearance: Cloudy pale yellow, with a thick almost-puree like consistency.
Aroma: Earthy scents of freshly roasted sweet potato, with sweet notes of melted brown sugar and jasmine rice.
Taste: The texture of this liqueur is thick and creamy. There's an earthy sweetness of sweet potato and creme bruleed brown sugar, as well as a nutty undertone of almond cream, rice pudding and banana starch.
Finish: Short, with notes of sweet potato, vanilla cream and almond marzipan.
It's a little bit too sweet at times, and due to the syrupy flavour and the thick, puree-like consistency, this is probably a liqueur that is savoured a small glass at a time - lest it becomes too cloying and overwhelming.
That said, I liked that it retained some strong earthy, nutty flavours of the sweet potato and it was quite a unique liqueur that reminds me of the Sweet Potato Creme Brulee dessert. I still think its worth adding to your collection and letting friends that come over try it - since it's such a distinctive taste that you're unlikely to find in other liqueurs.
Oh, and as for the gummies: it was actually less sweet than the liqueur I found, which I preferred! It had a subtle earthy sweet potato flavour and light accents of almonds and brown sugar to balance it out - though there was a slight starchiness to it that made it taste a little dense for continuous snacking.
The next time you're in Don Don Donki, do check out these sweet potato products for yourself and let me know what you think!
Happy sipping!
@lotusroot518
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You got a party? Nothing will do the trick better than Vodka. Let's rank the most popular vodkas you can get at the grocery store - because who's got time when you have a party waiting for you.
But we don't want just any Vodka - for a spirit that's legally defined as being "neutral spirits so distilled, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or colour", the differences could not matter more as every post-party-goer will attest the day after.
TLDR: Vodka's ranked by what they're best used for.
For Shots: Belvedere 🇵🇱 | For Mixer: Absolut 🇸🇪 | For Cocktails: SKYY 🇺🇸 | For Sipping: Stoli (Stolichnaya) 🇱🇻
What we're looking for here - a good Vodka - is one that's got a good almost fresh spring water crispness to it, there's no sting on the nose. On the palate it should have a soft, smooth creamy texture, can be vanillic, does not produce a burn. When we get to the finish, it should give us a deep warmth, again not burn, and goes down easily and cleanly.
We don't want something that reeks of ethanol or hand sanitizer. It should also not be bitter, metallic, sharp, puckering, or thin. It shouldn't poke us - common sense right? We stay clear of sharp objects. It should also not be harsh or artificially sweet. And most importantly it should not be giving us a hangover.
Vodka originated some time in the 1700s from the areas that today would be identified as Russia, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine. It's hard to say who made the first Vodka because Vodka itself is a rather wide category in terms of it's made - basically take anything of agricultural origin (potatoes, cereals, grain, corn are some of the most common), ferment it to turn the starches/sugar into alcohol and distill it several times to produce a neutral and clear spirit.
Typically most producers would use a column still that allows distillation to happen continuously without having to go batch by batch - distill it 3 to 4 times, then filter it over activated charcoal, dilute it to drinking proof, and call it a day. Standard Vodkas are 40% ABV (or 80 Proof) but some countries have it at 37.5% ABV (or 75 Proof).
(Image Source: Distillery Trail)
These days as the demand for quality Vodka has gone up, the spirit that is by definition "to be distilled so that the flavours are actively reduced" ie. to be made as flavourless as possible, has surprisingly yielded numerous brands that have sought to differentiate themselves. These differences can come from a few places - the main ingredient used (potatoes tend to be cleaner, corn tends to be sweeter, rye typically has more spiciness), what sort of yeast is used, what water is added to the mash (40% of the mixture must be water), how long it's fermented for, how clear the fermented mixture is before distillation, how it's distilled (pot still or column still), how many times it's distilled, and whether other treatments like charcoal filtration is used.
Craft brands have sought to create differences in a spirit defined as without flavour - interesting times! (Image Source: Tito's)
Vodka distillers can even mix the mashbill of base ingredients used, blend various styles of Vodka (called an assemblage) to create a multi-layered expression, or of course imbue it with flavours from everything starting from cucumber to salted caramel and chocolate raspberry. This has created a big debate in the Vodka community which is whether Vodka's should stay true to their original intention, which was to be as flavourless as possible (those traditionalists/purists!), or should we start expecting Vodka to carry more character (a more modern interpretation!) - how do we rate it? For us the answer depends on what you want to do with it - is it a mixer, cocktails, for sipping or for shots?
Considering how far Vodka has come - from being a currency used to pay for bread and plumbing in Eastern Europe to becoming produced all of the world and in some instances becoming almost a source of national pride - we'd be remiss if we didn't give this United Nations of a spirit a proper taste test. All from the confines of a grocery store.
PS. For the purposes of this review set, we're going to try all of it neat at room temperature - not chilled or in a cocktail.
Absolut was probably the first global wave of Vodka interest, having found a brilliant way to make Vodka trendy with a distinct brand motif and then decorating various flavours with subtle changes - who remembers it being such a collectible?
Absolut (originally Rent Brännvin meaning "Pure Spirit") comes from Ahus, in southern Sweden and was established in 1879 by a Lars Olsson Smith who wanted to upend the city of Stockholm's monopoly on liquor marketing. Nevertheless it took 100 years for the brand to really kick off internationally when it undertook a brand refresh for their centenary and that's where we all know the iconic Absolut brand from. Today the brand is part of the Pernod Ricard family.
It's made specially of winter wheat, continuously distilled in a column still (just keeps running), and goes through a simple filtration.
The Absolut Distillery in Sweden.
Aroma: Pretty clean, with just a slight bit of antiseptic scent. Not prickly.
Taste: Clean, smooth, mellow alcohol which is not all that noticeable. It's really neutral and more textural than of flavour.
Finish: Just a slight burn, again mostly clean, smooth, medium-bodied. Mid-length warmth, medium warmth.
This is really the benchmark Vodka - it's definitely not the sort of bottom shelf stuff you associate with being harsh or having a hangover. It's very clean and neutral and the alcohol on it is not that noticeable.
What I like about this is that it's really perfectly designed to be a mixer (it is after all not designed to be drunk on its own) - it's got no flavour on its own but simply provides body and the alcohol to anything you could mix with it. That's good when you don't want something overpowering your mixer, which makes this very versatile. It's got a medium-body, thicker than water but not particularly creamy, and again not much of a prickle on the nose or a burn on the palate so this works as a solid Vodka workhorse.
Pros: Neutral, clean, not much burn, not sharp
Cons: No flavour, medium-body
What It's Best For: Mixer
Haku Vodka comes from Japanese drinks giant Suntory, and is made 100% with Japanese white rice. The name Haku actually means "White" in Japanese, in reference to the rice used as the base ingredient. The rice is fermented using rice koji, which is a technique often used for Japanese Sake.
It's then distilled using a pot still (which usually means a thicker body) before a second distillation using pot and column stills, and then it gets blended and filtered through a Suntory proprietary bamboo charcoal filter that's supposed to soak up impurities and give the Vodka a more mellow taste. The distillation is done in Kagoshima after which it's brought to Osaka for blending and filtering.
A very unique Vodka made of rice and filtered using bamboo charcoal - Japanese-y!
Aroma: Noticeably mellow and rounded, there's more vanilla and rice pudding, a very light orchard fruit acidity - sweet lemon and orange.
Taste: Smooth, very soft and creamy, more vanilla cream with a light sweetness. There's a very light bit of citrus again and some clove spice.
Finish: Still very smooth, it finishes off crisp and then comes back with a continuation of that vanilla creaminess with just a slight bit more of raw rice in the aftertaste. Medium-length warmth, rather gentle.
A really interesting Vodka to say the least - it's probably the most unique in terms of its makeup and really amped up on that Japanese-aspect of it all, which I think alone is worth trying for pure curiosity. That said all these differences in using rice and how it's filtered does amount to some pretty noticeable deviation to most other Vodkas. Here there's an incredible softness that I don't quite see in the other Vodkas, and there's even alittle bit of fruit too, which again may not be the most textbook definition of what a Vodka is, but it's definitely appreciated.
As a Vodka, Haku is really approachable and friendly - none of that bad rep that Vodka's usually get - and you really get a sense that it's really a Japanese Vodka as a category of its own. There's not much of a burn here, very soft and creamy, good body, with a lot of character, not nearly as austere as most Vodka's, this is one you don't have to brace yourself for. That said, for those reasons I think this is best suited for cocktails because it brings those flavour and textural characters of its own. I don't think it's one you want to be shotgunning - it's alittle too soft for that.
Pros: Creamy texture, more vanillic and approachable, some interesting flavour
Cons: Not as punchy, not as clean or crisp, very light warmth at the end
What It's Best For: Cocktails
Stolichnaya's (often nicknamed "Stoli") story starts in the Moscow State Wine Warehouse No. 1. Established in 1901 by the Russian government to improve the quality of one of the country's most famous exports, the state would only formally launch the Stoli brand in 1938. The name itself translates as "capital city" in Russian and features the Hotel Moskva on its label, a Moscow landmark.
Stoli Vodka (Latvian - it's a long story, but if you're getting Stoli from anywhere outside Russia, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, it's most likely from Latvia) is made using a mix of wheat and rye (which is classified as Alpha Grade in Russia), with a longer fermentation of 60 hours, is distilled three times and then filtered four times through fine Quartz sand and Russian Birch wood charcoal, finally diluting it to drinking proof using artesian spring water from the Balzams well. One of the things often said about Stoli is that the brand does flavoured Vodka really well, and in particularly the Stoli Blueberi is said to be very popular.
The Hotel Moskva on the Stoli label.
Aroma: It's got a rich and sweet vanillic and white floral scent with some good depth to it, little bit of charcoal and limestone minerality, it's clean but not ethanolic. It has this minty herbaceousness to it as well.
Taste: Still really rich and with a good thickness to it. There's still that vanilla cream, with some light woodiness and a very gentle bit of black licorice. It has a very good texture to it and it's really approachable with a lot of thickness to its flavour. Almost chewy?
Finish: Buttery, with velvety vanilla, black licorice candy and aniseed. It's sweet but almost slightly herbal. Good long warmth.
This one was very interesting - it's almost got an earthiness to it. It feels alittle bit like mint xanthan gum - this mix of vanilla, mint and black licorice. It's a good flavour combination that feels heavier and deeper. It has a nice thickness to its aromas and texture that complements those denser flavours as well. It's very smooth and has a very nice deep warmth to it on the finish. There's no sting or prickle, it delivers a good warmth to the palate - again not nippy, very mellow and rounded, but flavourful.
This is honestly a very enjoyable and almost refreshing Vodka - it somehow reminds me of mint herbal toothpaste, it's really earthy which is such a unique taste profile that I didn't expect. It absolutely nails Vodka on the head with the flavours, texture, body, and just the entire experience of it.
Pros: Great flavour, texture, body, aromas - very nice earthiness to it
Cons: Not exactly clean and flavourless, you've got to like herbal earthy flavours
What It's Best For: Sipping
Belvedere is often cited as the first super premium Vodka and comes from Poland, having been named after the Polish landmark, the Belweder Presidential Palace in Warsaw (it's also what's seen in the bottle) - the name itself translates as "beautiful to see". It's made of 100% Polish rye that's harvested from seven nearby farms, which is then distilled four times using column stills.
The brand was launched in 1993 and was eventually acquired by luxury mega group LVMH in the early 2000's. As a super polished (get the pun?) brand, it's got a whole lot of celebrity endorsements from Usher to John Legend, Janelle Monae and SZA, and even the James Bond film, Spectre.
Aroma: Rather soft, light vanilla cream, lightly sweet, but there's still that spirit-y scent though it's not prickling. A comparatively brighter scent here. Very gentle scent overall.
Taste: Quite clean on flavour but creamy with alittle bit of a fondant confectionary sweet quality to it, alittle bit of almond notes - think marzipan. But it's mostly very crisp spring water with a very silky texture. It's really quite mellow.
Finish: Very smooth and clean, more of that spring water vibe. Big warmth for a medium length.
Belvedere has this very artisanal vibe about it - it really feels like you're drinking right out of a super cold water spring in the glades or some pristine nature reserve. It's crisp and clean, very mellow, but with a nice creamy, thicker texture to it, with just a slight sweetness and nuttiness that makes it very palatable and drinkable. It's got a very good satisfying oomph in the warmth on the finish that goes on for just long enough, and leaves a very clean mouthfeel.
This does the texture component perfectly and is very enjoyable to drink, but also would make for a pretty good cocktail because of how neutral it is. It's neutral, creamy and lightly sweet, with great crispness and thickness. This is an incredibly benchmark example of a great Vodka.
Pros: Still comparatively neutral in flavour, great creamy texture and crispness, incredibly smooth
Cons: Not super big or punchy
What It's Best For: Shots
Grey Goose comes from France, and was created in the 1990s by an American businessman Sidney Frank, with the recipe having been created by a Cognac cellar master, Francois Thibault. The Vodka actually got off to a roaring start and in the first year it was launched, it was awarded the best-tasting Vodka in the world by the Beverage Tasting Institute.
Grey Goose uses French winter wheat grown in Picardy, France, which is then distilled somewhere Northeast of Paris, before being sent to Cognac for dilution using calcium-rich spring water from the Champagne limestone filtered natural springs in Cognac. Rather uniquely, Grey Goose only puts its Vodka through 1 run of distillation.
The home of Grey Goose in Cognac, France.
Aroma: Vanilla cream, definitely more of a peppery kick here. While not very ethanolic, there's a neutral spirit-y quality to it that doesn't sting but is noticeable.
Taste: Much like its aromas, sweet vanilla cream, lots of pepper - it's quite front and center with alot of oomph, but not much of a burn. Very light cherry note. Very smooth with a good thickness to its texture, but not quite oily or creamy.
Finish: Very smooth and clean, no burn but big, big warmth.
Grey Goose has a very big quality to it - big vanilla, big pepper, big spirit-y quality. I think this is where it gets quite tricky where it's alittle bit of a love-it-or-hate-it Vodka, if you're adverse to alcohol, you'll probably dislike this, but if you do generally handle stronger alcohols, you'll most likely love it. This probably stands out the most for that big peppery kick, which ought not to be confused with it being ethanolic or sharp!
All that said, you've got to give it credit for being impeccably smooth - it just has this amazing texture that's thick but not creamy which makes for a very good shot. It leans towards being alittle bit sweeter, and for what it's worth it's alot more impactful and aggressive, delivering a very satisfying punch.
Pros: Very big, boldness to it, super front and center, satisfyingly punchy, very smooth and easy to drink, still quite neutral
Cons: Not really a crowdpleaser given how punchy it is
What It's Best For: Shots
The name Ketel One actually refers to the Dutch name for pot stills - ketels, and so this pot distilled European wheat-based Vodka, comes from Netherland's Nolet Distillery that's based in Rotterdam. The distillery goes back 11 generations, with each generation's helm listed on the back label of the Ketel One Vodka - in terms of historical timelines, this dates the distillery back to around the near ending of the late 1600's Medieval Era. The Nolet Distillery also produces gin and other liqueurs.
In any case, the Ketel One Vodka is named after Nolet's original 1864 Distilleerketel #1 - their first pot still, which amazingly is still being used today! The Vodka distilled from pot stills is blended with Vodka also produced in column stills for the final expression - it's distilled twice, after which it is charcoal filtered.
The original Distilleerketel #1 from 1864 still in use today!
Aroma: Very clean, but that allows the ethanol or hand sanitiser notes to come through - it's not particularly thick either. It's just ethanol and water.
Taste: Some sweetness at the start, but still very neutral with alittle bit of grain notes like plain water biscuits. It's quite nippy but it does have a fairly noticeable oiliness to it.
Finish: More pepper, ethanol, still very clean with a big warmth.
I would take a guess that of the lot of Vodkas being reviewed today, Ketel One is probably the most divisive. If you're a Vodka purist (or traditionalist) who wants a Vodka to be as neutral and flavourless as possible, this is it, you'll think the Ketel One is perfect. However, for that very reason, I think most folks might find the Ketel One alittle harsh or difficult to drink because given how devoid of flavour it is, it really leaves bare just the ethanol which as a flavour and scent alone can be considered quite harsh and austere.
There's not all that much sweetness of flavour to make it anymore drinkable or friendly - it's an incredibly clean, neutral Vodka. It's got a pretty big kick to it, but it also does offer a fairly heavy textured body. Yet, perhaps my only issue with this (which I think is rather objective on both camps) is that it seems to get stuck around the palate and nose - like if you think about Wasabi but thicker and with no flavour - it's just this block of thick, neutral firewater stuck in your face. And so it doesn't quite slide down as smoothly and take a second to have that warmth kick in in your chest - that part is not particularly enjoyable.
Pros: Very neutral, thicker body, big kick
Cons: Super austere, very punchy, the thicker body sort of keeps the heat and viscosity stuck in your throat rather than glide down easily
What It's Best For: Mixer
Back in the 1990's, Maurice Kanbar had accordingly felt terrible after drinking some alcohol and blamed it on the impurities in the spirit he was drinking - this so inspired him to create what he deemed as the purest Vodka possible, and thus SKYY. At one point Kanbar even claimed that SKYY had the fewest impurities of any Vodka, at 0.8mg/litre.
Initially production was outsourced (at one point with MGP, a massive player in bulk American whiskey production), with bulk ethanol later filtered and diluted using deionised water. However, in 2009 the brand was acquired by Campari, which has since taken over production of the Vodka. It is wheat-based, distilled four times using a column still, and thereafter filtered using calcium carbonate, cellulose plates and granular carbon.
SKYY partners Victoria Secret model Winnie Harlow for an Espresso infused expression.
Aroma: Really neutral, there's just an ever so slight hint of vanilla.
Taste: Very smooth, it's not creamy per se, and also it has a light vanillic brightness to it. It's clean but not totally devoid of taste - there's a very light sweetness to it, just enough to give the thicker-than-water body a friendliness.
Finish: Light burn. Again it goes down very smoothly, leaving a pretty clean aftertaste.
This was by all accounts a very neutral Vodka, but it's nowhere nearly as harsh as some of the others we've tried. It's really smooth, very, very light creaminess, in fact it's rather crisp, but just the slightest hint of vanilla that sort of pulls it together and gives it some approachability. It's very rounded and neither sharp nor with much of a burn really, yet it retains its ability to be taken noticed of - it's clean but not antiseptic.
For me it really is an ideal canvas - it's got about as much flavour as a canvas is white - the barest amount needed to give it some form. Incredible smoothness and nice clean aftertaste that doesn't bog you down - it's as if you haven't had any Vodka!
Pros: Very neutral with the slightest bit of flavour, great smoothness and body, not remotely harsh or with much of a burn, very friendly and approachable
Cons: Not much that I can think of
What It's Best For: Cocktail
A brand that is probably the most synonymous with Vodka as a whole, Smirnoff has been globally associated with the category for close to a century, and is probably most responsible for the affiliation between Vodka and Russia. Smirnoff traces its origins all the way back to 1815 in Moscow, when Russia was rebuilding itself post the Napoleonic wars, and the brand was first registered by Ivan Smirnov. Ivan would eventually pass the company on to his nephew Piotr Smirnov who would incorporate charcoal filtration and continuous distillation to produce a purer spirit. This built the brand into the largest Vodka producing in Russia at the time - you'll see his name on Smirnoff bottles even today!
The company would eventually run into trouble when the Bolsheviks took over all private enterprises during the Russian Revolution, but Piotr's son Vladimir would manage to escape to France where he enlisted the help of a family friend, Rudolph Kunett, to help him rebuild the brand and distribute it to the US. Wanting to distance his brand from Russia, Vladimir would rename the brand Smirnoff, as we know it today. Rudolph would thus help bring Smirnoff Vodka to North America and establish a distillery in Connecticut, USA. Eventually the brand's distribution rights would come into the hands of what would be drinks giant, Diageo, and Smirnoff would begin production in the UK as well. Today Smirnoff is the world's best selling Vodka.
Smirnoff through the ages.
Smirnoff is produced primarily in the UK and in the US, with smaller scale local production in several markets, and is made from corn, which is then triple distilled for 24 hours and filtered 10 times for 8 hours through seven tons of charcoal, before being cut down to drinking proof (38% as per UK regulations) with demineralised water. Although the brand's motif and intuitive association is very Russian, the modern iteration of the brand actually has nothing to do with Russia and instead is considered British.
Aroma: Pretty muted, it's not even particularly neutral, there's just not much of a scent. Of course, if you go in deep and really snort at it, you'll get just alcohol. But pretty absent of any scent really.
Taste: Medium-bodied, it has the consistency of water, there's a very, very light sweetness of simple syrup, but aside from that it's very neutral, although it does have a light oiliness to it.
Finish: Smooth, pretty clean aftertaste, deep warmth but not much of a burn.
Let's face it, everyone gives Smirnoff sh*t, often associating it with this perception of being harsh - but having tried it, I'll say that it's actually the most textbook definition of a Vodka. It's very clean and pretty much flavourless, which simply means you're drinking alcohol and water - what were you expecting from that combination really? And so I think it's really not all that fair the reputation Smirnoff gets - I'd say it's actually a pretty decent Vodka.
If you don't like Smirnoff, you just don't like Vodka (or even alcohol). And I think the reason for this is because Smirnoff is so filtered that really all flavour or scent is stripped off, leaving just that barebones ethanol and even the water used is demineralised, so really there's nothing to work off on, and so that austerity doesn't leave you any more approachable flavours to hide behind or work off on.
So all things considered, it's actually a decent Vodka, really clean, a pretty medium body that's not as creamy as one might hope for, but that aside there's really nothing wrong about it. For what it's worth, it's actually pretty smooth. But because there is truly no flavour and not much of a body to speak of, I'd say this really works best as a mixer, rather than for shots or even a cocktail.
Pros: Very clean and neutral (as Vodka is supposed to be), good smoothness
Cons: Not much of a body, truly flavourless (which is actually a good thing by Vodka definitions, but can be a throw off for folks)
What It's Best For: Mixer
So we've tried eight major brands of Vodka - these are amongst the most popular, commercially success, and incredibly easy to find and available almost anywhere and all the time - you'll find them in pretty much every supermarket, grocery store or convenience chain. This matters because 9 times out of 10, you're out getting Vodka on the way to a party, the 1 time you're not you're probably trying to get buzzed asap - so all in, 10 out of 10 times you just want to grab the nearest Vodka available. And we're here to help with that decision-making.
Taking a step back, it's worth remembering that Vodka by definition is really not supposed to carry any flavour or scent (so we can't fault a Vodka for being just that), but as times have changed, the case for sipping on Vodka or doing shots have emerged and so what we want out of Vodka has changed as well - all of that is to say, the best Vodka for you really depends on what you're using it for. Everything we tried today were actually pretty decent with some surprising us by being incredibly enjoyable!
Tip: It helps to slowly and in a relaxed fashion take a good sip of the Vodka to get acclimatised to it. Many folks either brace themselves too much or are rushing through it - this ends up forcing the Vodka up the throat or nose that gives a really harsh and unpleasant experience.
Ultimately, what works best is for you to really want to choose the right Vodka for what you want out of it, and so here's our top picks.
For Shots: Belvedere 🇵🇱
For Mixer: Absolut 🇸🇪
For Cocktails: SKYY 🇺🇸
For Sipping: Stoli (Stolichnaya) 🇱🇻
No. 1 (Shared) - Belvedere 🇵🇱 / SKYY 🇺🇸
No. 3 (Shared) - Grey Goose 🇫🇷 / Stoli (Stolichnaya) 🇱🇻
Belvedere 🇵🇱 - 9/10
SKYY 🇺🇸 - 9/10
Grey Goose 🇫🇷 - 8/10
Stoli (Stolichnaya) 🇱🇻 - 8/10
Suntory Haku 🇯🇵 - 6.5/10
Absolut 🇸🇪 - 6/10
Ketel One Vodka 🇳🇱 - 5.5/10
Smirnoff 🇬🇧 - 5/10
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Cognacs are another category of spirits that have always held a special place in my heart, though I’ve rarely had the chance to properly venture into it given that one rabbit hole (specifically rums) has been rather damaging enough for my wallet. But thankfully over the last year or two I have had the opportunity to taste some exquisite cognacs, particularly single casks that were bottled for independent bottlers and exhibited traits that set them apart from the standard or mainstream releases.
Thus I was rather pleased when @joeb0urb0n brought along a cognac that was distilled and bottled by @cognac_vallein_tercinier for @preciousliquors, a Petite Champagne from 1985, aged for 35 years in French oak casks, before bottling at cask strength of 51% abv and an outturn of 570 bottles. Though before I go into the tasting itself, I’d want to put it out there that I’d be writing about the Lot 85 based solely on how it tasted to me, without relating back to the terroir of Petite Champagne, or comparing against the regular cognacs by Vallein Tercinier, given my little experience with cognacs in general.
The nose was such a delight, with a rather uniquely metallic nose and slight flashes green right at the beginning. Then it mellowed down tremendously, developing into a luscious, thick bouquet dominated by purple fruits, dried prunes, ripe red grapes, and a hint of apricots. But perhaps most interesting was this bit of plastic note that I do sometimes come across in spirits, which was surprisingly pleasing as strange as that might sound.
The palate was equally delicious, packed with intensity, a big, round body, laced with juicy grapes, a hint of burnt caramel that might have been overdone ever so slightly. The middle brought with it a soft sweetness, marshmallows came to mind, even a bit of hay if I might say so. And the finish was long, fruity still, yet a notch lighter and fresher than before, giving it a nice lift right at the end.
Unquestionably, this Lot 85 was my favourite spirit of the evening by far. Something about its complexity, how it tasted, and its unique combination of tasting notes worked perfectly, and perhaps the only thing thats really holding me back from getting a bottle is cupboard space, a truly rare commodity in the world of spirit collectors.
Image Courtesy of @weixiang_liu
Inarguably the most popular and best selling brand of Cognac in the world, Hennessy's might is staggering.
Part of the Big Four Cognac houses (Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin and Courvoisier), Hennessy is by far the leader of the pack, with three bottles sold for every one bottle sold by its distant second in line of the Big Four. While Hennessy is the second youngest of the Big Four, it rose to fame on the back of quite a number of historic matters its brought to the world of Cognacs, such as the creation of the VSOP and XO labels. It was also quite the pioneer in being an ally to the Black community in America, which paid the Cognac house back in kind through heavy promotion of its name in many a rap lyric.
The Hennessy estate which you can visit!
Of course, today Hennessy might even be better known as the "H" in luxury giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy). But let's get back to matters at hand.
I'll take this opportunity to demystify some Cognac 101s. To start with, Cognac is at its simplest brandy or eaux-de-vie produced in the Cognac region of France using grapes - now, of course as with anything French, there are some major regulations on what is needed to be classified as Cognac, but as a spirit, it is a fruit brandy from a specified region. Something else that will definitely elevate your Cognac game, is to know that not every Cognac house (and there are somewhere between 200 - 300) produces their own brandy - some are distillers making their own, whilst others are negociants who purchase brandy from other distillers - Hennessy is both, producing and sourcing its brandies which in turn are blended and sold under the label.
So with that let's start with the world's most sold Cognac - the Hennessy VS.
The Hennessy VS, which stands for Very Special, is the brand's entry level Cognac, equivalent to what was the 3-Star grading, and is matured in new oak barrels for between 2 - 5 years, with an average age of about 2.5 - 3 years, and is composed of a blend of 40 different eaux-de-vie both Hennessy-distilled and sourced from across Cognac.
Onward!
Color: Dark Honey
Aroma: Caramel, raisins, orange zest, dried apricots, light bit of cinnamon and nutmeg spice, apple pie, vanilla sauce, and also a good amount of black grape skins giving a little bit of tannin. There’s some bits of old lacquered wooden furniture - light resin notes, tobacco leaves, and chocolate. Richer than you might’ve expected.
Taste: More caramel, even more raisins, butterscotch, brown sugar, light bit of dried apricots, peaches, orange blossoms, vanilla sauce, milk chocolate and coconut flakes. It sports a slightly lighter than medium body, but it works sufficiently for sipping.
Finish: Just slightly more dry here - with alittle bit more of the wood tannins being showcased. It fades out with a gentle sweetness of caramel and raisins. Orange blossoms and apple pie linger on the finish.
Now let’s face it - this is Henny’s entry level offering so you can’t be going too wild with your expectations here. But for what it’s worth, this is actually a very tasty, well-balanced and flavour forward Cognac that’s actually very enjoyable even for sipping. Really lovable flavours that are wholesome, nostalgic and very approachable, with not much of an alcoholic bite, it’s actually surprisingly smooth and rounded, and very aromatic.
If there were any drawback, it’d be that over time, it’s easy to get used to the lighter than medium body on the Henny VS, which then tends to feel alittle light and thin after a while. And sure, it doesn’t sport the most depth or complexity (alittle one dimensional after awhile), but again, for what it’s worth, it’s actually pretty solid.
It’s a great starter for anyone trying to get into Cognac. Nice bottle as well.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Score/Rating Scale :
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Tito's is a rather common sight when you're going vodka hunting - be it on shelves or buying guides. After all if you're going to be picking up some vodka, you want to invest alittle more on making it go down smooth and easy without as little consequences as possible - it's all about optimising how much fun you can have right?
And if Tito's constantly gets ranked high up there - well, maybe there's something to it.
Let's get into it.
Bertito.
Tito's is actually Texas' first and oldest licensed distillery established in 1997 - so much so that it was Tito's that actually got the law amended to allow for them to operate. The brand is named after Bert Butler "Tito" Beveridge II, a Texan himself. Bertito or Tito as he was known had gone to college to study geology and had first entered the oil and gas industry that took him around the world, but eventually he found himself back in Texas starting his own drilling company. Eventually he moved around and got into the mortgage business which was booming - it was the early 90's, and had thought to make his own flavoured vodka as a gift to friends.
He eventually figured that with nothing similar available, craft vodka, that is, he would get into making his own vodka. He was told by potential liquor store owners that he'd have to produce a vodka that you could sip straight and then he'd stand a shot.
Off Tito went - he started the Mockingbird Distillery under the company Fifth Generation Inc, in a small shed and counted on old pictures and books on moonshiners to create his own distillation set up.
After much tinkering around, he finally created a vodka he could sip straight - early pitches to investors didn't go too well with obtaining permits a real question mark. This meant that the one-man operation would have to persist for longer. Tito would burn through 19 credit cards and rack up $88,000 in loans to sustain the business.
Tito would spend his days working day and night hand-bottling his vodka and then going out and selling the bottles he'd just produce, and then get back to producing more and the cycle continued.
The OG Handmade.
It took eight years but eventually Tito's began to grow and was able to overturn state laws that allowed him to get the permits his micro-distillery needed to operate.
Tito differentiated his vodka by using yellow corn instead of potatoes or wheat (which also makes it gluten free) and figured that it'd take six distillation runs in a pot still to produce a vodka you could sip straight and unaged.
Of course, with Tito's consistently being high up on the buying guides - you'd have to take the "Handmade" part of its label and branding with a pinch of salt. For what it's worth it certainly did start out that way, but having operating for over two and a half decades, with the success its had, you can bet Tito's is a major operation these days - but really all we should care about is it tastes good.
Onwards!
Color: Clear
Aroma: Clean, mellow notes of sweet vanilla cream. It’s thankfully not sharp, pungent or antiseptic. In fact you’ve got to squint quite hard to find any scent.
Taste: Surprisingly sweet and approachable, very creamy texture and not punchy at all. Mostly of that sweet vanilla cream and alittle bit of sweet corn.
Finish: More vanilla cream, cream soda and a light hit of black pepper.
I feel like everyone has some sort of early adulthood trauma from vodka, and this is just the thing to erase all of that. This is the furthest thing you’d conventionally associate with vodka - here is an incredibly approachable, smooth, mellow, even somewhat sweet tasting spirit, with no bite whatsoever.
You heard that right - this isn’t like paint thinner, nail polish remover, or antiseptic. There’s no pungency, sting, burnt or bitterness. Heck you could pretty much drink this straight and I guarantee you’d enjoy it more than you’d ever believe.
For the most part this is of a very mellow sweet vanilla cream profile that’s creamy and silky in texture.
That said - and this is how you know Tito’s did a good job because we’re getting greedy - I kind of wish there was more complexity to it. Not flavoured but perhaps more nuance, although I’m not entirely sure if there’s any additional flavour nuance to be had from vodka.
Maybe a blend of various grain spirits?
Score/Rating Scale :
Images courtesy of Tito's Handmade Vodka.
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Mellowed Kozuru is probably more well known today for being used for Kanosuke Distillery's cask aging, which is one of the fast rising Japanese craft distiller's core maturation cask type.
It is of course also the genesis of Kanosuke Distillery, having been pioneered as the first long aged barrel shochu to be introduced in Japan in the 1950s by Kanosuke Komasa, whom Kanosuke Distillery is named after by his grandson Yoshitsugu Komasa who founded the distillery.
Although shochu has been a traditional Japanese spirit for centuries, being a really all encompassing type of spirit that can be made using over 50 different types of base ingredients to make various styles of Shochu, it was often considered to be rather harsh and simple in flavour. What Kanosuke Komasa did was to age the family's rice Shochu (known as Kome Shochu) in oak barrels for several years (~ 3 to 6 years) to allow its flavours to mellow out and deepen, rounding out any harshness, whilst at the same time developing more nuanced flavours.
And thus the success of the Mellowed Kozuru shochu was really what underpinned the Komasa family's business at the time.
However, the stark reality today is also that in the past decades shochu's popularity has declined, which was exactly what prompted fourth generation Komasa leader, Yoshitsugu to move the family's business in the direction of whiskies with the establishment of Kanosuke Distillery, which has indeed done tremendously well. The hope with Kanosuke was that it would put the family's business on the world stage and be a foot in the door for increasing international interest in shochu as well.
And to that end, no tasting of Kanosuke whiskies can be complete without going back to Komasa Jyozo's Mellowed Kozuru shochu.
Today we've got the Mellowed Kozuru Excellence which is by category a Honkaku Shochu, made with only rice, koji and water by definition, which is then distilled thrice (more than the conventional standard) and then subsequently aged between 4 - 6 years in oak casks. It is bottled at a whopping 41% ABV, which puts it on par with most whiskies.
Let's go!
Color: Light White Wine
Aroma: Really vibrant aromas - honey, freshly baked bread, heaps of vanilla, cooked barley, with a hint of lychee. It comes across incredibly mellow and with solid depth, almost reminiscent of a sweet Sauterne white wine, with even a hint of coastal chalkiness and minerality.
Taste: More of that bright vibrance of sweet honey, vanilla cream, maltose rock candy crystals, white florals, topped with pepper, clove, anise spices. This is all over a really creamy texture, with more on sweet Sauternes, elderflowers and a little bit of lychee.
Finish: Surprisingly clean and crisp with more elderflower, vanilla cream and honey - almost a perfumed sweetness. It’s alittle reminiscent of Sake here.
Colour me (pleasantly) surprised! I found the Mellowed Kozuru really fantastic! It was incredibly vibrant and flavor forward but at the same time mellow and rounded, with a great flavour palette of florals and honey. This would be comparable to a hybrid of a sweet Sauternes white wine meeting a slightly dry Sake, moving from one profile to the latter. It’s got a really delightful creamy texture, depth and richness too - bright flavours surrounded by spices over an almost syrupy texture. It really striked me as elegant.
The cask aging really did a great job of mellowing it out - and to that end, I couldn’t tease out any sense of the cask. There was no tannins or oakiness to be had, which I found really interesting as well. It’s as if the aging took place sans the woodiness of the cask.
This was really approachable and friendly, very enjoyable to drink and definitely a stunner, quite unlike any other Shochu I’ve had in terms of depth, elegance and complexity.
Top tier stuff!
Score/Rating Scale :
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
]]>Tanglin’s pursuit of making a truly made-in-Singapore Singapore Sling has brought us to a new addition to their line of gins and liqueurs - the Tanglin Singapura Bitters. The distillers partnered with the mixologists at the Tanglin Gin Jungle, the distillery bar, to bring about a more potent, heavily flavoured bitters that incorporates local Singaporean palates and tastes.
Source: Tanglin
This wasn’t Tanglin’s first foray into bitters - they’ve released a series of bitters before that infused botanicals in gin distillation tails. This bitters is a revamp of that project, with a much greater emphasis on locality. Philibert Gandy, the current distiller at Tanglin Gin, told us that the main inspiration for the bitters were the Chinese medical halls that dot residential areas all across the city. The bottle comes with a striking turquoise blue, adorned with Chinese words.
Source: Thye Shan Medical Hall
The apothecary-looking establishments often have big, bold calligraphy words hanging above the main entrance. On the bitters bottle, the words “唐麟” translate to Tanglin in Traditional Chinese script. As the name implies, these medical halls dispense traditional chinese medicine (TCM) for aliments and general health, often in the form of whole dried herbs, pre-packed mixes, or sometimes in plastic bottle brews. There is always that distinctive herbaceous aroma that wafts out of the shops - anyone who has walked past one can attest to that.
Keeping to the theme, most of the botanicals in the bitters are also inspired from TCM brews. Here’s a quick run down:
Liquorice root 甘草 (gān cǎo), Chinese rhubarb 大黄 (dà huáng), Chinese gentian 龙胆草 (lóng dǎn cǎo), monk fruit 罗汉果 (luó hàn guǒ), ginseng root 人参 (rén shēn) and angelica root 当归 (dāng guī).
Other ingredients include: amchoor (dried green mango powder), green cardamom pods, cassia, vanilla, cinchona bark cloves and roselle flowers.
Let’s give this a taste test!
On it’s own, it’s delectably sweet - you still get that herbal, deep flavours from bitters, but this time, there’s a medicinal sweetness that backs up all those woody aromas. The sweetness does not feel out of place, in fact, it reminds me of monk fruit herbal teas, where that melon - caramel sweetness accentuates the drying, powdery astringent flavours of the other herbs.
To fix up a quick beverage, I threw a few dashes of it (about 15-20 drops worth) into a glass of soda water. Here, you lose that bitterness, but interestingly you still get to taste some lingering aromas and the sweeter herbal flavours of the bitters - like Korean ginseng candies and dried mugwort. It’s surprisingly delicate with soda water, but still enough flavour that it keeps your palate from being bored. I had this when I was feeling particularly peckish, and I am happy to report that it works.
Just as I was about to wrap up this review - the team came back to me and said I had to try their homemade recipe: the Lemon Lime Bitters. A favourite afternoon cooler of the team at the Creations Lab as well as the Gin Jungle, the specifics of the recipe is up to who’s making it that afternoon and what sort of mood they’re in.
The rough recipe is as follows: equal parts lime juice and lemon juice, simple sugar syrup to your liking, topped with ice and soda water, and followed by however many dashes of bitters. I decided to give this a go, with:
And I have to say… mmmm! This tastes like an adult, grown up version of 7-Up and Sprite. It’s refreshing, with the sweet-sour brightness of the citrus, followed up by that sweet medicinal flavours that you get in the bitters. The bitters aren’t exactly lost in this quick concoction, but more of amplifying the juiciness and even some pithy and zest flavours of the citrus. At the finish, the woodier flavours make a comeback, elevated by the simple sugar syrup. The aromas of the bitters linger long on the palate.
Absolutely give this a try!
Final Rating: 9.5/10
I have to say - real good stuff! If I had to be nitpicky, I wish there was just a bit more bitter, maybe spicier flavours in the bitters. But these are strongly flavoured, hold their own in a cocktail, and continue to linger long in the afterparty. Heck, even on their own (i.e. throwing a few dashes of the bitters straight into your mouth - yes, that’s how I taste-test my bitters), they’re weirdly addictive.
I genuinely think this could make for a great addition to a home bar.
Score/Rating Scale :
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Pick up a bottle at Tanglin's website, or head down to their distillery - go for a tour while at it!
@vernoncelli
]]>One of the best highballs I've encountered.
You know, given the eye-watering prices of Japanese whisky - particularly Yamazaki - these days, one hesitates even to open a bottle of 12 Years Old Yamazaki, let alone having the Dutch courage or insanity to diluting one into a highball.
Maybe that's why Suntory decided to release this canned highball, so folks like us can now find out how a Yamazaki whisky highball tastes without having to wince and feel the pain of diluting the spirit ourselves as we contemplate our life choices. You know it's true - I'm not even being dramatic!
2023 marks the 100th anniversary of when Suntory's founder, Shinjiro Torii, ventured into the whisky business. Apart from releasing a spate of commemorative whisky bottlings, the company also decided to commemorate by releasing two special edition canned highballs from Hakushu earlier this year, and then from Yamazaki shortly after.
Yamazaki Distillery is built near Osaka and saw its beginnings in 1923, making it Japan's first malt distillery. Being the flagship single malt from Suntory and almost certainly Japan's most iconic whisky brand, it has a distinct profile that reflects its Japanese character. Drinkers agree it has that famous Mizunara oak influence which gives it a signature oriental feel - it's that woody, vannilic sandalwood aroma that reminds you of both temple incense and toasted coconut flakes.
With its 9% ABV, some quick maths suggests it's made according to Suntory's tried and tested bar recipe: 1 part whisky to 3 parts soda water. Interestingly, written in Japanese on the can is the claim of delivering a "Rich Taste of Mizunara Oak". Okay, I'll be the judge of that!
Colour: Chamomile tea.
Nose: Fresh and vibrant with fruitiness of apple and pear. The scent is bright and has a very inviting sweet character.
Palate: Fruity and aromatic, all at once. It has a bright fruity presence complemented by a prominent vanilla essence. And not just any typical vanilla note you find in a whisky; it has this clean, floral character reminiscent of the vanilla fragrances found in a cosmetic store like Sephora or something. Vanilla seamlessly transitions into hints of sandalwood - most definitely the mizunara influence promised on the label, before revealing nuances of aromatic coconut rice (nasi lemak), toasted coconut flakes and pandan leaves.
Finish: There's a chalkiness at the end with a minerality of wet pebbles. As it fades, we have lingering notes of vanilla and a clean, dry oakiness.
💯 One of the best whisky highballs I've tasted.
I was initially sceptical and thought that it's a little redundant to make a Yamazaki-branded soft drink. But this is actually one of the best highballs I've encountered. It did renew my respect for the complexity of Yamazaki whisky.
Japanese single malts, especially Yamazakis, don't come cheap nowadays. Cracking open a fresh bottle always feels like a luxury, and the idea of diluting this whisky into a highball seems almost sacrilegious to many. This canned drink does it for you, and it seems to prove to you that when you take that step, the whisky opens up in a whole new way.
It's the whole reason why Scotch whisky blenders dilute their whisky like ten parts to one. When whisky is diluted, flavour compounds become more apparent, and these blenders can identify and assess the full range of flavours present in the spirit.
So, akin to jotting tiny words on a balloon and then blowing it up, the discrete flavours of the Yamazaki - the fruitiness, vanilla and sandalwood mizunara character all become much more discernible in a highball.
You might wonder whether this was a mix of the basic non-age statement Yamazaki Single Malt with soda. I can confidently answer that it isn't. This highball offers more depth and flavour than a highball made with a NAS Yamazaki. I'm quite sure they've utilised an older stock for this one. To be certain, I guess we might need to whip up a highball using a 12 YO Yamazaki, as painful as that might sound!
Kanpai!
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>I must admit, when I first heard about a premium canned highball from Suntory carrying a rather steep price tag, I was sceptical. Anyone knows how to make their own whisky highballs. It seemed like there was no real need for an overpriced soft drink like this one. But tasting this offering from Suntory changed my perspective.
2023 isn't just any year for Suntory and its fans. It's the golden jubilee of the Hakushu Distillery, marking its 50th anniversary since its establishment in 1973. Suntory's journey into the whisky realm also began exactly a century ago, when its founder Shinjiro Torii pioneered whisky production in the outskirts of Osaka with Yamazaki Distillery. Fast forward to today, and the company's paying homage to its storied past with the release of two limited edition Premium Highballs - one from Hakushu, and another from Yamazaki.
Nestled amid the verdant forests at the foot of the Kai Komagatake in the South Alps, Hakushu Distillery is the company's second malt distillery after its maiden Yamazaki Distillery.
Hakushu is the brainchild of Keizo Saji, the son of founder Shinjiro Torii. He looked to build another malt distillery that would flourish in a contrasting environment, adding new layers of flavour and complexity to the Suntory portfolio.
How does Hakushu offer new flavours and complexity? Whisky enthusiasts might find this fascinating: the current Hakushu distillation facility looks like a playground for innovation, housing several stills of different sizes, shapes, and lyne-arm orientations.
Based on the 9% ABV, I did a bit of maths, and it seems to roughly align with the classic Suntory highball recipe: one part whisky to three parts soda water. This ratio is one that Suntory has championed in its bars, aiming for that perfect balance between the robust flavours of the whisky and the effervescence of the soda. Now, with all this in mind, let's get into the heart of the matter: the tasting. Standard Hakushu whiskies already introduce a slightly peaty touch to the palate, let's see how this plays out in a highball.
Colour: Nearly colourless.
Nose: Fresh with a hint of light citrus, accompanied by a gentle aromatic smokiness, along with underlying notes of minerality, giving it an earthy character.
Palate: Clean, grassy and herbaceous. Opens with a sweetness akin to pomelo, intertwined with an elegant and understated Chinese incense smokiness, aromas of peppermint and a light zestiness.
Finish: Smokiness persists and lingers subtly. A spiciness can be felt at the back of the throat. 'Chewing' seems to bring out some dry oak nuances, and light grassiness. Right at the end, we get some hints of dark roasted coffee and a touch of light vanilla.
🌿 Very minty and refreshing!
This highball captures many of the qualities one would hope for. It has a refreshingly minty essence, is delicately smoky, and brings to mind a serene forest. The combination of fruitiness, smokiness and zestiness makes the experience reminiscent of a Port Charlotte, but far gentler and more refined. It packs a bit more flavour than what I'd expect from a Hakushu highball, and that's a pleasant surprise.
Kanpai!
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>So, what exactly is cola?
If we’re talking about the OG cola, it refers to the 1866 recipe by pharmacist John S. Pemberton, who ran his own pharmacy. What Pemberton created was a tonic syrup, which originally contained cocaine from coca leaves, caffeine from kola nuts, which he sold to soda fountains. His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, penned the name “Coca-Cola”, referencing the names of both botanicals that were originally used in the recipe. According to Coca Cola, Dr Pemberton first brought his syrup to Jacob's Pharmacy, where the beverage had its rise to fame.
Source: Coca-Cola
The drink was known to be “delicious and refreshing”, and became a sensation amongst the people (maybe… cocaine played a role?). Soon enough, cocaine from coca leaves were removed from the official recipe in 1903. Kola nuts, which are used amongst communities in Western Africa as both a stimulant and folk medicine, was only removed from the recipe in 2016 according to Coca Cola.
The evolution of bottle shapes since its inception. Source: Coca-Cola
It’s a bit unsure what the flavourings were in the original cola syrup as the recipe is said to be under lock and key, but it sheds light on how cola isn’t technically a soft drink but a syrup that gets mixed into soda water to create the beverage. Apparently, there’s some places in USA that still does it ol’ fashioned.
Lexington Candy Shop is one of the famous places in NYC that does it old school. Source: Drew (Youtube)
Nevertheless, homemade cola has had a bit of a boom in recent years - where the main flavour suspects are citrus peels (lemon, lime and orange), cinnamon, vanilla, and some sort of acid. There are variations to the recipe, with some recipes including nutmeg, and there’s the debate of adding caramel colour versus caramelising the sugar to give the beverage its dark colour, but the general consensus is that cola should be a citrusy, sweet beverage with some hint of herbaceousness and spice.
Some recipes also call for the addition of gum arabica for a richer mouthfeel. Source: The Educated Barfly (Youtube)
Yamato Cola is a product from the Tomo Cola brand, hailing from the Soni Village in Nara Prefecture. The brand has its origins in 2018, where it aimed to explore the unique plants and herbs native to Japan.
Souce: Tomocola.com
Interestingly, the brand also aimed to shatter the “unhealthy image” that cola has had garnered over the years - in a sense, cola was originally a medicinal tonic that utilised spices and herbs from all over the world. Instead, Tomo Cola localises the herbs and spices to what is found in the “fields and mountains all over the country”.
A video taken featuring Tomo Cola. Souce: Nara Travel Guide (Facebook)
As of date, there have been five craft cola syrups under the Tomo Cola brand - some reflecting the prefecture’s unique botanicals. The first craft cola syrup was the Kumamoto Craft Cola - developed in 2019. The cola syrup, which features the abundance of citrus fruits of the prefecture, is now produced under Hanauta Kajitsu, a citrus farm in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kumamoto Cola. Source: Tomo Cola
Yamato Cola
What’s the special feature of this cola, then? This cola was developed from August 2020 to April 2021, the most recent of colas to be released under Tomo Cola. The name “Yamato” comes from two special botanicals: the Yamato Tachibana (tachibana orange) and Kihada (amur cork-tree).
Source: Tomo Cola
The tachibana orange, once touted as the “fruit of immortality”, has fallen a bit on the wayside. The citrus fruit has had centuries of history in Japan, and is found along the coasts of warmer regions such as Mie Prefecture. As the tree retained its leaves in winter, it has also served as a symbol of longevity. However, in recent years, it has became increasingly difficult to harvest fruits from this endangered tree species. A farmer in Nara has started the Nara Tachibana project - aimed at reviving and cultivating the tree more effectively.
Source: Watobi.jp
(On a side note, Yamato was the old name given to Nara Prefecture).
Kihada (キハダ), more commonly known as the amur cork-tree, is often used in medicine in Korea, China and Japan. The Ainu people, a people indigenous to Hokkaido, used the plant as a painkiller. The fruit of the tree is used in this syrup, though other parts of the plant has medicinal uses as well.
キハダの実 (Kihada no Mi). Souce: hino-seiyaku.com
Another botanical of interest is the Yamato Touki as well, or, angelica acutiloba. A species of angelica root, the herb touki is said to be endemic to Japan, but has been cultivated in other asian countries such as Korea, Taiwan and China. This herb is often used in kanpo (Japanese adoption of traditional Chinese medicine), and is also commonly nicknamed as the Japanese angelica root. The Yamato designation refers to the herb being grown within Nara Prefecture, and the kanji 当帰 literally means “recover back to health”.
Yamato Touki 大和当帰. Source: Wakanyaku
Apart from the above three ingredients are all produced and harvested in Nara prefecture, there are more than 15 ingredients in this syrup. The other ingredients include:
Lemon レモン, kibi sugarきび砂糖 (light brown sugar), cloves クローブ, allspice オールスパイス, cardamom カルダモン, cinnamon シナモン, kola nuts コーラナッツ, and other spices.
Here’s what’s written on the bottle label, and a quick translation (my personal attempt at translation - please correct me if there are mistakes!).
The back of the Yamato Cola bottle.
I was given this as a souvenir from relatives who came back from Nara. They thought that this dark concoction was some sort of booze - turns out, it’s a cola syrup. It was perfect for the hot afternoon, and I figured it’s time to go dry for at least one of out seven days of the week.
Nose: A powerful, profound nutmeg aroma that is rounded off by a bit of ground cloves. There is a deep, herbal dried fruit fragrance that is a mix between dehydrated lemons and seville orange skins.
Taste: The palate reminds me of cough syrup, the likes of Woods or Nim Jiom Pei Pa Koa. The sweetness tends towards autumn fruits, such as a slightly under ripe persimmon that has retained some of its tannic bitterness. There is a woody-herbal-bitterness combo that reminds me of chewing on mugwort leaves and angelica roots at the same time.
Finish: The tingling of mace is quite profound, leaving behind an astringent, numbing sensation on the palate. There is a bit of warmth from cassia, as well as that fragrant, volatile woodiness from angostura bitters.
My Rating |
👴Sit back on your rocking chair and relax - this is what this drink reminds me of. An elder who is wise and has lots of wisdom to share - while keeping it fun still. |
Is it a cola cola? Uhmmm, not so much in my opinion. At least, when you think of Coca-Cola, Pepsi or RC Cola, this does not come close to it. I do get some of that orange, refreshing zestiness you come to associate with the aforementioned sodas, but definitely, the nutmeg, angostura and seville orange peel flavours are a lot more pronounced. On that note, if you followed the directions stated on the bottle (a 1:5 ratio between syrup and soda water), the sweetness may be a little lacking.
It’s more of a bittersweet, herbal soda that, if you so desire (and me having the palate of a septuagenarian) you can juzz up with a naughty dash or two of angostura bitters to invigorate that spicier, woodier flavours. Overall, a delicious and fun gift for a friend who may have been drinking a bit too much!
@vernoncelli
]]>
Is this that mead? The elusive, the unicorn, the legendary Pokemon of a mead that made its debut more than 2 years ago and has only made sporadic appearances throughout Singapore? The mead that I, personally, have hunted for two years after stalking Lion City Meadery’s Instagram?
A meme from the Lion City Meadery Instagram
No - that mead is a done deal, and it’s not coming back (the last few reserves of it might still be out in the wild, and you may need to know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy to find them). Instead, we’ve got this Royal Imperial Chrysanthemum Mead instead - almost an evolution from its predecessor and, to be frank, is a welcome signal of more projects from Lion City Meadery to come.
Read our full deep-dive on Lion City Meadery here!
The Royal Imperial Chrysanthemum Mead is the result of popular demand to bring back their original Chrysanthemum mead back over the past few years. The duo behind Lion City Meadery, Sanjay and Justin, have made it clear that it’s not coming back (as that batch of mead was brewed in Australia before moving operations to Singapore).
Brewing in Singapore, at an undisclosed site.
While the original, 7% ABV beer-like mead is no more, this mead is nevertheless a worthy celebration for Lion City Meadery’s 5th year anniversary, as well as the first brew to have been made in Lion City Meadery’s new and undisclosed Singaporean brewery. Instead of the usual 330ml beer bottle, this mead is doubled in both volume and alcohol of its predecessor - sold at a whopping 700ml, at 14% ABV. Talk about an evolution!
The official announcement from the LCM Instagram.
One day, I saw the post on Lion City Meadery’s Instagram - talking about mentions of a Chrysanthemum mead. A personal anecdote of mine - I missed the chance to get the original Chrysanthemum mead at 7% ABV. Bugger. Undeterred, I made a beeline to In Bad Company, where this version of Chrysanthemum Mead is dropped.
Collateral from In Bad Comapny's Instagram
A hip gastrobar tucked away in the bustling East Coast Road, the place is known to be an insider hideout for beer fans, aspiring artists and music junkies. It was the first location for the first soft launch of the 14% ABV stuff, with the addition of honey-themed dishes as well as a highball version of the new mead. They also have a slushie out of the Longan Red Date Mead, which is part of the Liang Teh series that the original Chrysanthemum Mead belonged to.
Taken from the mezzanine.
For the new Chrysanthemum Mead’s debut in In Bad Company, DJs would be performing for the night. The new mead was available on tap as well as bottle sales, and as a testament to Lion City Meadery’s popularity, all 12 bottles that were available for the event sold up even before the sun set. For me, I went over the moment In Bad Company opened their doors(not making the same mistake as last time!) grabbed a 250ml glass of the mead, which was paired with a honey cured Swordfish sashimi.
Not only did the sashimi have an intense, chew-some texture, the umami of the fish was really accentuated by the subtle but present sweetness in the honey cure. Coupled with a slight spicy kick from the gochujang marinate and the richness tempered by the acidity of the shallot vinaigrette, this plate of sashimi was super tasty and the perfect savoury accompaniment to my mead. Kudos to the chefs behind In Bad Company!
I had the fortune of meeting the two brains behind Lion City Meadery, Sanjay and Justin, and had a chat with them about their new mead. They informed me, a greenhorn on meads, that mead often came in to styles: 1) a beer-like style that was more effervescent, light on flavour and tend to hover between 5 to 10% ABV, and 2) a wine-like style, which was more traditional, thicker, and sweeter - resembling a dessert wine.
Wine style meads tend not to be as effervescent and higher in ABV.
The Royal Imperial mead got its aristocratic name from the way it was fashioned liked an Imperial Stout - heavy, thick, high ABV, and meant to be enjoyed like one. However, Justin and Sanjay are not particular with how you'll like to enjoy the mead - chased with ice, water, sparkling water, "as long as you enjoy it". There are a few firsts to be had with this version of the Chrysanthemum Mead, right from the liquid itself to even the packaging.
The mead, first and foremost, is the first of its kind from Lion City Meadery - the usual meads tend towards a sour-beer style, mostly due to the refreshing ability cold, sour and bubbly drinks tend to have in the Singaporean hot climate. This wine-style mead, however, is the first single in its genre for Lion City Meadery, with the duo planning to release more offerings in the future where sweetness and alcohol percentage are turned up a few notches. Just like its predecessor, the mead only contains four ingredients: honey, water, yeast, and chrysanthemum flowers.
The original label and look of the Chrysanthemum Mead.
Secondly, Lion City Meadery always wanted to be involved in the local creative scene. Initially wanting to involve local artists, the pandemic forced a halt on the project - as, understandably, everyone was on survival mode then. Chrysanthemum has always been a feature in Chinese culture, from artistic paintings, cuisine, to herbal teas - hence, commissioning a Chinese watercolour painting was the obvious choice. And no, the label on this bottle was not just a design made digitally - it was painted by local artist Cheryl Yeong, and then scanned before being printed on the labels, the original copy well kept by the Lion City duo. The painting was titled 秋思 (Autumn Meditations).
Credits are written at the bottom left of the bottle.
On top of the original artwork, a poem is written on the left by calligraphist Clement Huang, also a friend of both Sanjay and Justin. The poem was an actual piece written by Huang Chao 黄巢, describing the autumn scenery and chrysanthemums blooming. Here’s the poem, in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and my spin on an English translation (with the help of a few friends, pardon my unprofessional work!):
待到秋來九月八 | 待到秋来九月八 |
我花開後百花殺 | 我花开后百花杀 |
衝(沖)天香陣透長安 | 冲天香阵透长安 |
滿城盡帶黃金甲 | 满城尽带黄金甲 |
Dài dào qiū lái jiǔ yuè bā | When the 8th day of the 9th month comes |
wǒ huā kāi hòu bǎihuā shā | Chrysanthemums bloom while hundreds of flowers die |
chōng tiān xiāng zhèn tòu cháng ān | The fragrance penetrates Chang’An (the capital) |
mǎn chéng jǐn dài huángjīn jiǎ | And the whole city is clad in golden armour |
There’s a bit of trivia that goes to the author and his poem, so check out the end of the article for a bit of a deep dive (this goes to show how much love and thought is put in the label)!
Last but not least, to give the bottles an even more personal touch, each bottle is meticulously hand-numbered by none other than Justin and Sanjay themselves - all 700 bottles that will be on sale in the next few weeks to come.
#69 was taken by a staff member of In Bad Co. We had to settle with #68 instead.
The meads are first making their debut at In Bad Company, but once the beer taprooms and bottle shops are ready to push to the mead, updates will be dropped on Lion City Meadery’s Instagram as well as their website. If you’re keen on the stuff, do pay close attention to their socials.
Let’s give this mead a go!
Nose: Musk melon aromas are the first notes I get. I get candied sour plums sweets as well as a strong, heady aroma of chrysanthemums. Despite the strong floral aroma, there is a navel orange juice aroma as well that softens the floral aromas.
Palate: Extremely thick, almost like sugar syrup. Deep, dried fruit flavours of currants and raisins, alongside date syrup. The chrysanthemum floral notes are backed by a host of other herbal flavours in traditional Chinese medicine. The flavours feel like a cross between an aged solera madeira and Nim Jiom Pei Pa Koa (a herbal loquat syrup for cough and flu).
Finish: Sticky, honey finish. There's a bittersweet finish from freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea, and the honey, dried fruit sweetness evolves to something more licorice and herbal, similar to chewing on Angelica root as my mouth salivates from the alcohol.
My Rating |
✨🏹Truly a fitting drink made from the food of the Gods! Extremely indulgent, this mead goes hard on the sweetness and thickness. This is a real treat for the senses - but be warned, you might need to take this in small doses or with a crowd, for a drink this indulgent is not to be taken lightly. |
I think this is a worthy milestone for Lion City Meadery - and a true love letter to the creative community in Singapore, both to the craft brewers and the artists. Given that this is a start for more traditional style meads in LCM’s portfolio, I’m excited to see what other styles of mead will grace our palates in time to come. Happy 5th anniversary Lion City Meadery!
@vernoncelli
P.S Here’s where I’ll explain more about the trivia behind the poem.
Clement Huang's calligraphy is a poem is titled “On The Resilience of Chrysanthemums (After Failing The Imperial Examinations) 不第后赋菊”.
The chrysanthemum is also one of four noble plants in Chinese culture.
To understand more about the poem, we must first look at who wrote it and when he wrote it. The poem was written by Huang Chao, a famous rebel during the Tang Dynasty. Born into a family of sword merchants, Huang Chao studied and tried the notoriously difficult Imperial Examinations to become an official for the Imperial Court,. Huang Chao did not make it into the Imperial Court, and it has been implied that the poem is written right after his failure at the examinations.
This poem was also written nearing the end of the Tang Dynasty. Allegedly, there was a famine and the Emperor imposed high duties and taxes on the general population. This made the lives of peasants especially difficult, and perhaps a (somewhat salty) Huang Chao sought to do justice for the people. From 874 to 884, he organised a peasant’s rebellion as well as anti government movements, which severely weakened and ultimately overthrew the Tang Dynasty Emperor. He took the throne, starting the Qi Dynasty. According to some records, Huang Chao indulged in his new royalty, and there are few plausible explanations on how he met his end - he killed himself, his nephew killed him, he got backstabbed by a subordinate, or left the Court to become a monk.
The Huang Chao Rebellion, after the An Lushan Rebellion, was the final nail in the coffin for the failing Tang Dynasty.
Onto the poem itself, it mentioned the 8th of the 9th Month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Back in China then, the 9th day of the 9th month is called the Double Ninth Festival 重阳节 and is marked as an especially auspicious day (the number 9 in Chinese is often associated with longevity and auspice). A few traditions and customs take place on this day, including the drinking of chrysanthemum wine.
Chrysanthemum in Chinese culture has quite a few meanings, and we’ll explore some within the context of this poem. For one, chrysanthemum is an important medicinal herb that is often associated with cleansing and purity.
The festival is not just celebrated in China, but also in Korea and Japan - where chrysanthemums often have relatively similar meanings as well. In Japan, the Gregorian calendar 9th of September is called Choyo no Sekku (重陽の節句) as well as Kiku no Sekku (菊の節句 Chrysanthemum Festival), one of the five ancient sacred festivals where people pray at shrines and temples for longevity and drink chrysanthemum sake. In Korea, the festival is called Jungyangjeol (중양절), where chrysanthemum is pressed onto pancakes and people partake in climbing mountains or viewing chrysanthemum blossoms.
Kiku no Sekku celebrated at a shinto shrine (left), chrysanthemum pancakes eaten in Korea (right)
Another possible and more contextual meaning to this poem, is that chrysanthemums are often a symbol of resilience, given that it is a hardy plant, a flower emits a mild but noticeable fragrance, and blossoms when other flowers wilt in autumn. Huang Chao could have alluded to the resilience of the peasants, or perhaps himself (just my interpretation, take this with a grain of salt!).
Finally, the last line of the poem could be interpreted in two ways: it could mean that the place was filled with chrysanthemum blossoms, or, hinting at the peasant uprising, it could have meant that it was filled with people wearing golden armour. The latter interpretation seems to be the more common one from what I have gathered.
The last line of the poem is also the title of Zhang Yimou’s 2006 movie the Curse of Golden Flower (which heavily features chrysanthemums), a fictional tale of family backstabbing, plotting in the Imperial Court and uprising. Director Zhang Yimou is most well known from the critically acclaimed film Raise the Red Lantern 大红灯笼高高挂.
I never expected this bottle label to have so many layers to the liquid in it - a massive thanks to Justin for sharing with me about how the label came to be and Clement for helping out with the poem!
]]>I guess you could call this an Oatside side-by-side.
Oatside is one of those millennial- and Gen-Z-friendly brands of oat m*lk that have recently been making waves across Southeast Asia with their cute packaging and punny bear-mascot fuelled marketing. Recently, they've been rolling out different flavoured variants of oat milk, including the Oatside Original Barista Blend oat milk, the Oatside Chocolate oat milk and the Oatside Coffee oat milk.
As someone who's been a long-time lover of oat milk (enough to endure the associated $1 top up free whenever I order a latte at a cafe), I didn't think twice when I saw these trio packs sitting on the shelf of my neighbourhood supermarket. So without further ado, let's jump into the taste-test and review of these three Oatside milk flavors!
Taste + Texture: This is one of the creamiest oat milks I've tasted, with a thick, rich mouthfeel. The flavor has a nice subtle nuttiness, with notes of pistachio and hazelnut, and you can taste a distinctively fragrant sweetness that remains me of cream and rice milk. Very drinkable and full-bodied!
Taste + Texture: This was even thicker and heavier-bodied than the original oat milk, with strong, flavorful accents of malt powder and milk chocolate shavings. This instantly triggers nostalgic memories of the Milo truck milo cups that was served during primary school track and field events, albeit a little bit creamier. I think the flavor on this is really tasty, no doubt, but the texture is so creamy that I could imagine myself getting quite full after a few sips.
Taste + Texture: I liked the texture on this one - creamy without becoming overly heavy-bodied or chewy. The coffee flavours blends and balances really well with the sweet, nuttiness. It reminds me of a creamy latte, though towards the end, there's a slightly darker espresso note that grows in prominence, reminding me less of a latte and more of the Kopiko coffee candy.
All three Oatside packets are perceptibly more heavy-bodied, creamy and subtly sweet than any other oat milk brands, which are usually a bit lighter and thinner on the texture. I'd even say that this is almost dessert-like in taste and feel, and I can see it's easygoing flavours has the potential to have broad appeal.
Personally, I found the chocolate and coffee packets too be slightly too sweet and thick for an every day drink, and would probably recommend it as a morning grab-and-go option for those with a massive sweet tooth and are looking for something more socially unacceptable to drink than an ice cream milkshake in the early morning.
That said, I'm a big fan of the original! I do really appreciate its smoothness and richness of the original Barista Blend packet which has much more flavor and dimensionality than most plain oat milks I've tried before. At present, I always keep carton on hand in my kitchen to drink with my morning coffee. And, since this is 88bamboo.co after all, I of course have to mention also that the Original oat milk flavour works beautifully in a White Russian cocktail!
@lotusroot518
]]>Sanjay made an observation that a large portion of females are not beer drinkers in general - instead, leaning more towards wine and cocktails. While they’re not exactly adverse to the idea of trying out IPAs or stouts, there is still quite a bridge to cross.
The answer to this was the Hibiscus Blueberry Mead - while still brewed in a similar style to beer and using the Classic Mead as its base recipe, whole dried hibiscus flowers are steeped into the liquid as it ferments for colour and tannins, then finished off with crushed and pureed blueberries. The resulting mead is, according to Sanjay, like a very young Pinot Noir wine that is slightly sparkling.
Read our full deep dive on Lion City Meadery here!
Nose: Powerful aromas of hibiscus tea from the get go. After the burst of hibiscus tea, there’s a blackcurrant cordial aroma that’s sweet and juicy - like Ribena. The blackcurrant cordial aroma tapers off and makes way for concord grape jam instead, taking on a more sugary like sweetness while retaining some of its berry characteristic
Palate: Blueberry jam is the predominant flavour in this mead. It’s perceptibly more sweet than the classic mead, with the added blueberry jazz, without the tartness. The drying sensation from the tannins is very similar to a lightly steeped hibiscus flower tea or a Lambrusco wine - barely enough to give any friction or drying sensations in your gums.
Finish: The drying sensation of the mead still lingers, with the same low intensity as when you drink it. The flavours take on a more candy, bubblegum profile. Interestingly, the finish also reminds me of gnawing on berry skins and seeds as well, alongside the backdrop of honey.
My Rating |
💋Is it strange to call a mead seductive? It has a very inviting, jammy aroma that appeals to the inner kid of most, at least, it invokes memories of eating jam by the spoonful when no one’s looking. The tannins are so barely perceptible it feels like a tease that you want more of. Don’t take this in a weird way, but this feels like a guilty pleasure drink that you indulge only when no one’s looking, like a quick make out session. |
@vernoncelli
]]>The Spiced Mead pays homage to the masala chai (chai tea), an all-too-familiar drink. Spice like cinnamon, cloves and star anise were roasted, before being added whole and fermented with the same eucalyptus honey blend in the previous meads.
The idea came about from Sanjay’s lineage, but also from an anecdote while he was at The Single Cask. Sanjay and one of the owners of Single Cask were having drams from a not-too-inspiring bottle of whisky, and thought how they could improve it (with a bit of fun). The initial experiment was infusing the whisky with dried fruits, too sweet. The next iteration of the experiment was throwing in cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise, and after some balancing, yielded a much better drink than before.
An example of a masala spice blend.
Hence, the spice mead was conceptualised - only without using the dried fruits. What sets apart this mead from the other two is that it underwent a three step fermentation process, compared to the Classic Mead and Hibiscus Blueberry Mead that only involved primary and secondary (two-step) fermentation.
Read our full deep-dive on Lion City Meadery here!
Nose: I instantly get chai latte on the nose. More of the cinnamon and star anise opens up the more you let the aromas develop in the glass, with very similar sharpy, funky fruit aromas from the Classic mead. However, it leans toward a green mango aroma that has been tossed with freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
Palate: Equally light on effervescence as the Classic mead. From the spice blend, I distinctively taste the star anise and cloves a lot more, and the cinnamon less, which brings out a sweeter perception to the mead. There’s also an interesting mace-like flavour in the mead as well, that adds a freshness to the mead alongside pear.
Finish: There’s a mild but perceptible astringency - imagine dabbing ground nutmeg on your tongue or chewing on a piece of mace and letting it sit: that zappy, slightly numbing yet bittering astringency. There is also quite a warming sensation from masala chai, particularly the ones you get from cinnamon and ginger.
My Rating |
😏🎭 If Classic Mead was the minimalist approach, the Spice Mead is the maximalist approach. The masala spice plays off well with the pome fruit aromas well, and I think of desserts served in fusion food restaurants. Masala spice sprinkled over vanilla ice cream? Poached pears? Just because you didn’t have to, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t - and I appreciate the spice mead for that reason. The smug alter ego of the Classic Mead. |
@vernoncelli
]]>
When R&D-ing the first batches of Classic Mead, Sanjay was as precise as he could be - going down to the millilitre and grams despite being a 3000 litre batch of mead. He mentions that it is due to the barebones nature of the Classic mead that every little increment would ultimately influence the final batch.
Read our full deep-dive on Lion City Meadery here!
Nose: A bit spicy on the nose at first - there’s a fruity funk that reminds me of sour passionfruit and green mangoes. Imagine sour beers, but more towards the tropical side. Digging deeper into the mead, there is a cooked apple filling aroma as well.
Palate: Juuusst a tiny bit effervescent. It has a piney, resinous taste that is somewhat similar to eucalyptus. There’s also quite a strong, herbal taste of tarragon and sage. The gentle sweetness of the mead comes through after the initial fruit rush, and it is distinctively raw honey like. This mead is sour, but not overly so - just two dials below the average apple cider.
Finish: The fruit flavours evolve to a refreshing apple-like taste, like biting into a slice of freshly cut red apples. There is a lingering floral and piney aroma on the palate. The sourness does not linger long after swallowing the mead.
My Rating |
🥗🍎A bowl of fruit salad. If sour beers and honey teas had a child, this would’ve been it. I could imagine this being a good reset button between each bite or course during meals, where the fruity funky aromas and the bold, herbal and sour taste gives a jolt of contrast to the dish at hand.
|
@vernoncelli
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This mead is part of the Liang Teh series, where dried longans and red dates that were specially rated for aroma and sweetness are added into the brew. This was the mead that won the Best In Singapore in Beerfest Asia 2023. This mead, like other seasonals from Lion City Meadery, will be gone once it is all sold out. Be warned!
Read our full deep-dive on Lion City Meadery here!
Nose: Dried longans are the dominant note on the nose. Alongside the concentrated, tropical fruit aroma of dried longans, there’s a deeply sweet honey and floral aroma - I think of osmanthus flowers and chrysanthemums. Comparing to the Classic Mead, I can barely catch any of the sour, tart aromas.
Palate: Right of, there’s the strong taste of Chinese red dates, skin and all. There’s is that medicinal bitterness from the skin of the Chinese red date, alongside its grassy sweetness. After the initial wave of red date flavours, I get the sticky sweet flavours of longan coming through. Texture wise, this mead is thick and syrupy.
Finish: The finish is very floral. The thickness of the mead lingers in the palate, retaining more longan flavours. There is also this wolfberry aroma that, while not as present on the palate, shows itself a lot more on the finish.
My Rating |
👵Just like grandma used to make. It nails those homebrew aromas that are very nostalgic - hitting all the right spots for a liang teh. However, I have to caution that the tartness takes a backseat here and the sweetness takes the centre stage, so this may favour sweet tooths more. |
@vernoncelli
]]>On a recent trip to Kyoto, I noticed a particular brand of umeshu (spoiler alert: it wasn't Choya) was often listed on the menu of many local restaurants. The label itself was fairly unassuming, with the words "梅酒" (or "plum wine") written straightforwardly on the label. Intrigued by its ubiquity, I did some searching and found the name of this umeshu: Umenoyado Aragoshi Umeshu.
This umeshu is produced by Umenoyado Brewery, which is actually a sake brewery. The sake produced by the brewery is also the spirit base that is used in this umeshu. The term "Aragoshi" means "mashed" in Japanese, and is a reference to the fact that the brewery mashes its ume fruit into a pulp to produce this particular line of umeshu.
Colour: Amber with deep-reddish flecks of plum puree.
Nose: Mild fragrance of preserved salted prunes, with lashing of sweet, mellow honey.
Palate: There's slightly-thick texture to this umeshu, with a certain chewy mouthfeel thanks to a gummy candy-like sweetness. There's bold, sweet notes of sour plums at the forefront, and slowly, you'll also notice a mild honeyed flavour thats slightly herbal in nature - reminding me of the popular Pei Pa Koa syrup.
Finish: Short, with notes of plum juice and green apples, fading to a mild bitterness.
Sweet and approachable! This umeshu is easy-to-drink with a nice weightiness and honeyed overtones. I had a glass of this umeshu alongside some sashimi and mackerel sushi - which is a combination I thoroughly enjoyed! The umami seafood complimented the sweetness of this umeshu well, and accentuated its honeyed flavours.
Some more experienced umeshu drinkers might want more tartness for a bolder umeshu, but overall, I would think this is still by and large an enjoyable liqueur that everyone can get behind! It's almost too easy to drink! I suppose, this approachability accounts for the fact that it's such a ubiquitous drink option offered by many restaurants in Japan.
Until next time!
@lotusroot518
]]>I've always felt that it was only a matter of time before interest in mezcal becomes mainstream in Asia. The Mexican agave spirit is truly a unique spirit of its own, offering a wonderfully nuanced balance of smokiness fruitiness that is quite irresistible once you've tasted it for yourself.
Perhaps one of the biggest validations of the growing role of mezcal in the Asian spirits scene is the success of Hong Kong bar Coa. The bar has consistently topped regional rankings for cocktail bars, and it's living proof that being a primarily mezcal-focused bar hasn't been any issue that alienates consumers.
Recently, Coa collaborated with local bean-to-bar chocolate maker Conspiracy Chocolate to release a mezcal infused dark chocolate. The bar was made from single-origin cacao beans sourced from Vietnam, as well as 100% agave La Travesia mezcal.
Typically, water changes the texture of chocolate, causing it to "seize up" and become something resembling fudge rather than a chocolate bar. Consequently, according to Conspiracy Chocolate, this bar takes about 5 days to produce because of a complex extraction process used to get the flavours of the mezcal into the chocolate without any of the water. Each production batch yields only 4 kg of chocolate each time, and hence, it's not uncommon to find this bar sold out on the website.
Luckily, I was able to snag a bar to try for myself during one of their rare restocks!
Very deep, dark notes of cherries with a bitterness of smokey tobacco - with very a barely-there hit of citrus. There's a smooth, chalky minerality to the chocolate bar that is punctuated by subtle notes of star anise and ginger spice that extend into the finish.
This is definitely not your typical chocolate bar - it's fulls of depth and has a nuanced bitterness of tobacco. Make no mistake: the mezcal is what calls the shots here. The cocoa is simply the vehicle through which the earthy, smokiness of the agave spirit is brought to life in a non-ABV treat. I like that you can actually distinctly taste the spirits influence here. The smokiness of mezcal isn't shrouded in sugar, while the minerality of the mezcal also translates through the fine-grained texture of the bar. Definitely a unique gift for yourself or any mezcal curious drinker in your life.
@lotusroot518
]]>
It's safe to say that Korean rapper Jay Park seriously loves soju.
In fact, the former 2PM k-pop boyband member turned rapper loves soju so much that he even once wrote an entire rap dedicated to the Korean spirit, with lyrics that went like this:
With lyrics like this that spoke to the fervour of his soju obsession, perhaps it was only a matter of time before Jay Park would decide to launch his soju brand.
The result is Won Soju, Jay Park's own premium line of soju that debuted just last year in 2022. The brand unsurprisingly went viral in South Korea, and within six months of inception, celebrated the sale of their one million bottle. In fact, this soju became so popular in South Korea that at one point, the brand had to limit orders from local convenience stores to four bottles per order, three times a week. This meant that each chain could really only obtain twelve bottles every week, sparking discontent among chain store owners.
Jay Park, posing with Won Soju (Image source: Hypebeast)
Whenever a celebrity spirit is discussed, I suppose the natural instinct is for one to attribute its success to the use of star power. But in the case of Won Soju, I would even dare say that Jay Park-aside, Won Soju is a soju brand worthy of interest in and of itself.
This is because the brand, by all official accounts, has successfully differentiated itself not just via the famous rapper, but through its traditional soju production techniques and ingredients - offering something refreshing and unique to what's currently available in the mainstream soju market.
Unlike mainstream soju brands, Won Soju actually uses 100% domestic rice to make their soju. Historically, soju was produced using only rice, nuruk (fermentation starter) and water. However, due to rice shortages in Korea during the 1950s, soju producers were banned from using rice and instead started substituting it with other starches like potatoes or tapioca. While the ban was eventually lifted, today it's common for soju producers to use some combination of rice and other grains. Such is the case with most of the mass-produced, green-bottled sojus commonly seen in Korean restaurants or supermarkets, such as Chum Churum or Chamisul.
Won Soju is made from 100% domestically sourced pearl rice from Wonju. (Image source: Won Soju)
Won Soju not only departs from the mainstream brands in choosing to distill the spirit from only rice as a base ingredient, it also specifically sources higher-quality Totomi rice from the Wonju province. While mass-produced soju brands from the likes of Lotte and Hite Jinro use state-stocked rice for their soju, Jay Park's soju uses freshly harvested Totomi rice that is estimated to be around six times that price.
Today, I have with me the Won Soju Spirit, a soju distilled to 24% ABV. This is the second product release from Won Soju - with the first release being the Won Soju Original, distilled to 22% ABV. Unlike the Original, the Won Soju Spirit is not aged in an onggi after distillation, which is a traditional Korean clay pot.
Color: Clear
Aroma: Bright, clean, aromatic flavours of sweet steamed rice and a light touch of yogurt, with a light bit of minerality - very Sake-like! It is very attractive on the aromas and doesn't sting at all.
Taste: More sweetness of steamed rice - almost of a translucent quality, think glutinous rice cakes but bright and more fragrant. Frankly it's very close to Sake - and good Daiginjo Sake for that matter. There's more vanilla here, and also wheat, with a sort of creamy sweetness of White Rabbit milk candy. It then moves into a very lightly sweet and sour rice mash and yogurt - but very light. It's medium-bodied, very silky and bright and easy to drink.
Finish: Clean, with just a light bitterness and a long, growing warmth.
Sweet and creamy like sparkling milk candy!
This definitely tastes very different from your standard green bottle soju - it is very Sake-like - in that it expresses very aromatic sweet rice flavours, and on the palate is akin to glutinous rice cakes. It isn't harsh and doesn't even smell like your conventional soju - in fact it really has great aromas that make it very attractive. On the palate, while sweet and fragrant, there is a little bit more of that alcohol flavours that come through that you definitely feel, but overall still very silky and easy to drink. What was particularly standout was that it had a nice thick texture that gave a very enjoyable mouthfeel. It was also pretty clean on the finish, which is always a good thing.
I think it's particularly bold that Won Soju has largely focused on an unflavoured expression rather than following in the footsteps with many of the other soju-makers who've added much more enticing flavours of apple, citrus, green grapes and what have you. This certainly demonstrates that at the core - they're at least confident of their soju and it shows - it has a real purity and cleanness about it whilst still being aromatic, flavourful and easy to drink.
Of course with soju you're not looking for a whole lot of complexity, so you can't ask for that much. But Won Soju seems to feel no need to mask its soju with added flavours and kudos to them!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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The news of Foursquare’s new Exceptional Cask Selection release, Touchstone reminded me to do this review.
Touchstone is a blend of two single blended rums 14 year old rum. One is aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon casks then 9 years in ex-Cognac casks. The other is rum aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon casks then was transferred into ex-Camus Cognac casks for 2 years.
At the end of 2018, Camus launched an expression aimed at exploring the possibilities of oceanic and tropical aging. They sent 10 casks of 4 year old Cognac to Barbados. They underwent a 45 day maturation at sea. Then the casks were received by Foursquare’s master distiller Richard Seale. After a year of aging in Barbados, the Cognacs were sent back to Camus. But Foursquare kept the 10 casks to age for them to age their rum in.
With there being only 10 casks that were sent to Barbados, only 4500 bottles became available. Also, some of the tropical-aged Cognac were included in a sample set to let some people compare the effects of the expedition with regularly aged Camus Cognac. If you’re curious about this, you can read about it on Cognac Expert's post.
Some of you might be thinking: “What? A Cognac brand toying with the idea of aging at sea? This technique doesn’t sound new. We've already seen Jefferson’s (Ocean) do this. And it wasn’t that good.” You’re correct in thinking that it’s been done by Jefferson’s. But, first, Jefferson’s Ocean didn’t age on a tropical island. Second, they weren’t the first to do it either. A lot of us forget that before glass bottles and IBC containers became the standard container wine, beer, rum and brandy were shipped around in casks. According to Camus, this was the thing for the most of the 1700s and a good part of the 1800s.
I’m sure we’re all already aware of how the tropical climate will affect Camus’ aging. Spirits aged in tropical climates tend to age “faster”, compared to colder (continental) climates since the pores of the cask are more open. Thus leading to more wood interaction. What’s more interesting is Camus tested and compared the Barbados-aged cognac with cognac aged in Cognac via chromatograph. According to them, the experiment shows a more significant aromatic evolution of the liquid.
There’s also mention of an accelerated esterification due to tropical aging. This is something that’s discussed more by the rum folk. Barrel-aging, increases the ester counts in a spirit. Congeners give alcohol its aromas and flavors. Esters is a kind of congener. (Refer to this old article for a deeper dive.) But since tropical aging accelerates barrel aging, the esterification process becomes faster.
If you’re curious about how the ocean voyage affected the cognac’s aging, you can read Camus’ report on it here.
45.3% abv. €109 on Cognac Expert. £94.95 on The Whisky Exchange.
Color: Mahogany
On the nose: I get sharp but light, coherent and tart aromas of browning bananas, pears, red berries and cherries. Behind them are dry and lighter aromas of leather, dried dates, cacao, cantaloupe melon, orange peel and molasses.
In the mouth: Also sharp and tart but the notes are more expressive. I taste mild and muddled notes of cherries, dried dates, red berries, dried apricots, cantaloupe melons, goji berries, red grape skins, toffee, caramel, caramelized orange peel oil and cacao.
Because there’s no mention of this being their Borderies VSOP, I compared my tasting notes on this to their VSOP Elegance. This Caribbean Expedition is a VSOP since it was aged for 4 years in Cognac before being sent to Barbados.
There are consistent notes, which I think comes from the distillate, such as leather, cantaloupes, toffee, caramel and dried apricots. Yes, the Caribbean Expedition cognac has more aging to it. But I don’t think an extra year of aging alone results in this. Which leads me to think and agree that aging in a tropical climate does wonders. There’s so much more variety and a bit more intense flavor in this Caribbean Expedition.
I hope Camus does this more often. I also hope that other Cognac houses follow suit. Because this can be another trend that’s been not as explored. The only issue I see is that I know there’s a rule in the Cognac AOC that says something like any further aging of Cognac outside of the region can’t be counted on the age expression. Let’s say a VSOP (4 year old minimum) was aged for an extra 6 years outside of Cognac can’t be called an XO. As the XO designation required cognac to be at least 10 years old. So drinkers who only look at age statements may not be drawn to this style.
On a personal note, I’m glad that I live in an era where I’m able to pay attention to the different experimentations being done in the spirits industry. I used to think that using different types of wood was the pinnacle of spirits production. But I’m glad to be so wrong. Now there’s more talk and execution of longer fermentation, using different yeasts and aging in different climates.
Yes, as whisky folk, we learned early on in getting into whisk(e)y that whiskey in Kentucky ages faster than whisky in Scotland because it’s hotter in Kentucky. But few of us get to taste a country’s spirit being aged in a different country. The few I think of are the Heaven Hill bourbon aged in Scotland which were bottled by Cadenheads. There’s the centuries old practice of Caribbean rum being aged in Europe. Now, I’m glad to be able to try a cognac that’s been partially aged in the tropics.
John is a cocktail and spirits enthusiast born and raised in Manila. His interest started with single malts in 2012, before he moved into rum and mezcal in search of malterntaitves – and a passion for travel then helped build his drinks collection. |
Japan has sake, China has mijiu, but South Korea has makgeolli. It seems like every East Asian culture has its own variation of rice wine, reflecting the humble grain’s ubiquitous role in shaping food and drink in these regions. I will be honest though, when it comes to rice wines, makgeolli has my heart. After all, Makgeolli has this irresistibly tangy-sweet, effervescent yet creamy-milky characteristic that goes down a bit too easily.
There’s two types of makgeolli – the unpasteurized ones and the pasteurized ones. If possible, I’d recommend you getting your hands on an unpasteurized makgeolli for the authentic fizzy-sweet experience of traditionally made makgeolli! Unpasteurized makgeolli basically means that the makgeolli is made fresh and contains live yeast that continues to ferment in the bottle. These live cultures is what gives unpasteurized makgeolli a gentle level of carbonation and tangy tartness that is often lacking in some of the mass produced pasteurized makgeolli variants.
One of my favorite brands of unpasteurized makgeolli is called Boksoondoga, produced by the Boksoondoga Brewery in Ulsan, South Korea.
The Booksoondoga Brewery (Source: Design Anthology)
Boksoondoga is a family-owned craft rice wine brewery that is helmed by family matriarch and makgeolli master Park Bok Soon. Park’s first encounter with makgeolli was when her mother-in-law would brew home-brewed batches of the rice wine and task her with bringing it to the farmers tending to the fields in their village. Makgeolli – chockful of hearty rice sediments – was seen as a nutritious and energy restoring drink for the laboring farmers, and Bok Soon grew curious about how to make the rice wine herself. She eventually developed her own recipe for making hand-brewed makgeolli, and together with her eldest son, set up the Boksoondoga Brewery to share it with the world.
Mixing the nuruk with the steamed rice, pre-fermentation (Image source: Design Anthology)
To make Boksoondoga’s makgeolli, Park sources specially Grade A rice from the nearby regions, which she says is a huge factor behind the final taste. Park and her team meticulously hand washes the rice at least 10 times, before leaving the rice to cool down and dry before being mixed with the brewery’s own handmade nuruk (a fermentation starter) to ferment.
Fermentation can take between 19 to 20 days. The rice and nuruk mixture is stored in traditional Korean onggis (or stoneware pots) that are made of breathable material, during which the yeast works in magic. Once fermented, Park strains out the makgeolli and dilutes it with water before hand-pouring it into Boksoondoga’s bottles.
Master Park checking in on the fermenting rice wine. (Source: Eater)
You can tell Park knows her stuff, because the makgeolli she brews is so good that it was even used as an official toast at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in 2012 and Cheong Wa Dae's Korean Embassy in Korea in 2013.
Today, I’ll reviewing the Boksoondoga Original Makgeolli and the Boksoondoga Red Rice Makgeolli variant.
If you’re planning to drink this too, be warned though! Because of the live cultures in Park’s traditional makgeollis, Boksoondoga’s makgeollis carry a pronounced bubbliness and carbonation that resembles sparkling champagne. The brewery even gently cautions that you turn the bottle around slowly, rather than shake violently, before popping the cap – else you might risk being sprayed by a Makgeolli shower!
Colour: Milky white.
Nose: Light, fruity aromas of green grapes and fresh green apples. Some fresh-cut grass. Light drops of honey.
Palate: The palate is very light, floral and effervescent. There’s note of green apples. It’s mildly sweet, and I also get some milkiness and soft cream. There’s a gentle hint of rice mochi and light honeyed syrup.
Finish: Medium. Slightly bitter notes of cooked rice. Light sweetness and chewiness of high-chew candy.
Like a sun peeking out from behind the clouds. A bright spot to one's day! It's more light-weight and slightly less sweet than the red rice variation. Drink this if you're seeking a bright, effervescent brew with a milkiness of a marshmallow cloud!
Colour: Cotton candy pink
Nose: A strong fruity aroma of Chardonnay grapes. Soda effervescence. Mild hints of mochi rice.
Palate: The texture is bubbly and carbonated while being slightly milky and starchy. There a richer deepness to the flavor of this Red Rice makgeolli compared to the Original, instead of lighter green fruits, I pick up sweeter notes of purple grapes, Yang Mei fruits, strawberries and apple puree. There’s also a lactic note of yoghurt and Calpis.
Finish: Medium. Lingering fruit yoghurt notes are complemented by the light aroma of berries.
Hits all the right notes! The red rice variation has a deeper, sweeter flavour to it than the original, with a slightly starchier texture to it. The sweet-tangy combination of the red rice notes was really delicious to savour.
@lotusroot518
After achieving such tremendous success in bar management, it was only a matter of time before mixologist extraordinaire Shingo Gokan succumbed to the "spirit itch," a familiar urge among bartenders to delve into bottling their own spirits.
To describe him as a bartender would be incomplete, almost like describing Roger Federer as a tennis enthusiast. The Japanese bar owner is at the moment undoubtedly one of the most influential cocktail bar owners in the world at the moment.
The guy has a Wikipedia page. But to add colour to the scale of his renown, SG recently shared the limelight with Roger Federer in a Uniqlo ad campaign, entertaining Federer with a Kokuto cocktail. Yes, the 20-Grand Slam-winning Roger Federer.
SG’s renown is built on his working his way up from barback to carve out an impressive cocktail bar empire. He now owns not just 1, but 8 bars or dining venues – 3 of which frequently feature on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. His first two award-winning establishments were opened in Shanghai - Sober Company and Speak Low that offer exceptional service and inventive mixology. His most celebrated venue is The SG Club from Tokyo, a tribute to his Japanese roots, and a must-visit destination for any cocktail lover.
At the height of his success in bar management, SG recently began launching the 3-variant SG Shochu in collaboration with the top shochu distillers in Japan: Sanwa Shurui for the Mugi shochu (Japanese barley), Satsuma Shuzo for the Imo shochu (sweet potato), and Takahashi Shuzo for the Kome shochu (rice).
All these are traditional "honkaku shochu," meaning they undergo a single distillation, a rarity that I, as a whisky enthusiast, can appreciate. Single-distillation creates a “less pure” alcohol, allowing more flavours from the source ingredients to shine through unobscured.
The raison d'etre for these shochus is quite telling, especially when launched Japanese bartender. Most honkaku shochus have a low alcohol by volume (ABV) for cocktail creation, typically around 20-30%. This makes it harder for bartenders to work with the Japanese spirit, thus relegating it to a narrower range of afficionados and Japanese grandfathers. Despite being single-distilled, The SG Shochus come in at an amped-up 38% ABV, solving the issue and providing bartenders with a more potent spirit to work with.
Lucky for us spirit geeks, The SG Club team gave us the opportunity to taste all three variants of SG Shochu neat when they visited Atlas Bar in Singapore last week to attend a Spirited Awards celebration (also known as the Oscar Awards for Cocktail Bars).
I elected to start with the imo shochu, made from Japanese sweet potatoes. This is the OG traditional style of shochu, and usually the most complex-tasting type.
Nose: The aroma was clean and potent, bringing to mind sweet brown sugar, a hint of vegetation, and the scent of fermented, caramelised baked sweet potato. There was also a trace of grassiness and a very slight sulphur note reminiscent of eggs.
On the palate: it presented a punchy spiciness accompanied by light notes of red fruits. It was grassy and vegetal, with a light vegetal bitterness mid-taste.
The finish: was gently warming, lasting, and filled with notes of dill herbs and spice.
This is complex and powerfully expressive, like an amped-up version of Satsuma Shiranami shochu. Amplified notes reflect the roasty sweet potato character and a luscious, herbaceous sweetness. Even savoured on its own, the complexity was thoroughly enjoyable.
Next, I tried the kome shochu, made from rice.
Nose: The aroma was clean, bright, and crisp, bearing a resemblance to rice sake or "bready" Prosecco wines. I detected notes of green grapes and melon, along with an effervescent tartness.
The palate: was clean, bright, and syrupy, reminding me of a light sake with subtle pear notes.
The finish: was short, sweet, and lightly yeasty.
Sweet, straightforward and doesn't demand a lot from the drinker. Like a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie or perhaps an Australian bubbly fit for social gatherings.
As expected, this tasted and smelled like a distilled sake. This isn’t very complex, but is quite accessible. Tasted neat, this seems to me like the most straightforward and accessible line from the SG Shochu range.
With it’s high level of sweetness, I’m certain this would make a pleasing highball that balances out the syrupy notes with a light spritz.
Finally, I sampled the mugi shochu, made with Japanese barley. Unlike the previous two which were colourless, this one had a light straw colour, indicating some time spent ageing in an oak cask.
Nose: The aroma was bright and lively, reminiscent of an unpeated Scotch whisky with a touch of vanilla, magnolias, Irish whiskey spice, cinnamon, and menthol.
On the palate: it had the brightness of an unpeated Caol Ila, with light maltiness and vanilla notes, and a considerable spiciness that developed into a slight bitterness of dark chocolate.
The finish: was moderately long, with hints of a toasty, bready character and light mineral notes.
This is probably great mixed into a highball, but slightly disappointing when drunk neat by a single malt lover.
This barley spirit is layered and complex for a mugi shochu, though at such a high ABV and a modest degree of oak-aging, the level of heat and pepperiness made me question whether drinking it neat was the right approach. This is, after all, created for mixology!
Perhaps my palate is too accustomed to Scotch or Japanese whisky, and I expect a heavier touch of oak or vanilla. Nonetheless, this shochu's layered complexity would also make for a superb and nuanced highball.
Overall, each the above 3 shochus have very distinct flavour profiles and complexities. Tasted neat, my preference lies with the 38% ABV Imo shochu for its complexity and nostalgic aroma of caramelised Japanese sweet potato. But I’ll be the first to admit that this is a highly subjective verdict. Some others who were with me seemed to prefer the Kome shochu for hits sweetness and sake-like character. It’s different strokes for different folks.
I find the Mugi moderately enjoyable, but at a higher ABV and very slight oak aging, I really couldn’t shake off the (unfair) mental comparison with single malt that had been aged for a longer period of time. And because the Japanese have many ways of drinking spirits – whether as a highball (soda water), mizuwari (with water) or oyuwari (hot water), I might have to revisit this spirit with some soda water to have a clearer opinion about it.
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>If there’s one thing that Okinawa is known for, it’s the richness of its local produce and foods. In particular, Okinawan black sugar, called kokuto, stands out for its uniquely malty, slightly salty, deeper and richer flavors – which some even claim that this special brown sugar contains medicinal properties.
It’s incidentally also, as I recently found out, the perfect ingredient for a liqueur.
Who better than the SG Group to come up with the idea of the world’s first awamori brown sugar liqueur: Kokuto de Lequio.
The creators, Shingo Gokan and Akira Nakasato (Image source: Kokuto de Lequio)
For the uninitiated, SG Group is a renowned bar management company helmed by Shingo Gokan and responsible for more than a few preeminent bars in Shanghai and Tokyo. To develop Kokuto de Lequio, Shingo and his team collaborated with Akira Nakasato from Mizuho Brewery.
There’s a huge degree of intentionality that has gone into the process of developing Kokuto de Lequio.
Kokuto being added into the Awamori (Image credit: Kokuto de Lequio)
For starters, you might think that all Okinawan brown sugar tastes the same, however, depending on where the brown sugar is produced, it can take on different flavors depending on the local terroir of the eight different islands that make up Okinawa. Consequently, to best achieve a deeper, richer flavor, the brand used a combination of two different types of brown sugar: one from Iriomote Island known for its richer, creamier profile, and one from Yonaguni Island known for a slightly bitter accent.
For the spirit in this liqueur, the brand used a fruity Ryukyu Awamori, a type of single-distilled Japanese liquor made from water, rice, yeast and a black mould called kuro koji. The yeast of this Awamori was said to be harvested from cherry blossoms. The distillery even blends in a tiny amount of rum distilled from kokuto to further accentuate the flavor of the brown sugar.
Shingo enjoying a fresh batch of Kukuto de Lequio. (Image source: Kokuto de Lequio)
To my knowledge, Kokuto de Lequio was just released in April 2023 in Japan, and the brand may be exploring opportunities for distribution outside of Japan. So keep your eyes peeled!
I tried this during a recent SG Club guest shift at Atlas Bar in Singapore.
Nose: The aroma is full of deep and sticky-sweet notes of molasses and licorice. There’s also an earthy herbality to it that reminds me of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa’s thick honeyed sweetness or of Brown Sugared Grass Jelly.
Palate: Really creamy, syrupy and thick! It’s sweet for sure, but the sweetness is very layered. You first get a sticky-sweet note of brown sugar and caramel, that evolves into a more subtle vegetal quality of sweet dark soy sauce. There’s also a slight nutty note of hazelnut. It’s really complex and I give kudos to how the flavor evolves.
Finish: Long. There’s a certain oiliness that clings to the roof of your mouth. There lingering sweetness of brown sugar is now joined by a subtle hints of licorice, tobacco and light menthol notes.
Dark, elegant and full of complexity.
This liqueur shined on its own, but I could just as easily see it impressing as a flavor accent in a cocktail. The bartender that I was speaking to shared that he thinks this goes well even in a simple glass of milk. And I gotta say, I believe him.
Kanpai!
@lotusroot518
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