With joy, luck and a fiery shot of baijiu,
@CharsiuCharlie
As a non-Japanese person, learning about shochu is like discovering a hidden gem in a place you thought you knew well. Imagine stumbling into a secret garden in your favourite neighbourhood haunt that has always existed since before you were born, but you’ve only just noticed it. That’s kind of how shochu has existed alongside sake in Japan’s 500-year drinking tradition – a fascinating spirit made from all sorts of things like barley, sweet potatoes, rice, and even brown sugar, which means it comes in a fascinating array of flavours.
Shochu has in fact consistently outsold both sake and Japanese whisky for the past decade in Japan. And yet people outside of Japan are much less familiar with shochu than sakes or Japanese whisky. Why?
We have speculated this is partly because the shochu industry was only focused on the Japanese domestic market, and have been slow to adopt English labelling for export.
In terms of brand prestige, shochu has also historically been an underdog compared to sake, and was less conspicuously consumed. Sake has deep roots in ceremonies and celebrations, while shochu was the inexpensive drink of the common folk. Shochu also originates from Kyushu and the southern regions of Japan which are more agricultural and less affluent compared to the political and cultural centers of Japan, where sake was more popular, and widely consumed by the nobility and Samurai class.
At a shochu masterclass I recently attended at the venue of Japanese spirits retailer Mizunara: The Shop, the founder, Chandrakant Mohanty, described shochu as a low brow blue-collar drink in Japan until the 1970s. But then something interesting happened around the 1980s. Producers began experimenting with different base ingredients and more advanced vacuum distillation techniques, making it possible to make pure barley (mugi) shochu that was lighter and much easier to drink. And guess what? People loved it. According to Chandrakant, this really set off the first shochu boom in Japan.
The rise of cocktail culture also saw shochu being used as an alcoholic base for mixed drinks, making the accessible chu-hi (shochu highballs) a fashionable beverage. More recently, there was also a growing trend of people becoming more health-conscious. Unlike sake, shochu had zero sugar and fit right into that with its lower calorie count.
Interest in shochu has recently begun to pick up around the world. The world’s love for Japanese whisky and sake – domestic competitors of shochu back home – have ironically translated to a lot of curiosity around Japan’s native spirit. Spirits bars have began acquiring bottles while cocktail bars around the world are increasingly featuring shochu-based cocktails. The promotional efforts of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association (JSS) has played a significant role.
Given the typical drinker’s love for barrel-aged spirits like whisky and rums, barrel-aged shochus have been a very appealing gateway for introducing spirits enthusiasts to the shochu category. Historically, shochu was stored and aged in ceramic pots or stainless steel tanks, which don't impart the same flavour complexities as wooden barrels.
The introduction of barrel-aging to shochu is a relatively modern development that came up around the 1950s. However, the use of barrel aging caught on with more experimental Japanese shochu distillers who wish to explore the possibilities of more innovative and unique shochu flavours.
This leads us to talk about the up-and-coming Hachi Shochu launched by Mizunara: The Shop, a brand created to introduce a large range of shochu made accessible to a broad international audience.
Hachi only bottles honkaku shochu in partnership with various Japanese shochu distillers that the brand has a personal connection with. “Honkaku” in Japanese means “authentic” or “genuine”, and Japanese law has very strict standards for what constitutes “honkaku shochu”, from the ingredients that could be used, to the specific method of distillation – all to preserve the character of the base materials in the resulting spirit.
About 50 different ingredients are permitted for making honkaku shochu – this permitted list includes grains and tubers like barley, sweet potatoes, rice and buckwheat. Koji mold must be used to kickstart the fermentation process and convert the starches into fermentable sugars. Finally, honkaku shochu is distilled once, thus allowing the spirit to retain most of the rich, nuanced flavour compounds of its base ingredients.
A week ago, I attended a Hachi Shochu masterclass which featured a range of 5 different shochu expressions bottled by Hachi, conducted by Brandon Lee at the office bar of Mizunara: The Shop in Singapore.
Here’s my experience with this colourful range.
First up, we tasted Hachi’s brown sugar (kokuto) shochu, made in collaboration with Yayoi Shochu Brewery – a family-owned craft distillery on the Amami Oshima Islands of Kagoshima.
This is made from brown sugar sourced from Okinawa and blended from several batches of 3 to 5 year old brown sugar shochu aged in refill and recharred American white oak casks.
I find the aroma is incredibly similar to a rhum agricole.
Tasting notes
Nose: Super expressive. Opens with the richness akin to demerara rums, with an enveloping molasses note and smooth vanilla undertones. A gentle hint of pear, while mint brings a refreshing contrast. This bouquet is finely woven together with subtle notes of salted caramel and a whisper of oak spices.
Palate: The palate is a markedly lighter experience than the nose. It unfolds with savoury and umami layers complimented by light sweetness of brown sugar, delicate notes of Fuji pears and a drying sensation best described as a mild karakuchione gets in very dry sakes.
Finish: Long, with an enduring dryness, with light, leafy accents reminiscent of pandan.
My Thoughts:
Super unique, super intruding and surprisingly expressive on the nose. The palate takes a turn towards subtlety, presenting an unexpectedly light character that contrasts with the initial expectations set by the aroma.
This is a solid expression that provides an exploration of balance and contrast, while the dry qualities at the end offers a satisfying tasting experience that would make it compliment hearty foods.
My Rating: 7/10
Next up, we have Hachi’s Barley (mugi) shochu that was bottled in collaboration with Miroku Shuzo, a family-owned craft distillery in Oita, Japan. This is made from local barley grown near the distillery in Oita before being matured for about 3-4 years in a refill white oak cask.
Tasting notes
Nose: Opens with a comforting blend of creamy, biscuity notes, vanilla and honey. Some light peach syrup adds a candied and sweet note, with a grassy freshness underpinning the profile.
Palate: True to a barley shochu, the palate is an incredibly gentle and light experience. I mostly receive cereal flavours that closely mimic the grain-forward character of whisky, a maltiness and caramel note that reminds me of whisky.
Finish: A bitterness of grapefruit rind, fading notes of vanilla and some roasted nuts.
My Thoughts:
This Hachi mugi shochu is the epitome of subtlety and elegance. It’s got a strikingly rich, candied and creamy nose, with a really memorable delicate palate experience.
I’m thoroughly impressed that its able to maintain a delicate profile and still be able to convey depth.
My Rating: 7/10
Next up, we have a funky one. This is a Hachi imo shochu made from Japanese sweet potato in collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo. The spirit was then mostly matured for 2 years in ex-brandy cask, with 10% of it maturing just 2 months in virgin oak for some spice and complexity.
Tasting notes
Nose: Rich and fruity with red fruits and fresh green Kyoho grapes for such a strong resemblance to Cognac or Armagnac with its vibrant sweet and lush character. It’s got a fresh, very slightly citric note that reminds me of Prosecco, and it’s got tons of fresh lychees, all rounded off with a hint of mint.
Palate: First sip immediately brings out the immediate sweetness reminiscent of a French brandy. This sweetness is beautifully balanced with the exotic taste of luscious lychees, with a gradually growing dryness emerges.
Finish: Ice cream soda with a blend of honey, oak, and a touch of dark chocolate that lingers pleasantly.
My Thoughts:
This Hachi imo shochu is fun, vibrant and very flavour-forward. The brandy cask maturation asserts a rather dominant influence, making this very perfumed and luscious. And despite its sweet potato base ingredient, I couldn’t detect any of the herbaceous notes I tend to get in other imo shochus. The dominant brandy cask pretty much steals the show and makes me wonder how much proportion of this shochu’s flavour actually comes from the base spirit.
Overall, this is best described as a tasty, friendly, low ABV grape brandy.
My Rating: 8/10
Moving on the blue label. This one is made from sake lees or “kasu” in Japanese. Sake lees are a dense, cream-colored paste rich in nutrients that is a residue left over from sake production. They have a light, fruity taste similar to sake itself and contains about 8% alcohol.
Hachi’s komekasu shochu is made in collaboration with the Nakamoto Sake Brewery located in Nara, Japan, which is close to 300 years old. The residual komekasu from sake production at the brewery is single distilled and then matured for about 7 years in a refill oak cask.
I should add that this is the longest-aged shochu of Hachi’s range.
Tasting notes
Nose: Bright, perfumed and floral. Opens with vivid floral and perfumed notes that smells almost exactly like gentle baby shampoo, with Johnson & Johnson’s or Sebamed coming to mind. Woven together with the fresh, crisp essence of apples and melons, alongside the unmistakable sweetness of bananas. Beneath this bouquet, there’s a rich, aromatic foundation of rice and mochi complimented by an unusual mineral and slightly soapy accent.
Palate: Luxurious and velvety. Initial sweetness is closely followed by a robust vanilla presence and comforting warmth of honey. A succulent fruitiness of fresh peaches and apricots in the background that gradually leads up to the creamy vanilla-influenced note of refill oak casks. There’s also a distinctive underlying mineral quality, akin to spring water, throughout.
Finish: Turns towards some sweet herbal nuances. Woods and Hacks candy with a minty sensation, along with a faint hint of woodiness and lightly toasted coconut flakes.
My Thoughts
This Hachi komekasu shochu the funkiest and most memorable of the set. The moment you notice its baby soap aromatics, I suspect you wouldn’t be able to shake that thought out of your head.
It’s got this interplay between ginjo sake flavours and the nuanced depth of oak maturation within the glass which would make it enjoyable and slightly intriguing to both sake enthusiasts and Scotch lovers.
My Rating: 8/10
Finally, we have the limited edition Hachi imo shochu made from Japanese sweet potato in collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo. This is pretty much the same as the standard Hachi imo shochu with a twist – it is matured for about 2 years and 7 months in famous Mizunara oak.
If you haven’t heard of Mizunara, it is a highly valuable oak type native to Japan that is incredibly difficult to fashion into liquor casks, very prone to leakages, but imparts very distinctive flavours not found in traditional “Western-style ”bourbon and sherry barrels, such as sandalwood, coconut and temple incense – aromas that evoke the feeling of being in a Zen Buddhist temple.
Due to the challenge of working with Mizunara and the distinctive notes it imparts, Japanese whisky matured in Mizunara are generally very coveted by collectors and could fetch very handsome prices at retail and auctions.
Let’s give this a taste.
Tasting notes
Nose: Rich with sweetness, with tons of dried trail mix fruits. Dried lychees, apricots, intertwined with fresh coconut cream and a medley of indistinct tropical fruit nuances. An aromatic temple incense smokiness weaves through the bouquet, along with a caramelised baked sweet potato note in the backdrop.
Palate: Very fruity and multifaceted – and wow – this tastes just like peach tea and then apricot brandy, followed closely by the sweetness of dried mango. It’s also got a just-as-present blend of vanilla and custard slowly unfolding, complemented by a gentle warmth that builds steadily at the back of the palate.
Finish: Sweet, but transitions seamlessly into cooler tones, reminiscent of minty Woods and Hacks candies, entwined with the dry sweetness of dried bananas and pineapples. There is a faint, yet distinctly recognisable note of sandalwood, giving a nice exotic aromatic depth to it.
My thoughts
This Mizunara cask-matured Hachi Imo shochu stands out as the most intricate and bold expression within the Hachi shochu collection. I feel it’s akin to a Scotch whisky in its complexity and robustness, but much, much fruitier with a harmonious integration of fruit, peach, vanilla, custard and herbal notes.
Really exceptional stuff!
My Rating: 9/10
Honestly, each Hachi shochu is distinctive and warrants a tasting in its own right. It would be unfair of me to declare any of them as better than others because they are all of very decent quality, but are made of very different ingredients. It would be as meaningless as comparing apples and oranges.
What I could talk about is how a drinker’s preference might shift based on the occasion. For instance, during a hearty meal, the rich and fruity notes of the brandy-cask matured Hachi Imo expression, with the brandy-like depth and vibrant character, would probably be a fantastic accompaniment. On the other hand, if I were enjoying a lighter Japanese meal, the bright and floral notes of the Hachi Komekasu or the more neutral, gentle character of the Hachi Mugi expression would be very delightful, adding an elegant, boozy touch without overwhelming the meal's subtleties.
After dinner, when the time comes for a digestif to be savoured on its own, I would suggest the complex and full-bodied Hachi Mizunara cask-matured expression. Its intricate layers and robust profile make it a very appealing drink to sit back and unwind while you savour it neat.
All these shochus come with a very approachable 30% ABV, striking a very good balance between flavour and a moderate ABV. And although barrel aging is a relatively new innovation for shochu that began in the 1950s, Hachi’s decision to focus on barrel aged shochu makes sense for an international audience – allowing drinkers to benchmark their profiles against familiar "Western" liquors such as Scotch or brandy. For those new to shochu, these barrel-aged Hachi expressions are a very appealing gateway that offers a bridge to learn about traditional shochu.
Check out the dazzling range of Hachi Shochus at Mizunara: The Shop's official site here!
@CharsiuCharlie
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Tucked away, or rather, hidden in plain sight, lies an unassuming bar called ALL (W)RIGHT Sake Place. Amidst the industrial brick walls, wood and black metal, fridges lined with doburoku – an opaque white, completely unfiltered, ancient style of sake – gives you a hint that this isn’t your typical sake bar.
When the sun sets, it’s a cosy yet edgy vibe. Warm spotlights shine upon stainless steel tanks, revealing an entire brewery through long glass windows. Along the pathway, a few bulky machines, large cheesecloths and bags of rice fill the space. At the entrance, you notice a koji muro (rice malt preparation room), just barely larger than an old school telephone booth. A tiny light emits a soft glow casting shadows on the cloths covering inoculated koji rice.
You see, this place is more than just a bar; it’s a craft sake brewery . Konohanano Brewery (木花之醸造所) is a member of the Japan Craft Sake Breweries Association. Established in June 2020, this modern nano-brewery in Komagata (near Asakusa) is already emerging as a forerunner of Tokyo’s doburoku and craft sake scene.
Depending on the time of your visit, you might catch a glimpse of a young lady stirring one of the moromi (fermentation) tanks through the window. Her name’s Yuduki Kimura, and she is Konohanano’s toji (brewmaster).
Kimura- san embodies warmth, determination and an unwavering passion as a young toji. She was fascinated early on by the role of micro-organisms in sake fermentation and their ability to yield an almost limitless array of expressions in aroma and taste. This curiosity led her to pursue sake brewing at university. After graduation, she took on a role in a company that deals in sake yeast. Yet, her fervent love for sake brewing remained unsatiated.
[Translated]: “Although it was a job related to sake production, I couldn’t suppress my desire to create the kind of sake I imagined, so I impulsively chose the path of a brewer.”
As such, she began her career as Konohanano’s toji on January 2023.
To Kimura-san, brewing doburoku means creating a sustainable, waste-free sake. Every component and ingredient of the sake brewing process becomes doubly important. For doburoku, taste and texture don’t stem from the liquid and alcohol alone; but from every single grain of koji, yeast and rice suspended throughout the drink, creating its signature porridge-esque appearance. In contrast to traditional clear sake, every ingredient takes on an incredibly prominent role in crafting doburoku’s exciting, unrefined and comforting allure.
[Translated]: “I love making koji.” Kimura-san expresses. “The power of koji, which takes about 48 hours to make, affects such a significant part of sake brewing. That’s very attractive to me.”
You might also encounter another lady engrossed in sake brewing books. In a timely manner, she tends to the koji muro, her senses finely attuned in as she feels, breaks apart and adjusts the koji. Meet Giulia Maglio, a contract kurabito (brewery worker), SSA Sake Educator and a co-host on the bi-weekly podcast Sake Unplugged. Giulia moved from Italy to Japan about 8 years ago, initially working as a tour guide. Delving into Japanese food culture as part of her studies, she found her way to sake, and the more she explored it across Japan, the greater her curiosity grew, leading to a deep passion for sake and its craftsmanship. This sentiment resonates with any sake lover.
Giulia-san is a contract kurabito. Traditionally, kurabito were all contract workers – farmers, during the wintertime could not grow rice and would find work at sake breweries as sake production ramped up during the cold months. Nowadays, this isn’t the case as often but in a way, Guilia- san still hops from brewery to brewery, accumulating vast experiences and skills in sake making.
“Sake making is about balancing sensitivity and physical strength” Giulia- san notes. “You have to understand and notice the weather conditions, rice conditions and to be adaptable to every little change that you can encounter while brewing.”
“What I love most about sake brewing is that while learning about sake, I get to learn about myself. Sake brewing is helping me become a better person, and it made me a stronger person than I was, or that I thought I was.”
Prior to Konohanano, she worked for Itakura Brewery in Shimane. I’ve also learned that she had made a promise to Tenon Brewery, to which she’ll be going to work for a period before returning to Konohanano again.
“Brewing doburoku is a natural path for me. Since doburoku is sake’s grandfather, it makes sense for me to want to explore this world as well. Also, often doburoku is viewed as a simplified version of sake but in actuality is a very different process.”
As you stroll past the brewery, a shy smile and a gentle bow welcomes you to the bar. Seated on the luxurious leather sofa in the middle, a collection of Sakura Mochi doburoku ages gracefully against the wall, accompanied by large and small wooden barrels of French Oak, Chestnut and Cherry Blossom Oak.
She hands you a menu and drink list. You might ask for an English menu instead, or perhaps “ Osusume wa nan desuka? (What’s your recommendations?)” is your go-to phrase. A doburoku tasting flight arrives moments after, along with a dish of their special spicy miso chicken. Man, I miss their food.
That lady behind the bar is Saruta Ayami. She’s a Japan Sommelier Association Diploma holder and a writer for SAKE TIMES JP. She tells her story of discovering sake through her grandmother who lives in Chiba Prefecture. Iwanoi, by Iwase Shuzo from the town of Onjuku was the family’s sake of choice, and as she grew older, she too found herself down the rabbit-hole of the sake realm.
[Translated]: “I find doburoku interesting because it’s a traditional sake that was made as an offering to the gods since the ancient times in Japan.”
Whilst Ayami-san is known for serving at the bar, in autumn of 2023, she began learning to brew doburoku in small batches under the guidance of Kimura-san too. Her most recent creation, the Nectarine doburoku from the Adult Nectar Series, incorporating a massive amount of fresh Japanese nectarines, was admittedly really darn good.
[Translated]: “I love every aspect [of doburoku brewing], even just from washing the rice”. “If I had to choose one aspect, it would be stirring the moromi tanks daily.”
“It feels like having a conversation with the sake, asking, ‘How are you feeling today?’”
I chuckled. Although I’m no professional, I occasionally home-brew some doburoku, and I too find myself speaking to the pot of doburoku as I stir it. Tending to the moromi as it ferments feels like nurturing a child. In a way, you guide nature’s hand as the miracle of micro-organisms shape the brew, your actions but merely a tool to express your emotions as you guide fermentation towards the best outcome.
Sharing a bottle of sake with Ayami-san is insightful and inspiring. There are genuine emotional connections to the land, its history and culture as she evokes the way of life of the people around the brewery through the taste of sake. Living in Singapore, it’s challenging to make those same connections due to the differences in our societies and cultures. However, I believe that Konohanano’s brewing ethos seeks to close that gap by brewing craft sakes that speak to the world in a genuine, almost literal way.
Through doburoku, we enjoy an untampered presentation of rice – a symbol of Japan’s pride that relatably connects all cultures throughout Asia. Producing identifiable concept brews, such as the Sakura Mochi doburoku in Spring invokes feelings of standing in the Ueno Sakura Matsuri enjoying the full bloom with a snack in hand.
Likewise, their latest Dashi Soup Punch doburoku, paying homage to a Winter favourite, the dashiwari sake (sake mixed with Japanese soup broth), playfully incorporates an umeboshi twist, whisking you away to the cold snowy mountains of Japan alongside glass of warm sake and a bowl of hot oden. Drinking Konohanano’s craft sake is always an experience that touches the heart meaningfully, even more so than most traditional sakes I have tried over the years of my career.
“If you ever come to Asakusa, I would be delighted if you could visit our brewery.” Ayami-san chimes in.
Words by:
Gerard Alexis
Chef-Owner and Sake Sommelier of OMU NOMU Craft Sake & Raw Bar,
Representing the Japan Craft Sake Breweries Association in Singapore,
Doburoku Lover (Insta: @alexdrinkscraftsake)
P. S.:
To grab a glass of Konohanano’s doburoku and much more in the ways of craft sake, please visit OMU NOMU Craft Sake & Raw Bar:
OMU NOMU Craft Sake & Raw Bar
302 Beach Road, #01-08
Concourse Skyline S199600
Mondays – Saturdays at 12-2:30pm, 5:30-12am
https://omunomu.sg (Insta: @omunomu.sg)
If you’d like to visit Konohanano Brewery/All(W)right Sake Place, please visit:
ALL (W)RIGHT -sake place-
Japan,〒111-0043 Tokyo, Taito City, Komagata, 2 Chome−5−5小宮ビル B1木花之醸造所内
The closest Metro Stations would be Tawaramachi, or Asakusa on the Ginza Line.
A mere short walk from Senso-ji Temple.
https://konohanano-brewery.com/ (Insta: @allwright_tokyo)
Please check socials for opening hours,
for more info please feel free to DM the writer on Instagram @alexdrinkscraftsake
The bartender's handshake. The "like-it-or-hate-it" liqueur. The liqueur, that for some reason, has transcended from the physical realm of popular drinks to a sort-of cult, with an inner circle of fanatics coming to its defence around the globe. If there can be a liqueur that could personify Pitbull’s Mr Worldwide – I think a worthy contender would be Fernet Branca. I mean – the brand that literally displays the globe on its logo.
I have recently been to the Museo Branca, where Roberta Pala, the International Marketing Coordinator of the Fernet Branca team, was the tour guide. Before getting into our escapade, a deep dive into this world famous minty liqueur.
Let's dissect the name for one. Fernet refers to bitter liqueurs originating from Italy - with the recipes varying brand to brand. The latter half, Branca, refers to the family name of founder and self-taught herbalist Bernardino Branca. In the 1840s, Bernardino sought to create a cure for the diseases rife in his lifetime, such as cholera, malaria, worms, and even menstrual pain.
Souce: The Vision
A manufacturing plant was opened in 1845, right in Corso di Porta Nuova, Milan. Bernardino's sons, Luigi, Giuseppe and Stefano, joined to spread the word of the herbal liqueur throughout Italy, and steadily, case after case were making ways within and outside the country. The torch to helm the distillery was passed on to Stefano, and then to his wife, Maria Branca Scala upon his passing.
Stefano Branca. Source: Branca USA
While Fernet Branca was an Italian product through and through, it had its consituents from around the world. The family-guarded secret recipe consists of 27 herbs and spices that span four continents across the globe.
What's kept secret is the composition and how the herbs and spices are treated to create the Fernet Branca. Spices and herbs include: Chinese rhubarb from China, gentian from France, cacao from Brazil, and saffron from Iran.
Came the start of the 20th century, and Fernet Branca was in need of a branding refresh. Enter Leopoldo Metlicovitz: Italian painter, illustrator, poster designer, and one of the five fathers of modern Italian poster design. in 1895, Melticovitz was commissioned to design the new logo for Fernet Branca. Within the logo, the eagle is carrying a bottle of Fernet Branca in its talons and soaring across the earth.
As more Italians migrated to South America, and specifically Argentina, bringing the liqueur soared with them. In 1907, the company started to export to the country, and eventually in 1941, a distillery in Buenos Aires was built to keep up in demand. The distillery remains the only place Fernet Branca is produced outside of Italy today.
Source: Wikipedia
However, that wasn't necessarily the case. In 1930, a distillery was built in Alasce, France as well. Before Prohibition hit the United States, the fernet was widely drunk as well, where a production plant was built on 131 Hudson St in New York in 1931. Even during Prohibition, Fernet Branca rebranded itself to a "medicine", evading detection through pharmaceutical shops.
Source: Fernet USA
In 1907, when the torch was passed from Maria to Dino Branca, the distillery would find its new forever home at Resegone 2, Milan. This address remains the current production house for the liqueur, while at the same time, doubling as the Fernet Branca Museum (Museo Branca, which we visited).
Source: Wine Searcher
When Dino's son, Pierluigi, took over the helm, he sought to streamline, consolidate, and commercialise the liqueur. The production of Fernet Branca was concentrated to Italy aside from the Bueno Aires branch. In 1965, the next iconic sibling of the original, the Fernet Branca Menta, was released - featuring a species of peppermint native to the Italy. The Branca Menta was said to be inspired by the opera singer Maria Callas and the enjoyment and pursuit of novelty in a post-war economic boom.
The tagline for this liqueur was simply Brrr, Brancamenta. Sometimes, less is really more.Source: Branca USA
In a bold move in 1985, the company struck an agreement with the Milan city government to rename the Torre del Parco (Park Tower), located in Sempione Park, to the Branca Tower. Originally built in 1933, the tower was renamed Torre del Parco - the tower needed restoration.
Torre Branca. Source: Wikipedia
By forking out the expense for its restoration, Fernet Branca got permission to rename the tower to Torre Branca. The iron panoramic view tower was fully restored in 2002, and was open to public, becoming a bit of a darling to the Milanese. During this time, Fratelli Branca (the business name) acquired a few brands into their portfolio, such as wine and olive oil.
Source: milan.welcomemagazine
Niccolò Branca, Pierluigi’s son, took over the business, and under his chairmanship, the Museo Branca was opened in 2009. In 2015, Fernet Branca celebrated its 170th anniversary, commissioning many art projects - the most iconic being the repainting and restyling of the chimney of the via Resegone plant by Orticanoodles, inspired by the many herbs and plants in the herbal liqueur.
The splash of colour really added to the landscape, coming from someone who visited the place. Source: ninjamarketing.it
It still begs the question - how did Fernet Branca gain its cult-like status?
For most of its history, Fernet Branca was drunk neat as a digestif, something that, as the name implies, aids in digestion after a meal. However, the 1980s rolled along, and a new drink was to be born.
A blog post wrote of Fernet Branca being drunk neat in the 1950s, a shared experience amongst Italian immigrants in the United States.
You may have heard of the Fernet & Coca-Cola combo. While no one knows for sure, it has been generally agreed that this concoction was born in Córdoba City, Argentina's second most populated city. Some theories pointed towards the ingenuity of university students creating the concoction, and Fratelli Branca, being on top of their game, rode on this wave and promoted the drink hard.
Source: puertolaboca.com
Fernet Branca has became such a sensation in Argentina that it accounts for 75% of all Fernet Branca drunk globally today. The unofficial national cocktail, Fernet con coca, is a mix of roughly three parts fernet to seven parts Coca-cola - which was allegedly responsible for an increase in Coca-cola consumption as well. Between 1994 and 1997, Coca-Cola officially co-branded with Fernet Branca to promote the drink, and in 2020, this cocktail, named fernandito, became recognized as an official cocktail by the International Bartender's Association (IBA).
Note that the serving suggestion by IBA is a little bit different from the informal recipe I was personally told by Argentinians during my visit to Museo Branca - 50ml Coca Cola and topped up with Fernet Branca.
While Fernet Branca was very much an ordinary layman's drink in Argentina, the liqueur takes on a different meaning up north, and much more specifically, in San Fransisco.
Fernet Branca was dubbed the "bartender's handshake" amongst the bar scene in the city, and it was almost customary to serve a fellow bartender visiting your bar a shot of fernet to show that you indeed had good taste.
The Bartender's Handshake. Source: [Youtube] Fratelli Branca Distillerie "Fernet About It"
Ironically enough, Fernet Branca was known for its "three sips": on the first sip, you hate it; on the second sip, you get used to it; and on the third sip, you get addicted to it. Many people, including bartenders, wince their faces the first time they try Fernet Branca. However, anecdotally, the uniquely complex and flavourful liqueur provided not only a tool to create complex cocktails, but its uniquely dry profile neat was just the thing many bartenders needed to wash down a frantic shift.
Holly Graham is known to be a huge fan of Fernet Branca - from bringing it to dinner parties to having a shot with her last meal. Source: Instagram
As if the cult-like regard bartenders had for Fernet wasn't enough, in 2013, Fernet Branca coins were in circulation - a callback to a time when military veterans showed coins to each other as proof of brotherhood. Just that this time, instead of holding the frontlines, its a sign of solidarity being at the bar counter.
A "bartender handshake" was when a bartender passes a shot of Fernet Branca to the next bartender taking over the shift. Source: Fernet Branca
Currently, we're in the midst of getting hold of a bottle of Fernet Branca (as of this time of writing) to do a proper tasting, so meanwhile, how about you check out our visit to Museo Branca?
@vernoncelli
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Okinawa isn’t really Japan.
Well, not at least until the sands of 1879 when the Japanese empire reached out to grasp the independent Ryukyu Kingdom and rechristen it as Okinawa Prefecture, that these islands begrudgingly folded into the Japanese narrative. But if you wander along the bustling markets of the capital, Naha, or trace the emerald waters lapping the tropical Ishigaki beaches – just a short boat ride from Taiwan – you’d quickly realise that Okinawa is a place that is profoundly distinct in soul, history and influences from other cultures.
For centuries, Ryukyu, as Okinawa was once called, thrived as a vital entrepot, situated at a strategic crossroads between Japan, China, Korea and Southeast Asia. It was a place where Chinese silk threads and exotic Southeast Asian spices intertwined with Japanese court culture. The legacy of these times lives on in the architecture of Shuri Castle, where Chinese dragons perch atop traditional Japanese timberwork, and in the haunting melodies strains of the traditional sanshin instrument. The influences of this period can also be seen in traditional Okinawan spirits like the awamori .
Legally, awamori is classified as a type of shochu , but is historically a distinct class of spirit. Made from long-grain indica rice, awamori’s story began in the 1400s when merchants from Siam – what we know today as Thailand – introduced their rice and distillation technology to Ryukyuans. This aromatic spirit quickly became embraced by the Ryukyu court, the noble classes and the wider populace.
Awamori continues to be made in Okinawa today with the same techniques and rice from Thailand. It is also a symbol of cultural exchange between Thailand and Okinawa that remains just as alive today as it was 600 years ago.
Authentic awamori producers would often indicate the geographically-protected term "Ryukyu Awamori" (琉球泡盛) on their bottles. This is a distinction protected by law in Japan all other countries that are signatories of the TRIPS Agreement, just as Champagne and Cognac are protected by law around the world. Only awamori distilled, aged, and bottled in Okinawa Prefecture can earn the status of "Ryukyu Awamori".
Now, the Okinawa Prefectural Government has recently taken steps to bring this traditional spirit to a global audience. Focusing on Zanpa and Uminokuni, two well-known awamori brands, they're rolling out four aged expressions in various Asian markets, starting with Singapore.
The official launch is set for next month, and you can expect to find these spirits gracing the menus bars and restaurants in Singapore such as Waku Ghin and RPM by D.Bespoke.
Specifically, it's crafted from long-grain indica rice imported from Thailand, not the shorter japonica rice commonly used in Japan. Black koji mold is also used; unlike white and yellow koji that are used for regular shochu and sake, black koji is hardier and able to ferment even in Okinawa's warm climate. During this process, it also produces high levels of citric acid that protects the mixture from unwanted bacteria.
The fermented mixture is distilled once in a pot still.
Most awamori are unaged. However, more premium ranges of awamori are likely to be aged in earthenware jars, earning the title "kusu" (old wine) after three years. And unlike aging in oak which imparts bolder flavours, aging in earthenware jars helps to round off the edges and mellow the awamori. Interestingly, awamori continues to evolve even after it is bottled.
Most awamori are typically bottled at an ABV of about 25% to 35%. In fact, a couple of years back we’ve tasted the Zanpa White that comes in at 25% ABV .
These four expressions presented by the Okinawa Prefectural Government are all considered kusu, and bottled at a more generous ABV of 43% which is on the higher end of the range.
It’s worth noting that the Zanpa brand is crafted by a single distillery – Higa Shuzo Co. Ltd, while the Uminokuni brand is composed of distillates from 45 distilleries that are blended together by the Okinawa Distillery Cooperative Association. If you’re familiar with Scotch whisky, it’s almost like we’re comparing single malts versus blended whisky.
Zanpa awamori is produced by Higa Shuzo Co. Ltd, a distillery founded shortly after World War II in 1948. The aftermath of the war left Okinawa in a tough spot, with the island's residents facing severe challenges in rebuilding their lives. Okinawa was left with a shattered infrastructure, with most homes, farms and culturally significant sites destroyed. Among these challenges was the proliferation of poorly made moonshine, which present serious health risks, including blindness or even death.
It's in this context that Higa Shuzo Co. Ltd emerged. Tacorakichi Higa left his job as a teacher to start an awamori distillery to preserve the traditional methods of awamori production. His mission was also humble yet vital: to produce a spirit that was both safe and of good quality.
In 1980, the brand name Zanpa was adopted, written with the kanji (残波), which translates to "residual waves" – carrying the poetic imagery of ceaseless waves on the beach. There is also a beach in Okinawa of the same name.
We're exploring two expressions: the Zanpa 12 Years Old, which is bottled at 43% ABV, and the Zanpa 24 Years Old, coming in at 41% ABV.
Tasting notes
Nose: Bright, aromatic and mineral. It’s marked by an upfront sweetness from kokuto (Okinawan brown sugar) and caramel, intertwined with a refreshing mellow grassiness – to be specific lemongrass and the mild sweetness of pandan. There’s also a distinct brininess that reminds me of sea breeze. A light cocoa powder undertone.
Palate: Sweet, vibrant and really flavourful! It’s also really grassy and lightly vegetal, much like a rhum agricole but enriched with a foundation of brown sugar and sweet cereal notes. It’s remarkably briny and somewhat nutty too. And as it evolves we get some spices culminating in a light “karakuchi” mouth puckering dryness and a light peppery note.
Finish: Rather clean and brief. It leaves a lingering sweetness of light brown sugar paired with a very subtle bittersweet dark chocolate note. There’s a bit of pepper and dryness felt in the back of the throat but it’s overall much, much more approachable than a typical Scotch whisky.
Very flavourful, vibrant and lively. This higher ABV variant of the Zanpa embodies a lot of that agricultural character, with a very substantial influence of the natural fragrance of Thai rice captured in the spirit.
It does have a slight bite towards the end but that sensation is akin to a karakuchi you might get from drinking a dry sake. It’s on the whole really approachable, akin to a gentler 30% ABV shochu rather than a 40% ABV Scotch.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes
Nose: Whereas the 12 years old was lively and flavour-forward, this presents a more subdued and refined aromatic profile. It’s got a creamy essence at the forefront, vanilla and a subtle nuttiness, plus the warmth of lightly toasted popcorn and sweetness of Rice Krispies.
Palate: Remarkably round, balanced and supple. Delicate sweetness with and a luxurious, oily texture, very well integrated with a blend of caramel, roasted walnuts and general earthiness. There’s a natural sweetness of grain along with the sweet-briny character of coconut water intertwined with a light earthy umami of braised shiitake mushrooms.
Finish: Soft and understated, with a gentle cream custard note and a layered sweetness of Chinese sea coconut soup.
This is an indisputable crowd favourite. It’s immediately noticeable to everyone how aging the Zanpa for twice as long could lead to something a lot more complex, smooth and rounded in the tasting experience.
The pronounced earthiness of this spirit would pair very well with roasted or grilled meats – with the earthiness enhancing the umami qualities of the dish.
That said, I’m a bit of a sucker for the bright and lively Zanpa 12, it’s upfront character and grassiness. I even enjoy the slight spiciness that it carries. Still, I’m obliged to give this a slightly higher score because it is objectively very well put together, and wins over many more drinkers than its younger sibling.
My Rating: 8/10
Uminokuni (海乃邦) is a brand owned by the Okinawa Distillery Cooperative Association, a collective founded with the aim to preserve the heritage of and promote awamori.
The first batch of Uminokuni was released in 1987 during the Kaiho National Athletic Meet held to commemorate the 25 th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japan. The spirit is a blend of distillates from around 45 awamori distilleries that are part of the Association and appears to only ever be released as a kusu (aged awamori).
We’ll have a taste of both the Uminokuni 10 Years Old and Uminokuni 24 Years Old, both of which come in at 43% ABV.
Tasting notes
Nose: Balanced but rather intricate on the nose. Initial sweetness of plums is joined by aromatic pandan leaves that give it a grassy, green backdrop. There’s a vegetal sweetness reminiscent of Korean pickled radish, along with light floral notes.
The individual notes are less pronounced here compared to the Zanpa 12, but it offers more dimensionality - a more nuanced but indistinct array of aromas.
Palate: Rather straightforward here. Opens with a ginjo-ka sweetness (characteristic of a clear sake), a rice-light sweetness coupled with a simple brown sugar sweetness. There’s as gradual developing bitterness that starts like grapefruit pith before becoming a distinct ethanol bitterness.
Finish: Rather austere, with a drying sensation that envelops the mouth along with a hint of nutty, musky essence of raw brown rice.
This presents a milder, and easier to drink alternative to the Zanpa 12, even though both are about the same age and with the same ABV. Sweetness is more pronounced here but less complex. It’s evident that the blender has smoothened the edges of each distillate to create a more rounded profile.
This one is more accessible and easier to enjoy, but the Zanpa 12 still remains my preference for its clearer definition and more vibrant character. I’d also have liked this a lot more if it didn’t have that bitterness as it develops, that detracts slightly from the overall experience.
Rating: 6/10
Tasting notes
Nose: Notably more expressive and richer than the 10-year old counterpart. Opens with a soothing sweetness of vanilla, caramel and familiar brown sugar. There’s an aromatic scent of steamed banana leaf and jasmine rice. It’s also rather candied and fruity in a way – it has a playful funkiness akin to overripe lychees.
Palate: Rich and sweet, with a substantial texture. Once again brown sugar, but joined by some sweet oxidised notes of raisins and dried cranberries, this sweetness balanced by an earthy bitterness reminiscent of black tea and a subtle dryness that gradually intensifies towards the end.
Finish: A soft echos of caramel accompanied by light indistinct nuttiness.
Compelling and flavourful, and markedly more complex than the 10 Years Old version, with its well-rounded profile with unusual notes of overripe fruits. However, when juxtaposed with the Zanpa 24, it appears slightly less polished, bearing a discernible bite towards the end.
The blend, derived from 45 different awamori distilleries, displays a broad spectrum of flavours and at times these seem to blend into a less defined whole.
I would imagine that it is a challenge for the blender to have to work with 45 different distillates. A more selective approach where only distillates that would integrate well together are blended might yield an awamori with a sharper definition. That’s just my speculation! But at the end of the day, the Okinawa Distillery Cooperative Association is likely to deem it necessary as a symbolic gesture to incorporate the work of all 45 distilleries into this expression.
My Rating: 7/10
This has been an eye-opening and educational journey!
Comparing the Zanpa with the Uminokuni really does feel like comparing the individuality of a single distiller (Higa Shuzo) against the harmony of a spirit blend (Uminokuni). If you’re familiar with whisky, it really is similar to comparing single malts against whisky blends.
The Zanpa series stands out with a clear direction and robust personality. The Zanpa 12 has a lovely, vibrant essence with its lively, agricultural zest. Transitioning to the Zanpa 24 was like stepping into a surprisingly different experience. The extra duration of aging has given it elegance, a nuanced earthiness and a smoothness of character that makes it a crowd favourite. Both Zanpa expressions are very memorable to me.
On the flip side, Uminokuni doesn't quite strike with the same distinctiveness as Zanpa. It's pleasant and approachable at first sip, but it doesn’t have the same defined character that makes Zanpa so memorable. The gap of difference between Uminokuni 10 and 24 doesn't feel as drastic as the change observed between the two Zanpa age statements. That said, both Uminokuni expressions do express a distinct nutty, earthiness that would make for a great pairing with hearty dishes.
Remarkably, despite the ABV hovering around the 41 to 43% mark, all these spirits boast an approachability that's somewhat unexpected, especially when you compare them to the more intense spirits from the West or the potent baijiu. And while most awamori producers like to hover between 25% to 35% ABV, the decision to bottle these Zanpa and Uminokui at higher ABVs is the right decision without a shadow of a doubt. The Japanese appreciate nuance and subtle flavours, but drinkers from other parts of the world are likely to prefer much bolder flavours, and able to accept a more powerful spirit. I, for one, enjoy these higher proof awamoris a lot better than those that hover around 30% ABV.
For those in Singapore eager to explore these premium awamori themselves, both the Uminokuni 10 and Zanpa 12 are set to retail for S$165.00 a bottle, while the more aged expressions, Uminokuni 24 and Zanpa 24, will be available at S$380.00 each.
Look for them in established bars and restaurants, including Japanese venues like Waku Ghin and RPM by D.Bespoke. It's a unique opportunity to explore the rich tapestry of Okinawan culture through its most celebrated spirit.
@CharsiuCharlie
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The people running this distillery are clearly inspired folks.
Nestled in the lush foothills of the sacred Mount Fuji is a region famous for its verdant green tea plantations, fiery wasabi and sweet, juicy mikan oranges. In fact, Shizuoka Prefecture’s mild climate and quality of sunlight allows it to produce 40% of Japan’s green tea and 80% of Japan’s wasabi. But there is more to this land than just its famous agricultural bounties.
Add whisky to another great produce coming out of Shizuoka, because this is where Shizuoka Distillery is located – a humble rising star of the Japanese craft whisky scene. At the heart of the distillery’s process are its one-of-a-kind Pot Stills K and W. The first was salvaged from the legendary ghost distillery Karuizawa while the latter is currently the world’s only known direct wood-fired pot still that uses burning wood to heat the base, a very old technique that creates a rich and distinctive flavour profile. Shizuoka Distillery also took the trouble of tracking down the only living Japanese saké washback craftsman and had him build a Japanese cedar washback, traditionally meant for saké, for whisky.
The ex-Karuizawa pot still is in essence a piece of antique, and one can imagine how difficult it might be to have to work with such old equipment. In an interview with us, Shizuoka Distillery’s founder, Taiko Nakamura-san, has also described how much of a challenge it is to operate a direct-fire still:
“The first thing about firewood is that it takes time to procure and prepare it… The thickness and dryness of the wood also varies greatly, so the burning of the wood is done by a specially trained person. The difficulty in adjusting the flame makes distillation difficult… The risk of using an open flame is great and there is always the risk of burns and fire. It is truly hard work!”
The people running this distillery are clearly inspired folks.
We recently attended a whisky tasting workshop hosted by Shizuoka Distillery’s Singaporean partners Samsu Huay Kuan – one of our favourite Japanese craft whisky bars in Singapore.
The tasting session takes us through a lineup produced by Shizuoka’s famous two pot stills. Bottles labelled “K” were distilled using Pot Still K, while bottles labelled “W” were distilled using Pot Still W.
To demonstrate the progression from still to barrel and then bottle, the lineup also includes new make – essentially “whisky” from both pot stills before it has been aged in a barrel. There’s also one private cask bottling featuring a blend of whiskies from both pot stills K and W.
Let’s dive right in to tasting.
Now, this looks like water but smells and tastes like anything but - anyone who has tasted moonshine would know.
The unaged spirit is rich and sweet, somewhat corn-like and a very apparent slightly woodsy, fragrant vanillic note that reminds one of boiled pandan leaf.
In the mouth, also very sweet and vanillic with a growing warmth and white pepper.
Read our review of this bottle here.
This is bright, crisp and refined with soft, mildly-acidic fruits. Very characteristic of first-fill bourbon barrel whiskies. It is quite mild and takes a brief moment to open up initially, but develops into bright and slightly acidic notes of apricots and light Japanese plums.
In the mouth, this is also quite refined. Crisp and sweet notes of yuzu, white pomelos and Okayama white peaches combined with a mild briny minerality. Very nice complexity!
Read our review of this bottle here.
This is quite similar but feels slightly sweeter in aroma than the Prologue K. Opens with sweet smokiness – not really peatiness but smokiness. Heady aromas of honey, muscat grapes, lemon zest and even some marshmallow.
In the mouth, it’s punchy, medium-bodied and oily. More honey, peppercorns, grapefruit balancing out the sweetness and a tea-like aromatic ashiness.
There’s quite a bit more brininess and minerality here – reminds me of a Caol Ila single malt!
Read our review of this bottle here.
Now, let’s compare this with the New Make K. This is equally sweet but softer, less peppery and has a somewhat more viscous texture. Also a good amount of sweet vanilla, but this time with a dash of slight funky preserved pickles or salted vegetables.
In the mouth, this is rounder and indeed sweeter than the New Make K, with flat peaches, some passionfruit but with noticeably more smoke, dryness and chalkiness.
Read our review of this bottle here.
Now this is approachable and enjoyable. Fresh, honeyed, floral and just sightly mineral. Bolder and more forthcoming flavours than the Prologue K for sure.
The palate is sweet and robust – sweet notes of honey, apples, apricots and a lively spiciness of ginger. Slight bitterness and a faint tea-like smokiness I could have imagined – this is supposed to be unpeated.
It’s interesting how some aging has significantly reduced the chalkiness earlier detected in the new make.
Read our review of this bottle here.
By far our favourite of this entire tasting session. This is ostensibly the most honeyed and sweetest, with a bend towards a malty and rich profile.
On the nose, lots of decadent vanilla and honey, with a touch of singed wood and eucalyptus herbal candy.
In the mouth, very very flavourful, opening with sweet honey with a good shake of cracked black pepper. Also lots of malt, graham crackers, toasted marshmallows before turning towards straw and wood from a barnyard.
Again, like the Prologue W, richness is the main allure here. This isn’t the most complex whisky that a connoisseur would love to mull over, it’s fairly straightforward but has very attractive rich toasted notes that would bring you back to it over and over again.
Read our review of this bottle here.
The final item in this tasting is a bottling made from peated malt comprising of whisky made from both Pot Still K and Pot Still W. This is a bottling for a private individual “Muraki” (村木家) who purchased a cask from Shizuoka.
This has a similar age but noses and tastes nothing like the others. Lots of dark maltiness in this one, with the usual honeyed sweetness and aromas of toffee, Guinness stout, caramel, toasted graham crackers.
In the mouth, also lots of depth with vanilla, roasted walnuts, toffee fudge, mild solvent notes and a dry oaky aroma that fades into burnt sandalwood smokiness.
The cask is supposedly ex-bourbon, but I would guess that this cask had been charred to a much greater degree than others used in the distillery’s standard bottlings. It doesn’t have the same Speyside-style crispness or brightness of the Pot Still K or Pot Still W, but appeals with its hefty notes of dark chocolate and dark malt here.
In the midst of the tasting, we were joined by Nakamura-san – the person responsible for making these whiskies himself.
Speaking to us about his experience working with Japanese barley and Scottish barley to produce the recent Pot Still K and W, Nakamura-san shared that whiskies made with Japanese barley tend to be lighter in character, with a focus on bright fruitiness and floral notes. On the other hand, Scottish barley tend to be heavier and maltier in character.
This is immediately clear if we were to compare and contrast the fruitier and brighter Pot Still K (made from 100% Japanese malt) with the very rich, honeyed and toasty Pot Still W (made from 90% Scottish and 10% German beer malt).
Like every other whisky-maker, blending is one of the most important processes in achieving the right finalflavour for Shizuoka’s whiskies. Nakamura-san also shared briefly about his team’s process in selecting batches of whiskies to blend, and the ideal flavour profile he strives to achieve.
Before blending, the team would taste the whiskies from over a hundred casks and take detailed notes of their flavour profiles. Next, they would begin creating “prototypes” for a specific expression – such as the Pot Still K. This is a long process of trial and error, and about 20 to 30 prototypes would be made for each expression. From these prototypes, they would select a mix with the intended flavour profile that best matches the identity of Shizouka Distillery and the specific expression.
In the case of the Pot Still K, Nakamura-san looks to highlight the taste of Japanese barley. The team therefore blends their whiskies with a view to creating a fruitier flavour profile. In the case of the Pot Still W which features peated malt, Nakamura-san looks to create a balanced and aromatic peated whisky.
Where the Contact S or United S are concerned, Nakamura-san looks to blend a whisky features both the fruitiness and lightness from the K and the richness and robustness from the W. The blending team thus looks to create an expression that is as smooth, balanced and approachable.
Interestingly, it seems that wine casks are increasingly popular amongst craft distillers Japan. While most whiskies tend to be matured in ex-bourbon casks at Shizuoka, one challenge that Nakamura-san’s team faces with younger sherry casks is that they may end up with notes of sulphur. This is why Shizuoka prefers using local Japanese wine casks over sherry casks.
In our minds, Nakamura-san’s story is worth some admiration. In a society that prizes and celebrates multi-generational craftsmanship – as in the case of 300-year-old saké brewers or multi-generational sushi restaurants – Nakamura stands out as a successful example of a first-generation whisky-maker. He has come a long way and has taken Shizuoka Distillery very far in the Japanese craft whisky scene, and earned the respect of whisky lovers from around the world. There is still an air of humility coming from Nakamura-san, who has shared in a previous interview that as a young distillery, he believes Shizuoka is still finding its way in creating its signature character.
Finally, we asked Nakamura-san what goes through his mind when he sees a bottle of Shizuoka Single Malt at the bar.
Nakamura stroked his chin and furrowed his brow and went “hmmmm” for quite a while, giving our seemingly simple question a surprising amount of consideration. Perhaps the man was reflecting on his last 10 years working as a distiller. Or perhaps he just couldn’t remember the last time he had free time to go to the bar for a drink. Wait - did the network fail on us?
“Anxious… and curious about what whisky lovers would think of my whisky,” he finally said.
Well, I – for one – have tasted the stuff and have incredibly high hopes for Shizuoka.
We absolutely enjoyed this Shizuoka tasting and chat with Nakamura-san. If you'd like to learn more about his story and Shizuoka Distillery, we recently did an in-depth interview with Nakamura-san, who showed us how much hard work is involved in making whisky, gave us some travel recommendations for Shizuoka, and even gave us some advice on finding the right life partner.
Click here to read our interview with Taiko Nakamura, the founder of Shizuoka Single Malt!
@CharsiuCharlie
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We were joined by Andrew Smith, @lbdspirits’ head of spirits, yesterday evening at @noalounge.singapore, as he illuminated us with stories of how Little Brown Dog Spirits came to be, the inspiration behind its name (which came from Andrew’s wee dog, Banksy), and of course the amazing spirits in his range.
For those not familiar with LBD Spirits, these folks are more than just independent bottlers, being gin distillers too, sourcing most of their botanicals directly from the surroundings of their distillery in Aberdeenshire. I very much enjoyed the gin, which was well balanced, bright and fresh, with a good mix of botanicals that helps temper the juniper notes, and if I may, even a slight hint of a maritime breeze that introduces a slight saline note to the liquid too. The #projectNEGRONIDEFINITVO vermouth cask-aged gin was spot on too, with just the right amount cask influence that introduces the tannins and a bit of dryness coupled with the vermouth notes, and undoubtedly works well in a negroni.
Of course being from Scotland would mean them bottling scotch whiskies too, where we tasted the Drookit Dug, a 2011 blended Scotch (although I am convinced there is liquid far older than 12 years in there) from two distilleries, one from the Highlands and one from Speyside, aged in refill sherry butts, as well as the Dalrymple 2012 (which is quite certainly a single malt) from a first fill Oloroso sherry butt. And of course, there was too an extra special dram of the LBD “Extra Value Range” which is a single cask from an unnaMed Speyside distillery, aged for 13 years in a sherry butt which I’d say is a sumptuous and perfect evening dram, one to savour after a long day in the comfort of armchair.
There were two interesting rums in the lineup too, one that came from the same batch of 2008 Jamaican rum blend released by a number of bottlers across Europe, from the Long Pond, New Yarmouth, Clarendon, and Worthy Park distilleries. This one by LBD was perhaps my favourite, only because it was rather tame when compared to its sister casks, being rounder around the edges, creamier, and slight softer in general.
I do wonder if that softness may have been in part because of the additional three years of aging in LBD’s own warehouse in Aberdeenshire. The second rum was a fun and experimental one, a blend of column still “Spanish-style” rums from Panama, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, each aged 8-15 years in ex-bourbon casks, before being finished in an ex-maple syrup cask. Undoubtedly the rum came across slightly sweeter and rounder because of the maple influence, but as an experiment I thought was rather fun, and you could still get the rums’ character coming through on the palate.
Last but not least was a very unique 2016 Calvados from the Christian Drouin distillery in Normandy. What makes this single cask extra special was the fact that it was pays d’auge (double pot distilled) and aged entirely in an ex-white port cask, which gave this relatively young calvados lots of depth, intensity and flavour, and an absolute joy to taste. Thank you Andrew and @spirited.sg for hosting such a great tasting session!
Image Courtesy of @weixiang_liu
The 26 feet tall iconic Gin Tower housed at the Atlas Bar is as foreboding as it is mesmerising. We speak to Atlas Bar's Gin Researcher to get an insider's look into the world's largest gin collection.
Rumoured to house the world's largest gin collection, Atlas Bar's shelves are lined with over 1,200 bottles from more than 55 countries. Naturally, this has made the Art-Deco inspired bar a pilgrimage destination of sorts for the gin aficionados and the gin curious across the world.
Despite the size of the collection, the bar is quick to remind guests that the addition of gins to those gilded shelves is by no means an indiscriminate process. In fact, the bar performs their own due diligence before deciding whether or not to add the gin to the inventory.
Protecting the integrity of the Atlas Gin Collection is key, so much so that the bar even has their own an in-house Gin Researcher!
We spoke to Yana Keller, Atlas' current Gin Researcher and also the Head Bartender, to find out what the role of Gin Researcher entails, how Atlas curates its gin collection and, of course, to get some gin recommendations for our next visit to the historic bar.
Yana, the bar's Gin Researcher and Head Bartender, inspects the Gin Tower.
A big part of Yana's job as a Gin Researcher comes down to gin procurement and curation. "I always make sure we have new gins coming in, and I scoure the world for interesting and high-quality gins," Yana shares. Apart from managing the cocktail programme and bar operations, Yana sets aside time each month to keep updated on new gin releases and new gin production methods.
"It's important not to dilute the quality of the collection. We do have a large collection, but we also want to make sure that it's properly curated, that there is thought put into the gins that we select."
"It's important to us that we do not dilute the quality of the collection. We do have a large collection, but we also want to make sure that it's properly curated, that there is thought put into the gins that we select."
Induction into the Atlas gin tower requires meeting a series of criteria, and the Gin Researchers job is to filter for it accordingly. "Every single gin has to add value to the tower, otherwise it would defeat the purpose," Yana shares.
First and foremost, Atlas looks for transparency from the gin distillers. "If they are open to listing their botanicals on their website or their bottle, that's important because it enables us to properly categorise it on our menu. We make sure we list the botanicals in the gin so our customers have full transparency too. If I cannot find this information, it's unlikely that the gin will make the cut."
Transparency is one thing, but taste ultimately also matters. "Some gins might sound fantastic on paper, but they don't taste as good. The team makes sure to hold routine tasting sessions for every bottle that we add to the gin tower, so there is assurance that the gins are actually nice to drink."
Finally, the Atlas Gin Tower does not stock any flavoured gins or gins that are made with artificial flavourings.
For those planning a future visit to Atlas, we tapped on Yana's gin expertise for a list of recommended gins to try from each major gin category the next time you frequent the bar. Guests at Atlas can order gin neat, or have it in a custom gin and tonic. For Yana's tips on how to make a perfect gin and tonic, click here.
Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin, 58.8% ABV
"I have a lot of fond memories of my visit to the Four Pillars distillery with my friends. Navy Strength gins can be overpowering sometimes, but this one is really balanced. You get the juniper, and alot of citrus in it, and I love using it in a martini."
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Prohibition Shiraz Barrel Aged Gin, 59% ABV"This is actually a barrel-aged gin, aged in Shiraz barrels, but it's almost 60% ABV. The barrel adds a bit of sweet vanilla flavours to the drink, which I really love." |
Ford's London Dry Gin"This is a bartender's dream gin, because it's so versatile in a cocktail and on its own." |
Plymouth Sloe Gin"Sloe gins are my favorite category of gins. One of my favorites is the Plymouth sloe gin, it's full of plum and cherry flavours." |
Del Professore Crocodile Old Tom Gin, 45% ABV"The sugars they used are quite interesting. The thing about Old Tom is sometimes they can be too sweet, but this has a good balance. You can taste the botanicals like thyme and rosemary, and it brings about a herbaceous flavour with just a nice, controlled touch of sweetness." |
Moonshot Gin by That Boutique-y Gin Company"The story behind this gin is really interesting. The brand apparently vacuum sealed the botanicals and shot it up to near space where the air pressure is really low, then vacuum distilled it once it came back down to earth. There's not much research on the effects on that on the final flavour of the gin, but I would say that this gin does taste really crisp, clean and light!"
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Audemus Umami Cask Finished Gin (Read 88 Bamboo's review here)"The distiller took the cheese and macaerated it into distilled caper spirits. I'm not a huge fan of cheese and was expecting it to be pungent but when I tried it, I surprisingly really loved it. The cheese brings a different mouthfeel to the spirit, it adds body and it's almost buttery. It's very tasty." |
88 Bamboo would like to thank Yana Keller for taking the time to chat with us. We learnt a lot about gins and already can't wait for our next visit to Atlas to gawk at that amazing gin tower!
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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
]]>In the vast and diverse world of craft beer, there is one style that has been gaining increasing popularity and challenging traditional brewing norms - sour beers. Sours are set apart for their tartness and their tanginess - and often bold and fantastical flavours which departs from what is conventional expected in traditional beers! As a result, this beer category has attracted a growing number of fans who favour it for its approachability and dynamism!
Some argue that sour beers may deviate too far from traditional brewing practices, challenging the established norms of malt and hop dominance. The use of wild yeast strains and unconventional ingredients can be seen as a departure from regulations that have governed brewing for centuries. Yet, even those that dispute its status as a "real" beer often cannot dispute that Sours are undeniably tasty.
The magic behind sour beers lies in their fermentation process. Unlike conventional brewing, where carefully selected yeast strains are used, sour beers embrace wild yeast (such as Brettanomyces) and lactic acid bacteria. Breweries around the world are experimenting with wild fermentation, introducing diverse strains of yeast and bacteria to create complex and refreshing flavors.
The result is a spectrum of sour beers ranging from mildly tangy to intensely puckering, providing a novel drinking experience for those seeking something beyond the usual malty or hoppy profiles. Additionally, some brewers age their sours in wooden barrels, adding depth and nuance to the final product.
Sour beers come in various styles, each offering a distinct flavor profile. Here are some popular types and their unique characteristics:
Characteristics: Berliner Weisse, hailing from Germany, is a light and effervescent wheat beer with a unique charm. Known for its low alcohol content, this style of sour beer stands out with its unmistakable tartness, making it a crisp and refreshing choice. Often poured with a slight haze, Berliner Weisse is a testament to the art of balancing flavors in a light-bodied brew.
Flavor Profile: Berliner Weisse tends to have a bright and lively acidity, accompanied by subtle citrus undertones. Some variations may include the addition of fruit syrups like raspberry or woodruff, providing a contrast between the sourness and a touch of sweetness.
What We Recommend:
Characteristics: Originating in Germany, Gose is a wheat beer with a distinctive twist. What sets Gose apart is its slightly salty profile, coupled with a dash of coriander. The moderate tartness of this beer, combined with its unique spice blend, creates a harmonious and intriguing drinking experience.
Flavor Profile: Gose beers offers a drink where sour meets savoury. The initial tartness is complemented by a subtle saltiness, creating a dynamic interplay of flavors. Coriander adds an herbal and citrusy note, resulting in a well-balanced profile that can be both thirst-quenching and complex.
What We Recommend:
Characteristics: Straight from the Belgian brewing tradition, Lambic is a fascinating sour beer with a wild side. Often spontaneously fermented through exposure to wild yeast and bacteria in the open air, Lambic undergoes an adventurous brewing process. The use of wooden barrels for aging further contributes to its character.
Flavor Profile: Expect a dry and sour base in Lambics, with funky and earthy notes derived from wild fermentation. Traditional Lambics can be enhanced with the addition of fruits like cherries (Kriek) or raspberries (Framboise), introducing layers of sweetness that harmonize with the intrinsic sourness.
What We Recommend:
Characteristics: Fruited sours are a fun and vibrant sub-category of sours where base sour beers are infused with a variety of fruits during fermentation. This style allows for endless creativity, as brewers experiment with different fruit combinations to enhance the overall flavour profile.
A subcategory of fruited sours are pastry sours, which take inspiration from the world of desserts. Brewers elevate the sour base with the addition of dessert-like ingredients such as lactose, vanilla, and other decadent components.
Flavor Profile: The world of fruited sours offers many expressions that are juicy and tart. From the bright acidity of citrus fruits to the rich, jammy flavors of berries, fruited sours can range from subtly fruity to intensely vibrant.
What We Recommend:
Characteristics: Barrel-aged sours undergo an extended maturation process in wooden barrels, often oak. This aging imparts unique flavors to the beer, as it slowly evolves over time.
Flavour Profile: The extended contact with wood introduces notes of oak, vanilla, and sometimes a touch of funk. The sourness can vary, from milder expressions to intense and complex profiles. As the beer interacts with the barrel, it develops a added depth of flavour.
What We Recommend:
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
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Henry Kissinger once remarked, “if we drink enough Moutai, we can solve anything.”
For the uninitiated, Moutai is one of the most popular and iconic brands of baijiu. Often referred to as the national spirit of China, Baijiu is a potent liquor that has been enjoyed for centuries.
Yet Baijiu still suffers from a PR problem amongst many Western and even non-Chinese Asian drinkers. It’s said to be some sort of “firewater” that would burn one’s throat. Many a foreigner shuddered at the thought of having to drink the moonshine to satisfy their Chinese business partners. But we have perhaps been judging Baijiu by the wrong standards.
In this beginner's guide, we'll demystify Baijiu, exploring what it is, how it's made, the different types available, and even some fun facts to impress your friends.
Baijiu is… well, think of it as the Chinese answer to Haitian white rhum (clairin) or unaged mezcal. It is a colourless spirit intense in its aroma and flavours.
Interestingly, Baijiu was originally known as Shaojiu (燒酒), a term written with characters nearly identical to those of Japanese Shochu (焼酎) and Korean Soju (燒酒). Yet the 3 families of spirits have radically different taste profiles, production and history.
Baijiu is made by fermenting cooked Chinese great millet (高粱) along with starter yeast and microbes to create sugars and alcohol, before distilling the fermented grain mixture many times over.
Boiled great millet or sorghum resembles boiled barley.
Interestingly, while whiskies, rums, brandy, shochu and other spirits are distilled from an aqueous mixture of grain soup or filtered malt extract, Baijiu is distilled from a damp soil-like mixture of great millet grains.
During distillation, hot steam is passed through the fermented grains, extracting flavour and aroma compounds, which are then condensed in a cooling tower. The distillate is then tasted for quality, blended, and aged in sealed ceramic jars for about 3 to 4 years to allow the alcohol to “breathe”.
The aged distillate is then tasted by master blenders and blended. At Moutai Distillery for instance, the blending process is particularly elaborate. Up to 200 batches of distillates get tasted and blended to create the desirable flavour and texture of Moutai.
There are 4 major flavour categories of Baijiu. In China, these 4 categories are referred to as the “Four Basic Aromas”.
New drinkers should look out for the Four Basic Aromas, and try a good Baijiu from each category.
First, there is the Sauce Aroma (酱香) Baijiu. These Baijiu are some of the most complex, with sweet and umami notes reminiscent of Japanese teriyaki sauce, Chinese sweet sauce or soy sauce.
The famous Moutai (茅台) is widely regarded as the exemplar of Sauce Aroma Baijiu. How does it taste? It opens with fresh aromas of Chinese soy sauce, with a complex palate of ripe fruits, florals, cereal and yeast. This is followed by more notes of soy sauce.
Alternatively, Yipin Jingzhi (一品景芝) is one such producer. It prides itself for developing the “Sesame Aroma” (芝麻香) Baijiu – a sub-category of Sauce Aroma Baijiu. The mash is fermented at more intense temperatures and for a shorter duration. The result is a soy sauce note with muted notes of fruit, but tasty and distinctive notes of roasted sesame.
Next, there’s the Strong Aroma (浓香) Baijiu, the most widely-sold Baijiu in China. Without a doubt, these Baijiu have the most intense flavour profiles, often having a robust body with potent notes of overripe tropical fruit (something of a banana or pink guava funk), and the spiciness of star anise and white pepper.
The secret to the intensity and sweetness lies in the fermentation process. Strong Aroma Baijiu are made from grains fermented for several months at a time in massive earthen pits dug out of the ground.
Luzhou Laojiao (泸州老窖) is the most popular brand of Strong Aroma Baijiu. The distillery runs a fermentation pits that recycle fermented residue from prior fermentations to maintain a perpetual cycle of continues fermentation – this is believed to improve flavour complexity.
Another famous brand of Strong Aroma Baijiu is Wuliangye (五粮液), which is made using 5 types of grains – Chinese great millet, rice, glutinous rice, wheat and corn. This brand is known for its more pungent aroma with strong notes of fresh pineapples and a mild dryness towards the end.
The third big category is known as Light Aroma (清香) Baijiu. These Baijiu tend to be fruity, floral with light overtones of an industrial solvent-like aroma, and a light, sprightly profile. Light Aroma Baijiu tend to take a slightly shorter period of time to produce of about six months, making this a more affordable category of Baijiu for the general populace.
One of the most highly-rated brands in this category is Fenjiu (汾酒), which is produced in the cool mountainous regions of Shaanxi Province. This results in one of the purest and cleanest-tasting Baijiu with a sweet, mellow and refreshing taste.
Finally, there are the Rice Aroma (米香) Baijiu. While most other categories of Baijiu are distilled with a component of Chinese Great Millet, Rice Aroma Baijiu are distilled from long-grain rice or glutinous rice, before fermentation rice-based fermentation start (similar to koji used for Japanese Shochu). The distillation and aging process sometimes gives it a light yellow shade. Rice Aroma Baijiu are typically smooth and mildly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of Japanese Saké.
The most famous brand in this category is Sanhuajiu (三花酒) which is made in the beautiful mountainous region of Guilin. This brand of Baijiu is made with steamed rice, then infused with Chinese medicinal herbs. The result is a spirit with a mellow sweetness, notes of rice and a distinctively Chinese herbaceous aroma.
With joy, luck and a fiery shot of baijiu,
@CharsiuCharlie
should pretty much be the de facto mantra of Singapore's OG, Smith Street Taps.
In 2023, Singapore's craft beer scene is alive and thriving. The small island state counts numerous craft beer distributors running their wares around the city, and at least twice as many taprooms that serve as check in points for folks to get their fill of quality small batch brews. Of course, the Tiger still reigns - but consider that despite its (financial) might, a growing fanbase of ardent craft beer fans hounding after the latest drops is certainly no small feat.
Heck, even hawker centers (or neighbourhood food centers), that the likes of Anthony Bourdain calls the most democratic and equal place on earth, where everyone can accessibly enjoy amazing tasting food for incredible value for money prices (we're talking under $5 SGD, that is $4 USD), can be increasingly found to sport craft brews on draft. Hit up most major supermarkets and you'll find at least a couple of craft beers even - talk about accessibility!
And if you're to go down the variety route, fret not. At any point of time, at least over a hundred craft beer brands from all over the world are represented (including many of the finest from US, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, and even locally from Singapore!), with over half a thousand expressions available on the island at any point - now, you might have to scurry around the highways to various hopshops and taprooms, but it's there. And wherever you go, you best believe there'll be some folks there chatting over some craft beers.
Now, this little miracle - or revolution if you may - did not come overnight. What might simply be a matter of some cans of beers was most certainly hard fought. That right for every person to have great craft beers on tap was not always guaranteed.
On their 10th Anniversary, a pilgrimage this fine Saturday was in order.
About slightly more than a decade ago, the craft beer scene in Singapore was much, much smaller. You could probably count with 3 pairs of hands and feets how many folks in Singapore were intimately close to the craft beer scene - and these were already the much more heavily initiated. The average folk wouldn't even have craft beers cross their minds as they hustle and bustle along their day.
More often than not, it was folks who had spent some time abroad who imported back with them a taste for quality craft beers. Some of whom would try their hands, admirably at that, with pop-ups or small scale informal gatherings. There was no tap takeovers - what tap? You mean the one afforded by Tiger, the Asian brewing giant?
So how did we end up where we're at today? Well, as with all movements, grand and small, you couldn't point to one defining moment - perhaps if anything it's a matter of a country's zeitgeist coming of age and acquiring a taste for the stuff - but there's at least one constellation in the vast night sky that we could point to: Smith Street Taps.
Just as well, Smith Street Taps (or SST) is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and that's worthwhile as any a time to talk about what the craft beer joint housed in a heritage food center did to build a community, lead the groundswell and guarantee that every (of age) person can have a damn good pint on draft. They pretty much taught a country that it could drink better.
In celebration, the team had spent the past year collaborating with their friends from around the world to create 10 commemorative collab brews - I've come down this past weekend to pay homage to Smith Street Taps, and have got some reviews for you folks just in time for New Years (technically this was authored Christmas Eve night).
Smith Street Taps is the collaborative brainchild of one Daniel Goh and Kuok Meng Chao, both were craft beer retailers with the same desire for seeing the local community grow, with the former making the first inroad to bringing craft beers to the most communal place in Singapore - the humble but intensely coloured hawker center. Daniel had operated The Good Beer Company at the same Chinatown Complex, whilst Meng Chao had set up Brewers' Craft in the Clementi neighbourhood - one has to wonder if they knew what they were on to or had set ablaze when starting Smith Street Taps, which by the way is named after the road flanking the food center complex it calls home.
While both Daniel and Meng Chao had predominantly focused on retailing bottled or canned craft beers, I think where things really took off came as a result of their choice to have craft beers on draft at Smith Street Taps - as mentioned, no such thing had been done in a hawker center before! And yet the choice carries till this day so much poetic symbolism - certainly not lost on the two pioneers who have themselves been involved in writing on the topic at length in their respective editorials Spirited Singapore and Thirst Mag.
A blackboard that stands testament to the friendships made, here and beyond.
When the communal tap-hawker-center went live, there was most definitely a buzz and craft beer enthusiasts, whilst much fewer at the time, began coming out of the woodwork, as did curious casual beer drinkers. Craft beers on tap? That was certainly unheard of. Bottles, sure. But to keep such significantly more pricey quality brews available on draft meant stocking kegs of the stuff - not only was that unusual, but certainly took guts to bet that the fresher, less shelf-stable brews would clear. Well, something certainly worked at Smith Street Taps continues to do brilliantly 10 years on - not something that anyone should take for granted.
And yet perhaps what makes Smith Street Taps so beloved - of course it helps when you're pouring folks out great beers on draft - is how it managed to grasp an otherwise elusive and ephemeral concept of community building. You could read all the books on building communities - heck, our tech overlords spend the tunes of billions to try their hand at it - and you'd walk away with just wasted time and money. You couldn't teach someone the first thing about how to do so - and yet Daniel and Meng Chao did.
T-shirts for the champions who made it through the collab brews. Time to face up with mini-Godzilla. As they say, a million duck-sized Godzilla's, or a Godzilla-sized duck?
Maybe it was their deep commitment and passion to craft beers. Or could it have been their forward-sightedness to bring craft beers where such brews have never been sipped upon before. The anniversary highlight reel of the incredible breweries from all over the world making their Singapore debut via tap takeovers might be indicative of what it was - Denmark's Mikkeller, America's Modern Times, UK's Siren Craft Brew, Japan's Baird, Singapore's very own Alive for that matter. Smith Street Taps, in the most down to earth manner, gave these breweries and the awesome people behind them a stage to make their showcase, their first interaction with would-be fans, and vice versa, for soon-to-be supporters their first sip of what might become the start of a whole journey.
Perhaps the secret formula is simply 10 years of commitment to the craft; 10 years of day-in-day-out passion; 10 years of keeping the dream alive in the place anyone would least expect a groundswell to start; 10 years of friendships made and hospitality shown, not just to the big blue chips but just as well to the local saplings - Smith Street Taps has been a good friend in times good or bad, an equaliser of everyone's access to quality beers, an eye-opener to what is possible in a bottle (or a can), to raucous laughters and a good plate of Char Kway Teow shared, a home to those visiting our shores, and perhaps more pertinent than anything, a bedrock to the dreamy-eyed brewers-to-be coming from our very own neighbourhood just starting out in need of a shot.
Somehow in retrospect it all makes sense, doesn't it?
Smith Street Taps today runs two stalls just flanking one another, with the original outlet on one corner, and a Smith Street Taps & Friends on the other - that itself should say enough about how beloved the stall is.
Here to play like Ash and catch 'em all.
On this 10th Anniversary, I'd like to raise a toast (or three) to Smith Street Taps and the incredible journey it's been on, remembering what it's brought to our tiny island, and wishing the team many more years to come!
Let's get it!
The first of our forays into Smith Street Taps' 10th anniversary brews - this one's from Singapore's very own Alive Brewing, an pair of up and coming brewers who're still pretty underrated albeit fast gaining popularity since they've kept up a constantly rotating roster of brews at pretty much every craft beer taproom in Singapore (you can read more about them here). The pair even previously ran a pop-up at Smith Street Taps earlier this year (our visit to them here!).
For this Maibock-styled brew (Maibock being a more hoppy and malty "pale bock" that is named for the German month of May, hence May's Bock), Alive spammed a ton of wild Aussie banksia honey from Western Australia Swan Valley's House of Honey, and kept the brew at 7% ABV.
Color: Gold
Aroma: It's initially crisp when cracking cold, but definitely a clear rich malty, buttery, honeyed profile, it's bright but buttery. Over time as it warms up, the real sense of the thick raw honey becomes much more apparent, like opening a jar of fresh honey.
Taste: Refreshing crispness, it’s lightly honeyed, with some bits of rice krispies, and also a slight bitterness and savoury meatiness reminiscent of breakfast ham. There's also a touch of umaminess like a single drop of oyster sauce was put in.
Finish: Melts into a chewy starchiness akin to that of a rice lager. Lots of sticky rice, along with a light honeyed sweetness, before more of that barley sugars.
Really lovely stuff! It evolves as it warms up, which gave it an added profile to enjoy. It comes off as a more savoury but also more honeyed rice lager, with the honey notes coming forth more as the beer warms up. I really enjoyed the aspect of it feeling like this was a melding of various beer styles, which made it come across like you got a little bit of multiple profiles - like some sort of super lager.
Its also well balanced with good complexity, with a superb finish that will knock it out of the park for rice lager fans. As mentioned, don't go too fast here, because as it warms up, you do get a sense of the thick amount of honey that is rather mindboggling. But overall, it's crisp and easy to drink with enough friendliness for a casual drinker, but also just as much complexity to please seasoned beer geeks.
On to our second of the afternoon, we've got the Brewerkz Pilsner. Brewerkz is a beer garden that's been a local staple for quite some time, a place that has provided folks with food and beers at good prices to hang at.
For this anniversary brew, we've got a West Coast Pilsner that is brewed also in collaboration with Susegado, a craft beer brand from Goa, India. I'm presuming that millet, a sort of grain that's most closely related to sorghum, and looks alittle like barley, was added to the brew mashbill.
Color: Gold
Aroma: Bright tangerines, kaffir lime leaves - it’s somewhat leafy and piney, and only gets more dank over time, until it turns completely towards cut grass.
Taste: Not particularly sweet but not all that bitter either. Instead it has a strong pine, grassy and weedy vegetal taste, that is somehow green but not that bitter. It's medium bodied, slightly sweet and alittle more bitter.
Finish: Turns more grassy here, but not overly bitter, still keeping a very weedy vegetal greeness.
This is by all accounts a dank tank, but surprisingly not very bitter! This makes for a very interesting flavour combo, given that vegetal notes usually come hand in hand with bitterness. It's almost like a sort of gourd or cabbage that's very grassy and vegetal but not particularly bitter - I'm sure you've had something of that sort before, come on now! So while this is dank and green, it's still very friendly as a result.
We come to the biggie of Singapore's craft beer scene - Brewlander. Brewlander is probably one of, if not the biggest success story of this island's craft beer brewing scene, having gone from public housing (aka HDB) brewer to full fledged fully kitted out brewery with their own facility (you can read about their story here).
For Smith Street Taps' anniversary, they've got a stout ready, named Rumble In The Jungle, that's brewed alongside Jungle Beer, a microbrewery that was also part of the Singapore craft beer scene. Interestingly chicory, a root vegetable with bitter leaves, is added here to the stout.
Color: Deep Ink Black
Aroma: Very herbal, with scents of unsweetened tortoiseshell jelly (or guilingao), grass jelly (chin chow), and also some light brown sugar notes. But really, alot of grass jelly here.
Taste: Slightly sweeter and more milky here. There's flavours of espresso but only lightly bitter, with again more of that grass jelly note. A light bit of burnt ends with that oily, savoury char. It persists with the herbal notes, atop a medium bodied, lightly carbonated brew.
Finish: Light bitterness, more savoury oily char of burnt ends.
This sported a very interesting aroma - it's incredibly herbal and quite austere. Is that the chicory? That said, it still keeps at being quite friendly on the palate, holding back on that bitterness. That is, until you hit the finish, where it turns more bitter again. Overall, this was heavily reminiscent of herbal and traditional chinese medicinal qualities - you'll really like this if you like herbal, earthy, root-y things.
What an interesting take on a stout!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
]]>Welcome to the dark, mystical and tasty world of stouts! Stouts are creamy, rich, bold and complex brews with a distinctively robust and broody colour. Most of us had our first introduction to Stout when we tasted a pint of Guinness, but there are tons of various Stout styles that are made by a range of different breweries out there and in this beginner's guide, we'll delve more into them. We break down what stouts are, what sets them apart from other beers, how they're made, the different types available, and recommend some must-try stouts that cater to various taste preferences.
Coffee, raisins, toffee, chocolate, oats and barley: common flavours to expect in Stouts!
Stouts are a type of beer known for their dark colours, robust flavors, and often feature hints of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. What sets stouts apart from other beers is their bold flavour profile and the creamy, full-bodied texture that accompanies them. Unlike lighter beers, stouts are a go-to choice for those who appreciate a more complex and hearty drinking experience.
Stouts typically include malted barley, water, hops, and yeast, with the key difference being the use of roasted barley. The roasting imparts a deep, dark color and a rich flavor profile. The brewing process involves mashing the grains, boiling the wort with hops, fermenting with yeast, and finally conditioning the beer to achieve that perfect balance of flavours.
Known for its smoothness and lower alcohol content, Dry Stout is exemplified by the iconic Guinness. It boasts a dry finish and flavors of coffee and dark chocolate. Many Dry Stouts producers use nitrogen in the carbonation process, resulting in a velvety mouthfeel and a creamy, cascading head when poured. This unique texture enhances the overall drinking experience, making Dry Stouts a favorite for those seeking a sessionable and approachable dark beer.
What to Try: Guinness Draught, because it's iconic for a reason. If you've already drank Guinness, give The Pugilist Irish Dry Stout from Societe Brewing Co a try as well - it's slightly lighter-bodied option with a smooth mouthfeel and burnt toffee and cocoa notes.
Sweet Stouts are characterized by a higher residual sweetness, often achieved by adding lactose during brewing. The result is a dessert-like beer with flavors of caramel and toffee.
What to Try: The Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Flavoured Milk Stout is a sweet and nutty brew that's akin to drinking a peanut butter milkshake, but with extra malt complexity. Perfect for sweet tooths!
Available for purchase here: Singapore
For those seeking a higher alcohol content, Imperial Stouts deliver a robust punch. They often feature intense flavors of dark fruit, molasses, and sometimes even a hint of smokiness .Imperial Stouts are often aged in barrels, adding an extra layer of depth and complexity. Whether it's bourbon, whiskey, or wine barrels, the aging process imparts additional flavors and aromas, elevating the Imperial Stout experience to new heights.
What to Try: The Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout is an award-winning Stout with roasted coffee, dark chocolate and strong, robust malty notes.
Available for purchase here: Singapore
With a smooth and silky texture, Oatmeal Stouts incorporate oats into the brewing process, contributing to a creamy mouthfeel. The flavour profile may include notes of coffee, chocolate, and sometimes nuttiness.
What to Try: The Lost Coast Eight Ball Stout boasts a rich, full flavor with creamy oatmeal smoothness, and subtle hop undertones.
Available for purchase here: Singapore
Pastry Stouts take the art of brewing to a sweet and decadent level. Inspired by desserts, these stouts often include ingredients like vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, and even pastry components like actual pastries or cookies. The result is a delightful fusion of beer and dessert, offering a unique and indulgent drinking experience. These stouts are perfect for those with a sweet tooth or anyone looking to pair their beer with a dessert-like treat.
What to Try: Basqueland Brewing's Tiramisu Imperial Pastry Stout, made in collaboration with Browar Stu Mostów from Wroclaw, features notes of cocoa, coffee, vanilla, biscuit and lactose.
For coffee enthusiasts, Coffee Stouts are a match made in brewing heaven. Infused with coffee beans during the brewing process, these stouts deliver a bold caffeine kick alongside the traditional stout flavors. From espresso-like intensity to milder coffee notes, Coffee Stouts cater to those who appreciate the rich complexity that coffee brings to the beer landscape.
What to Try: Omnipollo's In Plenty Almond Coffee Stout is an an almond coffee cake inspired stout full of vanilla and almond coffee which gives layers of nutty, roasted notes rounded off by creamy vanilla filling and a chocolaty foundation.
Embarking on your stout exploration is a journey into a world of diverse flavors and brewing mastery. Whether you're drawn to the dry elegance of a classic Dry Stout or enticed by the dessert-like sweetness of a Milk Stout, there's a stout out there for every palate. So, raise your glass and savor the rich tapestry of tastes that stouts have to offer. Cheers to the dark side of beer!
]]>Mead, often referred to as "honey wine," is an ancient beverage that has been enjoyed by civilizations throughout history. In fact, it's said to be the oldest alcoholic beverage recorded.
In recent years, it has experienced a resurgence in popularity among enthusiasts and newcomers alike. If you're curious about this delightful elixir, let's embark on a journey to discover what mead is, how it's made, the various types, and some popular choices to start your mead-tasting adventure.
Mead is a fermented beverage made primarily from honey, water, and yeast. It's one of the oldest alcoholic drinks known to humanity, with roots dating back thousands of years. It predates even beer and wine! The simplicity of its ingredients gives mead a unique and diverse flavor profile, ranging from sweet and floral to dry and complex. Mead holds a special place in Viking culture. It was a common beverage in Norse society, and the term "honeymoon" is said to originate from the medieval tradition of newlyweds drinking mead for a month (moon) to ensure fertility and happiness.
While mead experienced a decline in popularity for many centuries, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in mead-making. Craft meaderies are popping up, bringing a touch of contemporary flair to this ancient libation that is capturing new tastesbuds.
Inspired by the craft beer revolution and the immense popularity of India Pale Ales (IPAs), mead makers have begun incorporating New World hops into their creations. Much like the bold and aromatic hops that define IPAs, these additions contribute a dynamic layer of flavors and aromas to mead, expanding the traditional boundaries of this historic beverage. An excellent example of this trend is Gosnells, a meadery that has ventured into the world of hops, introducing a Citra-hopped mead. By employing hops like Citra, known for its citrusy and tropical notes, mead makers are crafting innovative blends that appeal to those with a penchant for both mead and the hop-forward profiles that have made IPAs so popular in the craft beer scene.
The basic process of making mead involves mixing honey with water to create a must (unfermented mead), adding yeast to initiate fermentation, and allowing the mixture to ferment until the desired level of alcohol is reached. Mead-making can be as straightforward or as complex as you want it to be, with variations in ingredients, fermentation time, and additional flavorings.
Mead comes in a wide range of flavors, from sweet to dry, and can have complex profiles similar to wine. The addition of different fruits, spices, and herbs allows for a diverse array of mead varieties.
A classic and widely available traditional mead with a slightly sweet and floral profile. This mead is made in California from three types of honey - orange blossom, alfalfa and sage honey, each bringing unique characteristics to the sweet mead flavour.
Dansk Mjod meads are brewed based on a recipe from about year 1700, and the ingredients are pure and 100% natural. Dansk Mjod combines the traditional brew of honey, hops, brewer's yeast and water with dried hibiscus, which adds an aromatic and floral aftertaste to this mead, like a good madeira.
A delicious melomel with the addition of apricot puree for a dryer, tart, more traditional tasting mead. This mead uses 5 parts Clover Honey and 1 part Wildflow, and even bagged the Gold Medal in the Hydromel category (less than 10% alcohol) at the 2003 International Mead Festival.
A tasty pink mead made with European Blossom Honey jam-packed with a truckload of dried Hibiscus flowers. The hibiscus gives this mead a tart jammy, fruit flavour before leading to a dry, almost cranberry-like finish.
Dried longans and red dates that were specially rated for aroma and sweetness are added into this brew. What results is a slightly hazy blonde mead with a strong notes of red dates on the nose, balanced by the warm sweetness and a slight acidity from the dried longans and the honey.
Whether you prefer the simplicity of traditional mead or the complexity of melomels and metheglins, there's a mead out there for everyone. So, pour yourself a glass, raise it to the gods of old, and savour the taste of this timeless nectar.
Cheers!
@lotusroot518
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Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail stands out from the crowd as one of the most respected companies in the Scotch industry for a multitude of reasons.
The family-owned business has an exceptionally valuable inventory of the oldest and most revered Scotch whiskies that have been amassed over several generations, making them a treasure trove for whisky enthusiasts. Much of its successes and current renown is owed to George Urquhart, the second-generation owner, often hailed by critics as the father of Scotch single malt whiskies.
George's approach to the whisky business was revolutionary for his time. In the 1950s, when blended whiskies were the norm (and in fact G&M was focused on blended whiskies), George saw the untapped potential in single malts. Under George's stewardship, G&M began to champion the unique qualities of single malts and started working with distilleries throughout Scotland. His foresight led to an expansion of Gordon & MacPhail's range, allowing them to stock and showcase a wide variety of expressions from different distilleries.
His foresight also led G&M to mature whiskies for a much longer period of time, introducing to the market whiskies that were aged for up to - 15, 20, or even 30 years. This was highly unusual during the 1950s, when the common belief was that whisky quality peaked at 10 to 12 years of aging. Yet George was convicted that longer aging periods would help to unveil new depths of flavour and complexity in his Scotch whiskies – provided that they have been matured in the right conditions.
For this reason, G&M began building its inventory of whisky very early on, and over the decades developed its own expertise in maturing whiskies. They didn't just buy and resell aged stock like many independent bottlers do; they purchased casks of new make directly from distilleries and were hands-on in taking care of their casks as the spirit matured.
At Whisky Live Singapore 2023, I had the chance to join a Gordon & MacPhail masterclass, led by their Global Sales Director, David King. The session was a rare opportunity to sample whiskies from 5 ‘ghost distilleries’ in Scotland, showcasing the impressive range of Gordon & MacPhail's rare spirits.
We kicked off with a 24-year-old Imperial Distillery 1998, from Cask #1225 – a refill sherry hogshead. The Imperial Distillery, named to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, had a history of intermittent operation until its closure in 1998.
Nose: Mellow yet elegantly unfolding. It starts with the scent of poached pears and caramel apples, intermingled with the warm, spicy aromas of gingerbread. Baking spices are evident too, particularly cinnamon, complemented by a hint of raisins.
Palate: The influence of the sherry cask becomes more pronounced here. The taste is rich and complex, leading with stewed red berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. This sweetness is balanced by the earthy tones of black tea. The richness continues with notes of dark chocolate and a subtle, almost elusive solvent note, adding depth to the palate.
Finish: Quite complex, marked by very subtle notes of Chinese herbal jelly. This is accompanied by a light pepperiness, the gentle note of toasted nuts along with a mild note of orange peel.
My Thoughts:
This is rich and round, but also a study in subtlety at the same time. I love how it reveals its character gradually, seamlessly in a way that you’d only ever see with older whiskies. The profile is really elegant and well-integrated with sweet, spicy and earthy notes all at once.
My Rating: 8/10
Next up was the Inverleven Distillery 1985, a distinguished 38-year-old whisky from Cask #563 – a refill ex-Bourbon barrel. Also under the Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice label, it had a higher ABV of 57.9%.
Inverleven Distillery might not ring a bell for many, and that’s understandable. Operating from 1938 till its closure in 1991, this Lowlands malt distillery had a relatively short lifespan. It was established by the Canadian whisky maker Hiram Walker, primarily to produce malt spirit for their Ballantine's brand of blended whisky.
One of the standout features of Inverleven was its use of Lomond Stills, a rather unique choice in the whisky industry. These stills are noted for their special metal contraption at the top, designed to increase reflux during distillation. This resulted in a spirit that was both sweeter and oilier in texture, setting Inverleven apart from many of its contemporaries.
Now, let's talk about the ABV. This Inverleven expression is quite an outlier with its 57.9% ABV, especially considering its age. Typically, you'd expect whiskies of this age to have an ABV in the lower 40s percentage. The reason for this higher-than-usual ABV, as explained by David King, is Gordon & MacPhail's practice of racking their whiskies very close together. This method is aimed at minimizing evaporation and the angel's share, a term used to describe the quantity of whisky lost to evaporation during the aging process.
Nose: The aroma is dominated by a sour, zesty citric note, instantly noticeable and quite invigorating. There’s a hint of coastal freshness mixed with a pleasant waxiness. Sweetness comes through with notes of papaya, vanilla, cream and honey. Despite its high ABV, it’s very smooth and accessible.
Palate: Bright and fresh. You're first greeted with sweet grapefruit and pomelo flavours, followed by a drizzle of honey and an undertone of crisp apple. As it sits on the palate, it evolves, turning slightly sweeter and a bit sour, reminiscent of ripe pineapples.
Finish: Quite long, with pineapple notes slowly fading into a background of gentle oak woodiness. A light sprinkle of black pepper adds a subtle spiciness, giving the whisky a well-rounded end.
My Thoughts:
This Inverleven is quite pleasant, with a nice level of complexity, though it doesn't quite push the boundaries or leave a strikingly memorable impression.
It's not the kind of whisky to overwhelm you with intense flavours or complexity. And that's perfectly fine, especially considering it's a Lowland whisky. It’s more about being friendly and approachable, something that can be appreciated by a wide range of whisky enthusiasts. And at 38 years, it’s incredible how it remains so fresh and bright.
I'd give it a 7 out of 10 – it's a good, solid dram that does its job well without trying to be something it's not.
My Rating: 7/10
Next in our tasting journey was a rare find from St Magdalene Distillery, a 1982 vintage that had been aged in an American oak hogshead. This particular distillery has a small cult following among those in the know. Also known by its other name, Linlithgow, the distillery actually started off as a beer brewery in the Lowlands before transitioning to whisky production in the late 1700s.
The distillery came under the ownership of spirits conglomerate Distillers Company Limited (the precursor of Diageo) in 1912. However, St Magdalene couldn't escape the downturn in the whisky industry known as the 'whisky loch' crisis, leading to its closure in 1983.
Years after closure, St Magdalene’s whiskies became sought-after collectibles, cherished for their historical value and unique profile.
Nose: Rich and vibrant, striking a delightful balance between spicy and fruity. It's an interesting mix with aniseseed and rosemary creating a spicy foundation, complemented by the citrusy zing of blood orange. Joined by the sweetness of red fruits; cherries and raspberries. Rounded off with toffee and a chocolatey oakiness, alongside subtle notes of butterscotch and a whisper of cocoa powder and mature oak.
Palate: It greets you with the sweetness of red apple and the citrusy brightness of pomelo. Grilled pineapple adds a touch of warm sweetness and tartness, complimented by toasted almonds.
Finish: Long and lingering, it leaves a trail of honey, cream, a dash of black pepper and the dry, earthy tones of peanut skins.
My Thoughts:
This St Magdalene is impressively fresh and lively. The aroma is particularly stunning, a beautiful bouquet that sets the stage for what's to come. It's complex yet wonderfully integrated, with each dimension balanced harmoniously against the others.
I'd rate it a solid 8 out of 10.
My Rating: 8/10
The next whisky we delved into was a 49-year-old single malt from Glen Mhor Distillery (pronounced "Glen Vawr,"), specifically from Cask #85026801. David highlighted the significance of the cask number: When you see cask numbers that are so long, this industry practice indicates that the whisky had been re-racked. Originally aged in an ex-bourbon cask, it was later transferred to a second-fill sherry cask, a decision made by the blender who felt the whisky wasn't maturing as desired in its first cask.
Glen Mhor, established in the Highlands in 1892 by John Birnie and James Mackinlay, had a production life of nearly a century. During its operational years, it primarily produced malt whisky for blends. Unfortunately, like several other distilleries, Glen Mhor ceased operations in 1983 during the ‘Whisky Loch’ industry crisis.
Let’s give this a taste.
Nose: Rich and full of depth, this is filled with the scents of stewed cherries and raisins, reminiscent of a dense, moist fruit cake. There's a sweetness here too, like caramel, blended with a soft, understated aroma of wood polish. Now, wood polish is said to be a hallmark of a well-matured, Sherry-aged whisky.
Palate: Equally rich and layered with sweetness. It starts with a burst of orange oil and progresses to a jam-like blueberry preserve with dried apricots and caramel adding layers of depth. As the flavours develop, they take a turn towards something minty and herbal, with undercurrents of black tea, Chinese herbal jelly, and a hint of menthol.
Finish: Long and fulfilling, it’s dominated by dark chocolate and aromatic oak. Hints of wood polish are present here too, along with the spiced warmth of a chai latte.
My Thoughts:
This is a beautiful one. It’s incredibly flavourful with a delightful sherried profile that’s deep and engaging, the kind you can only find with pre 1990 whiskies. Despite its age, it also maintains a clean and relatively fresh sweetness, steering clear of excessive tannins or overpowering dry oak notes.
It’s a whisky that manages to balance richness with refinement, making it a real treat. I’d rate this an 8 out of 10.
My Rating: 8/10
The last one almost needs no introduction. We tasted a 42-year-old Port Ellen Distillery 1981, from Cask #290 – a refill sherry butt. Closed since 1983, Port Ellen is perhaps one of the most iconic ghost distillery of Scotland, and a fine exemplar of the quality that Islay malts could achieve.
Nose: Rch and sweet, opening with notes of dark chocolate that blend effortlessly into dried fruits like raisins, dates, and prunes. There’s a hint of lemon zestiness adding a bit of brightness. The nose also carries a mild coastal vibe, accompanied by a slight note of fusel oil or diesel, somewhat reminiscent of a Springbank.
Palate: Fresh, round, and syrupy. Butter cookies and fruit cake, loaded with a variety of dried fruits such as apricots, figs, and sultanas. There’s a hint of hazelnut praline too. Perhaps because of the thick sweetness, the smokiness is quite subtle, more akin to the aroma of aromatic tobacco – like sniffing a box of unlit cigars. The flavours are smoothly and seamlessly integrated.
Finish: The finish is long and full, continuing the theme of dried fruits. As it fades, it leaves behind a very elegant ashy note, adding another layer to the taste.
My Thoughts:
This is beautifully sweet, complex and flavourful. It’s a dram that sherry-influenced whisky lovers would adore. However, the dominant sherry notes almost overshadow the classic brininess and ashy qualities typically associated with Port Ellen. Die hard Port Ellen junkies might be a little disappointed to find these austere notes, which are commonly associated with Port Ellen, are somewhat muted here.
But all in all, this is a fantastic whisky in its own right, and earns solid 9 out of 10
My Rating: 9/10
Needless to say, all the whiskies sampled at this masterclass were great. Despite being staggeringly old they've demonstrated very remarkable freshness, balance and complexity, underscoring G&M's skill in nurturing spirits to their peak potential.
But you might already be aware, G&M has announced its plan to cease its independent bottling activities starting in 2024.
This decision marks a pivotal moment for the 128-year-old family-owned company, known for buying new make spirit from various distilleries and maturing it in their own casks. However, it is important to remember that this transition will not be abrupt. The company still sits on a vast inventory amassed over several generations, so the shift will be a gradual process extending over decades. This means whisky enthusiasts and loyal customers of Gordon & MacPhail will continue to enjoy their remarkable bottlings for many more years as the company works through its extensive stock.
We'll raise a toast to many more phenomenal bottlings from G&M in the decades to come!
@CharsiuCharlie
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In the world of whiskies, grain whisky often finds itself in the shadows. Drinkers overlook it in favour of the glamorously marketed single malt. But this understated category deserves a spotlight of its own. Much like the Best Supporting Actors at the Oscars, grain whisky has a pivotal role to play in the whisky industry.
During Whisky Live Singapore 2023, I attended the Nikka Whisky Discovery Collection masterclass – this year’s class delving into the often-underestimated world of Japanese grain whisky, and deepening my appreciation for this vital component.
For over a century, grain whisky has been the unsung backbone of many well-known Scotch whisky brands. It's a common misconception that grain whisky is inferior due to its less expensive production methods and simpler flavour profile. In reality, grain whisky plays a very crucial role in several ways.
The first point of note is the taste. While whisky aficionados may chase complex flavours, the vast majority of consumers – who actually contribute more to whisky sales than aficionados – tend to seek something smoother and more approachable. Grain whisky, with its lighter and sweeter profile, complements the robustness of malt whisky, helping blenders craft a more balanced and enjoyable blend that appeals to a broad audience.
Another key aspect is the precise production process. Unlike malt whisky, which is produced using traditional pot stills, grain whisky is almost always made with more advanced column stills. These column stills offer greater control and consistency, which helps to ensure that each batch of blended whisky maintains a uniform flavour – crucial for nurturing a brand identity and consumer trust.
Finally, the cost and scalability of grain whisky production can't be overlooked. Grain whisky can be made from a variety of grains such as corn or wheat, which are generally more affordable than barley malt. The efficiency of column stills also allows it to be produced quicky and on a larger scale. Yes, grain whisky is cheaper to produce. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always inferior.
In 1963, the aging Masataka Taketsuru redoubled his efforts into expanding his company with quality grain whisky, installing two iconic Coffey continuous stills in the (now closed) Nishinomiya Distillery. This made it Japan's first dedicated grain whisky distillery. Fast forward to 2023 and we're celebrating the 60th anniversary of Nikka's foray into grain whiskies—a journey marked by relentless Japanese innovation. To commemorate this milestone, Nikka introduced a limited edition grain whisky expression, fittingly unveiled at both Whisky Live Paris and Whisky Live Singapore.
This special release, Nikka ‘The Grain’ Whisky, forms part of Nikka’s Discovery Collection, an initiative that delves into different facets of Nikka’s whisky-making process. The Collection has previously shed light on the influence of peat in Nikka’s single malts (2021) and the intriguing flavours born from experimental yeast strains (2022) . This year, the focus shifts to the diverse portfolio of grain whiskies from Nikka, and gives us a new perspective on this often-overlooked category.
During the masterclass, we received a comprehensive overview of Nikka's four grain distilleries spread across Japan.
The Nishinomiya Distillery, though no longer operational since 1998 (it’s now a bottling plant), remains a significant part of Nikka's history. The Miyagikyo Distillery, primarily known for its single malts, also houses Coffey stills for producing grain whisky. Adding to the portfolio more recently, Asahi Group (Nikka’s parent), has acquired two more distilleries: Moji Distillery in Southern Japan and Satsuma Tsukasa Distillery in Kyushu. Both specialise in shochu and liqueurs but now have the capability to produce distinct grain spirit that enrich Nikka’s diverse stock of grain whisky.
Nikka’s ‘The Grain’ Whisky is a blend of 7 different types of grain whiskies:
Each of these 7 components were selected by Masashi Watanuki, Nikka Yoichi Distillery’s master blender, to contribute a slightly different character to the final product. The selection includes the Miyagikyo Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt, which are essentially the flagship expressions of Nikka's grain whisky range. Adding to the complexity are the Nishinomiya Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt that were both distilled back in 1988 at the now-closed Nishinomiya Distillery. These components are likely to be well over 30 years old, adding a layer of maturity to the blend.
The blend also features groundbreaking additions from the new Moji and Satsuma Tsukasa. The Moji Barley Grain, along with the Satsuma Tsukasa Barley Grain and Corn & Rye, represent a new era in Nikka’s whisky-making which looks to incorporate some expertise in shochu making into their grain whiskies. These three components, never previously released, were carefully selected by Masashi Watanuki, the master blender at Nikka's Yoichi Distillery. Watanuki-san’s vision was to integrate these new grain whiskies into the blend in a way that highlights their unique qualities while maintaining a balanced and harmonious overall profile.
As part of the masterclass, we were allowed to taste five key components of the blend. The intention is to give us a peek into the blending process and the art of creating a harmonious whisky profile.
We began first with the Miyagikyo Coffey Grain (Nikka Coffey Grain) and Miyagikyo Coffey Malt (Nikka Coffey Malt). Both expressions are straightforward sippers – the Coffey Grain is sweet, biscuity with a caramel profile complemented by notes of banana and a unique sweetcorn tone. The Coffey Malt is just as sweet but has a different dimension with its butterscotch and vanilla notes.
Then I moved on to the Moji Barley Grain, which was intriguing. Reminiscent of a barley or moji shochu, its profile was the most delicate among the lot. It had soft red fruits and floral aromas with a palate that was light, featuring grassy notes, light florals, mint, and a notable spiciness, although not overwhelmingly flavourful.
The Satsuma Tsukasa Barley Grain got even more interesting. It has a layered aroma of sweet potato, cereal and a hint of chlorine, a rather unusual but fascinating profile. On the palate, it was light-bodied but carried interesting notes of toasted grains, banana, honey and cinnamon.
The last component we got to taste is the Satsuma Tsukasa Corn & Rye , which according to the brand reps, represents Nikka’s first foray into rye whisky. Interestingly, immediately pictured Maker’s Mark the moment I nosed it. It really resembles an American Bourbon with sweet notes of corn, heavy caramel and an edge of mild herbaceousness that so many bourbons carry. The best part of it is that it’s full-bodied, round and smooth. Flavours are pretty straightforward – much like a clean-tasting Bourbon with heavy notes of caramel, mild oakiness and a touch of sarsaparilla.
Finally, we tasted Nikka ‘The Grain’, the culmination of these diverse components. It is by far one of the finest grain whiskies we’ve tasted.
It was rich and honeyed on the nose, with a medium-bodied palate featuring vanilla, gingerbread, toasted cereal, black tea, liquorice, and baking spices. This blend seemed to encapsulate the best of its components – the sweetness of the standard Nikka Coffey Grain, the nuanced cereal notes of the Satsuma Tsukasa Barley Grain, and the heavier body of the Satsuma Tsukasa Corn & Rye. All these disparate dimensions also come together in a very well-integrated way when tasting The Grain.
| Read our full review of Nikka ‘The Grain’ Whisky
Someone once said that the mark of a talented whisky blender is the ability to create a blend that tastes far better than the individual components. We were able to witness this for ourselves after tasting these individual components with the final product that is surprisingly flavourful, harmonious and complex. This edition of Nikka’s Discovery Collection also challenges our perceptions of the “less flavourful” grain whisky. The quality of The Grain expression shows us how grain whisky could rise beyond being a mere supporting act to become a star in its own right.
Now that we’ve tasted the penultimate edition, the question is what’s next for the final instalment of the Discovery Collection in 2024? Considering that the past 3 editions have explored aspects of whisky-making like the influence of peat, yeast and grain whisky, perhaps 2024 might see a wrap-up series that focuses on the influence of various cask styles and oak species on whisky.
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>I have a tricky relationship with advent calendars. I know one is supposed to dutifully await the arrival of each of the twelve days of Christmas before popping open only one slot per day to unveil the hidden surprise each day. But let’s be honest, when it comes to advent calendars, who amongst us really has the expert-level impulse control not to tear through the whole box of goodies and enjoy it all at once???
One’s level of self-control would undoubtedly be further tested when presented with not just any advent calendar, but a craft beer advent calendar at that. Which is why before you proceed to read on further, let me just insert a quick disclaimer: If you’re on the hunt for a Christmas gift for your beer-loving friends, only gift the Thirsty “12 Beers of Christmas” Advent Calendar at their own risk – because it may not last ‘til Christmas.
The Thirsty Craft Beer Advent Calendar is a thing of beauty. Fittingly, the box is shaped like a gingerbread cottage house and contains 12 specially selected craft beers each stored in its own compartment.
A nice touch was also the inclusion of a sticker sheet, with a set of numbers that you can stick on the front of each beer compartment to represent each of the twelve days of beer consumption. If you or the friend you’re gifting it to are patient people, I’d recommend randomising the order of the stickers so each day, so your brew of the day is decided by luck of the draw. This would also make the perfect box to bring to a Christmas gathering, in that all the guests can draw a number and get allotted a different beer to try.
Each Thirsty Beer Advent Calendar is retailing for S$169 on Thirsty’s website, and is delivering islandwide to Singapore. 88 Bamboo readers can get $10 off by using the promo code "88BAMBOO" at checkout!
I'd have to say that the beers in this advent calendar were really well curated. There’s a good variety of different beers across different styles – from Pilsners to IPAs, from Wheat Ales to Milk Stouts – so at least one of them is bound to hit the mark for yourself or that lucky friend you’re gifting it to.
One of my favourites from the box. A Peanut Butter Milk Stout by Belching Beavers with Reese Peanut Butter cup notes and a thick, creamy body.
Many of the beers are pretty unique, and certainly aren’t going to be cans that you would be able to pick off up the supermarket shelves here in Singapore. So all in all, I do think it’s worth picking the box to try some special brews from craft beer breweries that would typically be harder to obtain.
While just drinking good beer alone would have been enough fun, the Thirsty Beer Advent Calendar also comes with a booklet of Christmas decoration stickers, including windows, Christmas wreaths, and even one of a sneaky polar bear climbing up the chimney to deliver gifts. You can use these stickers to deck out your cottage house box to your liking, which is pretty good fun while you sip on your beer. Picasso, I like it.
Once you’re done drinking all the beers, you could even use the box as as a cute holder for watches, keys, jewellery or small trinklets. Or, heck, restock it with another 12 beers of your choice and go at it all over it.
Each Thirsty Beer Advent Calendar is retailing for S$169 on Thirsty’s website, and is delivering islandwide to Singapore. 88 Bamboo readers can get $10 off by using the promo code "88BAMBOO" at checkout!
Happy sipping!
@lotusroot518
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The 1960s hold a special place in the history of Scotch whisky, and Bowmore's creations from this era are a very big reason why. Among these, the Black Bowmore and Samaroli's Bowmore Bouquet stand out and are viewed by many whisky experts as the best Scotch whiskies ever bottled. 1960s’ Bowmores are celebrated for their complexity, rich fruitiness, and elegant smokiness; a flavour profile that modern whisky distilleries continue seeking to replicate but can never quite get right (at least at time of writing).
We recently had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by Bowmore and Beam Suntory, aimed to showcase the art of Islay whisky and food pairing. Our excitement for this event was not just about the food, though that promised to be a delight, but primarily for the opportunity to explore some amazing Bowmore expressions from 22 years onwards and including rare 50-year-old gems distilled in the 1960s.
These include a tasting of the Bowmore x Aston Martin 22YO, Bowmore 25YO, Bowmore 29YO, Bowmore 30YO, Bowmore 1969, as well as a special unveiling of the futuristic-looking Bowmore x Aston Martin Arc 52 whisky – all of which will soon become available for purchase in 2024.
The pairing of these whiskies with food was interesting. Islay whiskies and oysters are a classic combination – we were encouraged to use a pipette to add a couple drops of Bowmore 18 to the stuff, which was great fun. They took this a step further by incorporating a range of dishes from the Mediterranean restaurant Riviera at One Fullerton. I'm not a food critic, but the predominantly seafood and Bowmore pairing was evidently well-thought-out, with the dishes and whisky enhancing the experience of each other.
Leading the event was Daryl Haldane, the Private Client Director for Bowmore and Beam Suntory. With a Scottish accent as thick as the peat and Sherry used in Bowmore’s whiskies, he seems perfect for the job. Daryl went on about how Bowmore came to collaborate with the iconic British car manufacturer Aston Martin. This partnership kicked off in 2017, coinciding with the launch of the Aston Martin DB5. To mark the occasion, Bowmore released the 3rd edition of the Black Bowmore, uniquely presented in a casing resembling an Aston Martin engine piston.
This collaboration didn't stop there, and they have gone on to create a range of limited edition Bowmore x Aston Martin expressions from 10 to 15 years.
But here's a fun fact that Daryl shared with a chuckle: much like 007, Bowmore Distillery itself owns a custom-made Aston Martin DBX. Bowmore’s guests arriving on the island could be picked up by Daryl himself in this vehicle, and they would be given on a quick spin across Islay on the beast of a machine.
The mental image of zipping through Islay in a DBX is certainly a thrilling start to the Bowmore whisky tasting experience.
And so we began with the classic 18 Years that most of us are familiar with.
Bowmore's sherry-matured whiskies really shine when they cross the 20-year threshold.
The whisky presents a rich and round profile with mellow ashiness and pronounced sweetness. Indulgent caramel and chocolate notes seamlessly blend with the taste of dark red fruits. Citrus adds a slightly tangy edge and a balanced contrast.
The palate also has light nuances of wood polish and the distinctive taste of tobacco and pepper and as that gives us a hint of what a well-aged Scotch looks like. I might also be imagining it but there seems to be a subtle maritime saltiness, along with a faint coppery undertone.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore 18YO here.
My Thoughts:
The Bowmore 18 is always a delightful dram for me, with its easily-appreciated rich, dense and smooth sweetness.
For its price range and depth, a 7/10 rating is very well-deserved.
My Rating: 7/10
As the typical Scotch whisky is matured for a long period of time, it often takes on notes of dried fruits such as sultanas and raisins. But Bowmore whiskies “age like no other,” said Daryl the brand rep. He pointed out that older Bowmore expressions tend to exhibit brighter yellow and orange tropical fruits compared to older expressions from the typical Scotch distillery, and that this has something to do with the way Bowmore was distilled and specially aged in very cool cellars below sea level that are very near to the frigid waters of the Islay coast.
I can see Daryl’s point. The 18 Years Old does seem brighter and fresher than one might expect, with the emergence of mild caramelised pineapple notes that aligns with Daryl’s interesting observation on tropical fruit notes.
European Oak Oloroso Sherry and American Oak Casks
We move on to taste the third edition of the very popular Bowmore - Aston Martin Masters’ Selection. According to Daryl, there is a pinch of 1980s Bowmore added to this expression for added depth.
Medium bodied, it reveals a deep, rich influence of Oloroso and PX Sherry. Opens with the sweetness of a diverse array of both dark fruit and stewed fruits, and brown sugar syrup. And while these flavours are rich, they are clean and quite balanced, not overwhelming, closely resembling old sherried whiskies of the pre-1980s era when very high quality Sherry casks were available to whisky makers. It’s definitely a notch above many modern whiskies that rely on seasoned sherry casks. Smoke feels really subtle here, I’m just getting a touch of rich black tea.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore Aston Martin Masters' Selection 22YO here.
My Thoughts:
This whisky maintains a surprising brightness and cleanliness, when one might expect more pronounced dry oak notes for its intense flavours, colour and age.
The nose is most impressive, and the initial taste on the palate is really quite enjoyable. However, the finish, while pleasant, is somewhat typical of an above average Scotch. If only this had a slightly heavier body and a higher ABV, it would surely make this an incredible one that deserves an 8/10 or 9/10.
My Rating: 7/10
European Oak Sherry and American Bourbon Casks
Moving on to the core range 25YO, it's sweet and rich, yet approachable and clean, albeit slightly thinner in body than I expected. It leans towards the profile of a sweet wine, with notes of raisins, prunes, and honey and once again blood orange. There's a gentle ashiness present, alongside a blend of baking spices such as anise, cinnamon, and pepper, which add depth without overwhelming.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore 25YO here.
My Thoughts:
This expression is complex, well-balanced and highly drinkable - it’s an ideal choice for new whisky drinkers who can afford it. That said, it may not cater to all preferences, especially if you’re one of those high proof lovers who prefer the intensity of cask strength whiskies.
Interestingly, pairing this whisky with grilled miso chutoro tuna really enhances its sweet and savoury character and complements the overall flavour profile.
My Rating: 7/10
European Oak Sherry and American Bourbon Casks
The texture is lovely, thick and layered, offering rich flavours but fairly moderate sweetness. There’s prominent notes of wood polish and Kyoho grapes, along with generous baking spices from the European oak, which are very distinct yet not overpowering. A mild espresso note pairs with a very light salinity.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore Timeless 29YO here.
My Thoughts:
What’s notable about Bowmore (at least with the Original Bottlings) is that it stands out for its bright and playful flavours even for whiskies aged 25 years and above. It doesn’t possess the austerity often found in other very old whiskies, which tend to be dominated by a strong wood influence. Smokiness also dissipates as it ages, and sweet stewed fruits begin to dominate.
This whisky is complex and flavourful, with well-integrated Oloroso sherry and European oak influences. It’s bold enough for cask strength enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy Sherry-matured whiskies. I also love that the spices add to the enjoyment without being overwhelming. Adding a few drops of spring water brings out even more sweetness and chocolatey notes.
The brand rep did caution the drinks that it is a little bit peppery and spicy, but I don’t think long-time whisky aficionados will find this to be a problem at all.
My Rating: 8/10
First-fill Oloroso, European Oak Sherry and American Bourbon Casks
The 30YO is really expressive yet opens up very gradually, with all the elegance of an old Scotch. Compared to the earlier ones, this expression presents a bolder and richer texture. Fresh fruit notes of cherries, raspberries, and very ripe pink guava are evident. These are deepened by the richness of Lotus caramel biscuits, toasted hazelnuts, and aromatic wood polish. And despite the intensity of flavour, the sweetness is quite moderate and precise.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore 30YO here.
My Thoughts:
This tastes very precise and intentional, as if each flavour dimension has been carefully adjusted for. It's like a well-coordinated film production where every element is in perfect harmony and at just the right amount. This is masterful in the fruitiness and sweetness, intertwined with an underlying aromatic smokiness. Almost perfect.
If this was bottled closer to cask strength, it would be phenomenal.
My Rating: 9/10
American Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry European Oak Casks
It was finally the moment we’ve been anticipating – we got to taste a Bowmore from the legendary Scotch period of the 1960s. In contrast to the rather heavily sherried expressions we’ve explored, this expression is much lighter in colour and seems much more influenced by ex-Bourbon casks.
Tasting it, as expected of a 60s’ Bowmore, I find it really fruity with passionfruit, pomelo, grapefruit and apple juice. But there’re added dimensions of liveliness, showcasing a powerful lemon-like sourness and a bit of a “bite” typical of certain iconic old-style Islay whiskies. There’s a prominent minerality and coastal saltiness, vanilla, toasted coconut flakes, caramel and honey, all laced with lemon juice; very distinctive flavours.
| Read our full review of the Bowmore 50YO here.
My Thoughts:
This is simply exceptional. There’s the funky tropical fruits, the powerful liveliness of citrus, the aromatic oak. And of course the saltiness – the coastal influences stand out to me as I’ve never encountered such a strong maritime character in a whisky.
This merits a perfect score.
My Rating: 10/10
We don’t have a review for this next bottling because one bottle costs… uhh… over a hundred thousand bucks. But we’re also given a short introduction to the Bowmore ARC-52 which comes in a decanter specially created by Aston Martin’s designers.
The spirit was distilled in 1968 (one year earlier than the Bowmore 1969 we tasted) and aged for 52 years in equal parts American ex-Bourbon and European Oloroso casks. Considering our experience with the Bowmore 1969, we imagine that the apple wouldn’t fall too far from the tree for the ARC-52.
Looking at this avant-garde piece of work, you might wonder how does one uncork this decanter. Cleverly, Aston Martin has created a car key of sorts, which you hold against the metal cap to activate a magnetic mechanism to unlock the bottle. Neat.
Clearly, this is an ultra high-end product designed to capture the general consumer’s attention before they go on to purchase the Bowmore 30 Year Old or something. But if you’re a collector, there’re only 100 bottles ever produced, which makes this a respectable addition to your personal trove of rare whisky.
Our journey through Bowmore’s most revered expressions was an absolute pleasure. All the expressions showcased here did not disappoint and reaffirmed why Bowmore was so celebrated since the 1980s’. We could see how Bowmore's sherry-matured whiskies really shine when they cross the 20-year threshold. And we’re guessing it’s got something to do with the inclusion of some of their older whiskies from the 1980s.
We’re also reminded of Bowmore's understated presence amongst major distilleries in the Scotch world. They may not engage in as much marketing fanfare as some other major distilleries, but their whiskies speak for themselves with very good quality and consistency. It would be interesting to see how Bowmore continues its legacy of great whisky in the decades to come.
For those eager to own a piece of this legacy, all the whiskies we’ve tasted will be made available for purchase in 2024.
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines is an annual list that garners significant attention and interest in the wine industry. This list, compiled by the experts of Wine Spectator, a prominent wine publication, represents what they consider the best wines of the year based on quality, value, availability, and the "X-factor" of how much excitement and interest the wines generate.
The selection involves thousands of wines tasted by Wine Spectator's reviewers over the course of the year. Based on taste, wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Apart from taste, they also consider other factors such as price affordability, the number of cases made, and the wine's overall uniqueness also play a significant role.
What we like about it is that it has global representation, and often features wines from a variety of regions around the world, showcasing a diverse range of styles and grapes and also emerging regions. Given the aging potential for many of these wines, the list also offers recommendations on when is the most ideal timeframe to open and drink these wines.
This year we continue to have a mix of both new styles and classics. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc cracked the Top 10 for the first time, along with an Aglianico from southern Italy and two Pinot Noirs from California’s Sonoma Valley. As for the familiar classics, there are two Bordeaux wines and a Napa Valley Cabernet.
Let’s check out the notable Top 10, starting from the tenth place.
US$23. Ideal for drinking now.
Starting from the 10th, there’s the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2022. This is from Greywacke winery in New Zealand’s Marlborough region, well-recognised indeed for its vibrant and intense Sauvignon Blancs.
The winery was started in 2009 and its winemaker, Kevin Judd, is one of the Marlborough region’s pioneering winemakers who has also founded Cloudy Bay winery.
Distinctive, succulent and wonderfully complex, offering stone fruit flavors on a rich, smooth and mouthwateringly juicy frame, with notes of honeysuckle, honey-preserved ginger, creamy lemon curd, ripe mango and flowers. Hints of spices linger on the long, expressive finish.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$40. Ideal for drinking now.
Next up, we have an American Pinot Noir. Founded in 2013 in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Résonance Winery is the American wine project of one of the most renowned wine producers in Burgundy - Maison Louis Jadot.
The vineyard was discovered by winemakers of Maison Louis Jadot about 10 years ago, and they were so impressed by the wines produced from its fruit. Jacques Lardière, a respected winemaker from Maison Louis Jadot, came out of retirement to contribute his expertise to Résonance, working with winemaker Guillaume Large. Résonancefocuses on Pinot Noir that showcases the region's terroir. Like other Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs, these tend to have balance and a profile that includes red fruit, subtle earthiness, and a refined use of oak.
Precise and elegantly structured, with detailed raspberry, savory tea and crushed stone accents that gather richness and tension toward refined tannins.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$165. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2045.
Château Pichon Baron is a distinguished Bordeaux estate winery focusing on rich, full-bodied, and concentrated wines, with a blend dominated by high ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon.
It is a Second Growth winery under the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification, in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region. The vineyard spans 73 hectares planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The wines reflect the terroir of Pauillac, known for its deep gravel soils, which contribute to the depth and complexity of its wines.
Interestingly, the wine estate has been owned by AXA since 1987, a well-known French insurance company.
This has a very large-scaled yet properly proportioned core of cassis, plum and blackberry fruit flavors that are remarkably pure and focused. Buried deep within is a sleek, vibrant iron spine that drives the finish as the fruit keeps pace. Extra savory, tobacco and cedar nuances fill out all the remaining available space. A towering wine, with a buttoned-up feel.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$50. Blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2047.
Based in the sunny Tuscany region of Italy, the Antinori family has been involved in wine production for over six centuries and is one of the biggest names in Italian wine. They are respected for their innovations in winemaking, as well as for producing high-quality wines such as their Chianti Classico, as well as their famous contribution to the ‘Super Tuscan’ wine movement represented by their original Tignanello.
Their Chianti Classico is a primarily Sangiovese-based wine with a refined structure of red fruits, floral notes and a classic Tuscan earthiness.
A sleek, elegant red, with fine purity to the aromas of cherry, black currant, iron, olive and tobacco. Shows new oak on the palate, lending both spiciness and structure offset by ample fruit and texture. Ends with a balanced, complex finish.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$175. Best from 2025 through 2040.
Founded in 1978, Dunn Vineyards is a notable family-owned winery located in the Howell Mountain appellation of Napa Valley, renowned for producing Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, amongst Napa Valley wines it has one of the longest aging potentials. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is also known to be intense with rich and dense fruit flavors.
Lushly fruited, this sends waves of crushed plum, boysenberry compote and blackberry paste out from the core, with a strong undercurrent of cast iron and smoldering tobacco to boot. Grippy and dense, but with a sense of polish and a note of purity in the guise of a pretty violet echo.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$73. Ideal to drink now through 2036.
Mastroberardino is one of the most celebrated wineries in the Campania region of southern Italy and has been pivotal in preserving ancient grape varieties such as Aglianico, Greco and Fiano. Fascinatingly, they also partake in the Villa dei Misteri project at Pompeii, aiming to recreate the wines of ancient Rome using traditional grape varieties and winemaking techniques.
Their Taurasi red wine is well-known for its bold flavors, firm tannins, and strong potential to age, featuring dark fruit flavors with earthy and spicy undertones.
A focused and fragrant red, leading with hints of pencil shavings, violet, tobacco and citrus that accent flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruit. This is refined and supple, fresh with lively acidity, but also shows weight and concentration, with sculpted tannins emerging on the mineral- and spice-laced finish.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$70. Ideal to drink now through 2032.
Pronounced "rain," RAEN is a boutique winery founded in California’s Sonoma Coast in 2013 by winemakers Carlo and Dante Mondavi, grandsons of the legendary Robert Mondavi who was pivotal in establishing Napa Valley as a premier wine-producing region.
RAEN stands for "Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally". While Mondavi is famous for Cabernet Sauvignons, RAEN focuses on producing the lighter Pinot Noir that that expresses the region's cool-climate characteristics. They also produce limited quantities in a way that respects nature. Their wines are made in a light and fresh style, with a backbone of pinpoint acidity and marine-influenced minerality.
Beautifully defined, with pinpoint damson plum, mulberry and blood orange notes stretched out over a frame of rooibos tea and savory accents. Mouthwatering through the lengthy, unadorned finish, which relies on tension and purity.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$137. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Ideal to drink from 2026 through 2040.
Château Lynch Bages from the Pauillac appellation is a renowned Fifth Growth Bordeaux estate with more than 4 centuries of history. They are known for blends typically dominated by very structured Cabernet Sauvignon, and known for flavors of black currants, cedarwood, and earthy characteristics, and that can age gracefully for decades.
Gorgeous from the start, with cassis and violet notes leading off, followed by additional waves of black cherry and blackberry fruit as well as sweet tobacco and iron. Shows subtle savory and cedar hints that stay in the background, as the iron note pierces through the fruit on the finish. Almost approachable for the fruit, but wait if you can.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$65. Ideal to drink from now through 2030.
Founded in 2011, Occidental specializes in Pinot Noir in the cooler parts of the Sonoma Coast of California. Its wines are intended to reflect the unique characteristics of the coastal terroir, typically offering a profile of red fruits and minerality, often with a good balance of acidity and elegance.
Boasts blackberry and plum fruit enlivened by a light savory thread, while anise and iris notes add range through the sleek, tangy finish. Shows a nice underlying mineral edge, which adds subtle tension throughout. Refined.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
US$90. Ideal to drink from 2025 through 2042.
At the top of the list, we have an Argiano, a historic winery located in Montalcino, Tuscany in Italy. The estate has a rich history dating back to the Renaissance and is known for combining traditional winemaking methods with modern techniques. The estate has also shifted to organic farming.
It is well-regarded for producing Brunello di Montalcino, a prestigious wine made from the Sangiovese grape. It typically has flavors of strawberry, dark cherry and wild herbs, with good aging potential. The 2018 vintage was selected for its quality and for being highly representative of a classic Brunello.
Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish.
– Wine Spectator’s tasting notes
So there you have it – the notable Top 10 wines to stock your home cellar with this year.
The full list of the Top 100 Wines of 2023 can be accessed on Wine Spectator's website here.
@CharsiuCharlie
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Whenever Whisky Live rolls into town, you can bet the week leading up to the mega anticipated event is going to be stacked! Many of the spirits scene's biggest, hottest and up and coming often make an appearance for masterclasses during the event itself, but what happens the days prior are no less exciting, and often incredibly intimate.
This past week I had the fortune of getting up close with the Godfather of rum himself, Luca Gargano, the chief of Italian bottler and distributor Velier. Under Luca's leadership, Velier has become a tour de force in the rum world especially, where he oversaw the promotion of full proof (cask strength) rums, the popularisation of historic and incredibly distinctive rums from Guyana's ancient Demerara rums, to Hampden's funky ester bombs. He also rediscovered and brought to light lost rums from Trinidad's now bygone Caroni, and has made great strides in bringing new players to the foreground under the Habitation Velier brand.
Much of his work has been guided with the simple ethos of evoking transparency to a previously opaque spirit - that drinkers and fans should know exactly what they are getting, which allows them to appreciate the provenance and heritage of the rums they so enjoy. As such, much effort has been put in place to bring to consumers rums in their purest and most natural form.
Today's masterclass was held at the Capitol Kempinski Hotel's 15 Stamford Bar. It's always a pleasure to head over - just look at the stunning architecture, located right in the heart of town. And on top of that, the rum-centered bar is helmed by the wonderfully hospitable Edriane Lim (there's an interview with him here).
The masterclass of choice - and with Velier, it could damn near be any major topic in the rum world given their surround-sound-like influence all over - is a spirit close to Luca's heart, Haiti's untamed spirit, Clairin.
I've previously delved into Clairin before over here, but the big takeaway was that Clairin was a cane spirit that defied classification - it's simply moonshine that's widely consumed by locals, and has stayed that way for decades if not centuries.
Many Clairin makers are simply backyard distillers who either harvest their own cane for pressing or purchase cane syrup and then go ahead to distill it according to family recipes in makeshift stills (in a shed behind their houses, I might add) of their own creation, heated and distilled over woodfire. The white spirit produced (Clairin is traditionally consumed unaged), fermented by wild ambient yeast, is then bottled, sold and enjoyed.
Thus, you couldn't ordinarily consider it traditional rum since it's not made from molasses, but neither could you call it rhum agricole which requires the use of continuous column stills (which most Clairin makers don't use) and also restricts producers to only using sugarcane juice, whereas with Clairin, sometimes syrup is used entirely or mixed in with juice, and even vinasse is added in some instances - it's really whatever the family recipe dictates! Nonetheless, taste profile wise, it leans closest to rhum agricole, but typically funkier and more intense.
As such you couldn't even standardise Clairin as a category of itself! Each of Haiti's over 450 backyard Clairin makers marches to the beat of their own recipe.
As the masterclass started, Luca began by recounting how it was that he came to be acquainted with Haiti's Clairins.
Sometime in 2012, after having had to postpone plans to make it down to Haiti numerous times, Luca and Velier's Export Manager, Daniele Biondi (great interview with him here), finally made it down, with the primary purpose of meeting up with a friend from the island's Barbancourt family - most notably the family behind Rhum Barbancourt, up till then the country's only rum producer.
Nonetheless whilst there, Luca had begun to notice cut sugarcane being transported across the streets of Port-au-Prince, and during a meal of local Haitian cuisine, he found himself offered a white spirit that was incredibly high proof and had enquired about it - his first contact with Clairin.
To his surprise he found out that the island had over 450 distillation stills spread all across, and this eventually led to him with others from the Velier team exploring Haiti on jeep, across dirt paths, rocky roads and through dense fields of tropical vegetation.
Luca talked of how the team and him would often explore based on their gut senses, "there was a small path there, and I had asked what was on the other side, and no one knew, and I thought okay, why not let's try going this way", or simply following the smell of vegetal sugarcane fermentation in the air wafting from backyard boiling stills.
One by one the team came to meet with Mr Michel Sajous and Mr Fritz Vaval, whose Clairins were eventually bottled and are now enjoyed globally. With the last of the initial trio of Clairins that made the first global debut, the team had asked around local Haitians as to who was known for making great Clairins, and thus the team was pointed in the direction of Mr Faubert Casimir, whose father was highly regarded for the making of this cane spirit.
Luca had also remarked that he believed that the spirit reflects the maker, if a maker was humble and down to earth, it would show in the authenticity of the product. And as such a great spirit is one that was true to itself, and did not hide from its rawness, and thus that reflected its very human maker, who would share the same spirit - both brilliance and flaws. It seemed to be that for Luca, the making of a spirit was at its core a humanist endeavour - a bid to reflect the true nature and nuance of the person who made it.
And with the opening origin story told, it was time to get into the first half of the tasting - we start off with 3 unaged cane spirits: the Clairin Sajous, Clairin Le Rocher, and the Provenance Blanc Dunder & Syrup.
This would be a timely revisit to the three expressions that I had last tasted over a year ago.
Starting off with the Clairin Sajous, this comes from the 2018 vintage, and just as I began nosing it, it's all coming back to me. The aromas of intense creamy but vegetal scents, mixed with alittle bit of gasoline, it's as if you took lightly fermented crushed cane and put it into yogurt - incredibly intense and aromatic. On the palate it's not as high pitched as you'd expect - it's mellower here but just as intensely flavoursome, it has this brightness and brilliance of sweet fresh cane juice. Honestly lip smacking. It grows into more of a leafy, vegetal bitterness, and then back to that deep long lasting sugar cane dense sweetness - it's vegetal but sweet. Such a long warmth, great depth of sweetness, such incredible flavour intensity layered atop all that creaminess. Just as enjoyable (and strong) as I fondly remembered it to be.
And then we get to the Clairin Le Rocher, this was the fourth Clairin to make it's debut under La Maison & Velier (LM&V), and as I recall it was added to the stable a year after the first launch. Here we've got the 2019 vintage, and it's giving lots more earthiness, and quite honestly my first impression here is that of a pepperoni pizza with lots of baked mozarella cheese and black olives. On the nose it's giving all this savouriness of toasted bread, slightly burnt mozarella cheese, savoury black olives, and meat oils, incredibly umami. And the on the palate, largely a continuation of its aromas, still lots of black olives, with the addition of some lighter fluid, and a more backseat note of spent sugarcane. The finish was pure black olives. For the Le Rocher, I find myself appreciating this even more from when I first had it, I really enjoyed this very distinctive and well defined earthiness.
Now finally the Providence Blanc Dunder & Syrup - far more mellow and rounded here than the previous two. Here it's got lots of creamy vanilla on the nose, and then on the palate just as rounded but with an intensified flavour - vanilla, light cane juice, alittle more briny and savoury, with more earthiness of crushed vines. Now the finish was extremely delightful with this deep herbal note of traditional Chinese medicine -like notes of herbal roots. This was altogether much more mellow, cohesive and structured, and also less sharp, but still delivering so much flavour on the palate, which in this case allowed more of the subtle nuances to emerge - of note is that herbal root note that was incredible. That said, it also didn't quite share the same high pitched, sharper Clairin profile - this was more classically white rum.
If you gaze real closely, you'll be able to tell which is which. But I'll help you this time round, from left to right: Clairin Sajous, Clairin Le Rocher, Providence Dunder & Syrup.
Through the three white cane spirits, Luca talked of how despite his decades of travel all around in search of great rums, he simply found the sugarcane in Haiti to be of the utmost best quality, and continues to believe that its potential is still largely untapped. This led to his coming up with several ideas on how to harness Haiti's sugarcane - one of which was through the establishment of the Distillerie Port-au-Prince, from which the Providence brand calls home. Together in collaboration with his friends from the Barbancourt family and Capovilla, who is best known for his grappas, Luca had assembled the distillery which is now hitting the milestone of producing its own aged rum.
For Luca, it's clear that his desire was to explore the many ways of how Haiti's ancestral sugarcane could be expressed - aged Clairins for example had not previously existed. He expanded this to also his Nomad project that would involve a double retort pot still housed in a shipping container that could in theory be brought to any distillery in the world, which would allow producers who were otherwise focused on the use of their own column stills, to attempt the use of pot stills instead. There are really interesting upcoming things in the works, but those shall remain under wraps for now.
Now we get into the second half of the tasting where we'll be going over three aged Haitian cane spirits - Providence 2019 3 Year Old Ex-Caroni Cask, Vieux Sajous 5 Year Old Ex-Caroni Cask, and finally the Vieux Sajous 4 Year Old Ex-Lustau Oloroso Cask.
As mentioned, Luca had sought to extend what ground the Clairins had covered, and given that Clairins were not consumed aged, that was his first port of call. And with several Caroni barrels on hand, that was what he tried to age the Clairins with first. And then later on with the more recent Sherry episode underway, he had set aside some Sherry casks from the famous Lustau bodegas to again attempt aging the Clairins, with the remaining Sherry casks being used for Jamaica's Hampden rum. Luca had capped it off saying that it would ultimately be incredibly fulfilling for him to age the Clairins in their own casks, thereby adding layers and intensifying the "Clairin" profile.
Left to right: 3 Year Old Providence, 5 Year Old Vieux Sajous ex-Caroni, 4 Year Old Vieux Sajous ex-Lustau Sherry cask.
We start with the 3 Year Old Providence that's been aged in ex-Caroni casks, this was made by Luca's Distillerie Port-au-Prince and was the follow up to the Providence Blanc we just had. Here I got lots of brown sugar, caramel, yellow raisins and a light woodiness on the nose - it's almost Cognac like. On the palate, very much the same yellow raisins, Cognac, honey, brown sugar, tobacco leaves - all these warm, dense sweeter-styled flavours. And then on the finish was more of that herbal quality from before, but here it was less tannic and actually brighter and grassier of herbal jelly or tortoise jelly. Overall a rather Cognac styled profile, but good roundedness and depth - I really enjoyed in particular the herbal jelly notes at the finish, and of course the warm, sweeter flavours made it very approachable. That said, I didn't quite get much of the Caroni notes here.
Next up we have the Vieux Sajous 5 Year Old Ex-Caroni Cask. Luca had mentioned that Sajous had probably the most consistent production of Clairin and thus that gave him more leeway to play around with them. This had an intense aroma of deep honey, cane syrup, manuka honey, spiced honey - it's got this incredible depth of sweetness and spices of anise and cardamom. Over time it got more grassy and herbal of tortoise jelly and also of herbal roots. On the palate, there was of that spiced honey and herbal jelly, and lifted up to give more grassiness a la rhum agricole. On the finish was loads of herbal grassy jelly. I found this very enjoyable - I would characterise it as rhum agricole but edgy and far more intense.
And now finally we've got the last Haitian spirit of the night, the Vieux Sajous 4 Year Old Ex-Lustau Oloroso Cask. This is the most recent development with regards to LM&V's aged Clairins, and ties in with Luca having gotten hold of several high quality Sherry casks from notable Spanish bodegas, this one comes from Lustau, the renown Sherry maker. Here was a bright amber spirit, almost tinged orange, with lots of spiced honey aromas with anise, clove and herbal grass jelly on the nose. On the palate was an incredibly rich and deep herbal grass jelly, spiced honey, alittle more tannic here with notes of black grape skins. Into the finish was more of those deep spiced honey and herbal jelly flavours piled on. This was for me simply incredible and delectable - I truly enjoyed how big and bold these flavours are, and yet at the same time really rounded and velvety or almost syrupy. It's herbal jelly but decked with spiced honey. Incredibly intense and flavoursome, this was such a stunner. A thoroughly great combo of flavours here, with great texture and progression, really great cohesion as well.
As the masterclass went on, dram by dram, Luca opened up about how the process of bringing the Clairins to the global stage was by no means a guaranteed success.
Despite the team's initial excitement over having had their eyes opened to Haiti's local cane spirit - in particular, Luca was terribly excited about how the spirit had been preserved as it were from decades and centuries prior and was thus untouched by any sense of modern influence - there was a fear that the cane spirit was too pungent and would not be well-received. Yet he remarked that he had also wondered how other pungent foods like blue cheese could nonetheless be prized, and so why not this raw and natural cane spirit from Haiti?
After some deliberation, also having had other concerns such as the logistics of consistently getting the Clairins procured, bottled and shipped out despite the lack of transport infrastructure in the country, Luca had decided that it was his responsibility to showcase Haiti's heritage to the world.
Luca also shared future plans to use Haiti's sugarcane, which he believes are the best in the world for what might possibly new category of rum - so trust me, there's some really interesting things in the works.
"Y'know when I did the Caroni's [from Trinidad] they said to me, this is 60-something proof, it is so strong, who would drink this? But I believed in my heart and my gut that this was correct. And I felt the same thing with the Clairins - it is a genuine product,... it is part of the local culture, Haitians have been drinking it the same way for hundreds of years, it is even used in many local ceremonies like initiation... I felt that it was an authentic product and it speaks to people because of that."
As the night came to a close, Luca also shared how he was very happy that since Clairin had achieved global awareness, and was now appreciated around the world, through Velier he had been able to contribute back to the local Haitian community and ensure that these earnest Clairin producers were able to earn multiples more than they could have if their cane spirits were only to be sold locally.
When asked about the possibility of adding more Clairin producer to the fold, the answer was a bittersweet one. While it has been clear that having made Clairins more accessible for the enjoyment of fans all around the world has raised Haiti's profile and thus there is today a real demand for the product, and in the process creating real benefits and recognition for local Haitians, the reality was also that Haiti as of late had become an atmosphere that was of relatively heightened instability, and as such had made it incredibly difficult to access for the team.
Ultimately Luca really made clear how much he loved Haiti and wants to see the country's culture be appreciated worldwide and also to help contribute more back to the local community, and to give them the recognition he believes they deserve. For him, Haiti is a time capsule that's lost to the sands of time, and yet holds so much promise. He emphasised that it was his hope that Clairin would continue to grow in appreciation and that more can come from the country.
Finally we closed off with what Luca called a "Jamaican Breakfast" which was a 1/2 glass Hampden 8 Year Old and 1/2 glass Fevertree Tonic.
I hadn't tried Hampden like this before, but Luca said this was something he drinks on the daily, so trust the man to know what he's talking about.
And boy was it absolutely a banger - all that intense Hampden funky tropical fruity flavours but brightened up and made lighter with the tonic water. Incredibly tasty stuff - highly recommend.
With the masterclass done, Luca stayed around for quite a while more answering questions and sharing stories with the folks round the table of his many adventures, many of which were befittingly larger than life, just as the man himself is. Those too shall stay off public records simply because I felt it truly added to the fun and allure of sitting with a rum legend and made the session ridiculously lively and fun - can't spoil the fun for folks out there.
Definitely join in if Luca's ever in town, is all I can say.
An incredibly fantastic session I was able to join in on! Till next time!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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Ah, gin – the juniper-infused elixir that has been a favorite among cocktail enthusiasts for centuries. But what exactly is gin? At its core, gin is a distilled spirit that derives its primary flavor from juniper berries. The beauty of gin lies in its versatility; it serves as the canvas for a myriad of cocktails. Compared to other types of spirits like whisky or rum, gin tends to have a slightly earthier accent and lighter body.
Gin, like all great spirits, begins with a base of neutral alcohol. The magic happens when botanicals, led by the juniper berry, join the party. These botanicals can be infused into the gin either through direct maceration (steeping in the spirit), or vapor infusion, or both!
These botanicals can include herbs, spices, fruits, and roots, creating a botanical orchestra that plays across your taste buds. While traditionally juniper was added to be the most dominant flavour in the spirit, these days, more contemporary gin distilleries are differentiating their gins based on the other unique botanicals they curate and throw into the mix (think cheese, gunpowder tea and even seaweed!).
Gin comes in different styles, each with its own character. Here are the primary types you might encounter:
This classic style is known for its crisp and dry taste, and the hallmark of any true London Dry Gin is the dominance of juniper in its flavor profile. Contrary to its name, it doesn't have to be made in London, but what it does mean is that no sugar or additives can be added to the gin during distillation, ensuring that the purity of only the chosen botanicals shines through.
A popular London Dry Gin to try is Tanqueray London Dry (read our review here), celebrated for its bold juniper flavor and citrusy undertones. Another craft gin to try is the Never Never Triple Juniper Gin (read our review here), which in fuses the bright and earthy qualities of juniper using three different distillation processes.
Technically seen as a gin liqueur, Sloe Gin is a unique and sweet variation in the gin family, crafted by infusing sloe berries, a close relative of plums, into a base gin, typically a London Dry. The berries undergo a patient maceration process, imparting a tart and fruity flavor to the spirit. After infusion, sugar is added to achieve a balance of sweetness and tartness. Known for its versatility, Sloe Gin shines in cocktails like the Sloe Gin Fizz and Negroni, while also offering a pleasant sipping experience on its own.
Monkey 47 Sloe Gin (read our review here), Sipsmith Sloe Gin and Elephant Sloe Gin are great options for that are perfect for sipping. As a bonus, try the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin (read our review here). This is not really a sloe gin, as its made by steeping shiraz grapes in their classic dry gin, but it's nonetheless a beloved pick that will appeal to any sloe gin enthusiast.
A bridge between Genever and London Dry, Old Tom is a slightly sweeter style that has been making a comeback in the cocktail scene. Named after the iconic tomcat-shaped plaques that once adorned British pubs, Old Tom Gin was popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, as sugar was often added to mask the harshness of inferior distillates. Today, the sweetness is a deliberate choice, creating a more approachable and versatile spirit that stands out from the crisp dryness of London Dry Gins.
Give Bathtub Gin Old Tom a go for a taste of this traditional yet versatile variant. Meanwhile, Del Professore Old Tom Gin is also another good choice for an Old Tom that has a balanced sweetness without becoming too cloying!
Breaking away from tradition, this style emphasises non-juniper botanicals, resulting in more diverse and experimental flavour profiles. Hendrick's Gin (read our review here) is a prime example, with its infusion of rose and cucumber, offering a delightful and delicate departure from the norm. Meanwhile, Monkey 47 (read our review here) is a German gin brand that’s known for using a whooping 47 different botanicals to evoke the flavours and scents of the black forest. Another brand that is associated as a vocal proponent for New Western style gin is incidentally also Aviation Gin (yes, the gin brand owned by Ryan Reynolds).
Historically, this gin had to be high-proof to ensure its flammability would not be compromised if spilled on gunpowder. Today, it's appreciated for its bold flavors. A good option is the Plymouth Navy Strength Gin, a robust choice for adventurous palates, or the Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin, which has some punchiness that’s well balanced with peppery, orange accents.
Gin is a chameleon that adapts to various mixers and garnishes. Whether you prefer a classic Gin and Tonic, a refreshing Tom Collins, or an elegant Martini, gin plays well with others. Here are a few ways to enhance your gin experience:
Gin and Tonic: The classic. Mix your favorite gin with tonic water over ice and garnish with a slice of lime or a sprig of fresh herbs.
Martini: Stir or shake gin with dry vermouth, and garnish with an olive or lemon twist. Adjust the ratio to suit your taste preferences.
Negroni: Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Stir over ice and garnish with an orange twist.
Gimlet: Mix gin with lime juice and simple syrup. Shake over ice and strain into a glass for a zesty and refreshing cocktail.
When experimenting with garnishes or different tonics to pair with your gin, while the immediate impulse may be to pair a citrusy gin with a citrus garnish, consider pairing your gin with a tonic or garnish that is on the opposite spectrum of flavour instead?
Yana Keller, head bartender and gin researcher at Atlas Bar, shares: "for example, if you have a citrusy gin, I wouldn’t recommend pairing it with a tonics like Yuzu Tonics or Indian Tonics that has a lot of citrus characters. Rather, something more savoury might work. Another example is if you’re drinking a fruity gin, rather than adding more fruit to it, you can think about adding a bit of spice to enhance the other botanicals in the gin. I might add a ginger ale instead of tonic water to a fruity gin."
| Read more: How a Gin Researcher Curates the Gin on Atlas' Gin Tower, The World's Largest Collection of Gins
Remember, the joy of gin lies in the exploration. Don't be afraid to experiment with different mixers, ratios, and garnishes until you find your perfect pour. Cheers to your newfound gin journey!
Happy sipping!
@lotusroot518
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Look out South Korea, you've got a new craft whisky distillery coming right at you.
The past several years has seen the Korea spirits landscape change drastically - the country saw its first two whisky distilleries, Three Societies and Kim Chang Soo, both of whom have passed the rubicon of now releasing fairly regularly their own single malt, even if still limited in scale and obviously a touch on the younger side.
This is a worthy milestone for the country considering the major obstacle the local law poses to distillers who face prohibitively high taxes and production requirements, not to mention the operational complexity of being the firsts.
Yet, the country remains hopeful, having seen how much colour the craft beer scene has livened up to in the past two decades as similarly draconian laws relaxed in stages, and not without much drama! Ultimately those laws have largely fallen wayside for craft brewers, who today populate the country, producing an incredible variety of brews. Local distillers thus look to such possibilities with much hope that the same can be said for craft whisky distilling - that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Left to Right: Bryan Do (Three Societies), and Kim Chang Soo.
Nonetheless, despite the onerous regulations, it's not stopped the two distillers Bryan Do, helming Three Societies, and Kim Chang Soo, of his namesake distillery - both with incredible stories to tell.
| Read: Korea’s First Single Malt: Three Societies Distillery and Korea's Whisky Idol Kim Chang Soo Is Not The Main Character, But He Will Prove That Korea Also Makes Whisky
Now it seems that a third distiller is ready to join the fray - enter CraftBros Brewery and Distillery.
CraftBros got its start as a craft beer brewery in 2014, having been established by Kang Ki-moon, who had been the editor for The Beer Post magazine in South Korea. He also later established a craft beer taphouse named Can Maker in Seorae, which offered amongst the widest variety of craft beers on tap, supplied by numerous local craft brewers besides his own.
Nonetheless CraftBros' own beers, and later their Makgeollis, have been a big hit, not just for their distinctive and striking packaging, often featuring local architecture or otherwise distinguished photographs from Life Magazine, but also for their incredible quality and flavours.
Since mid-2023, CraftBros began teasing hints about putting a new whisky distillery together, dropping photos and reels of the process, and also emphasising the development and use of local ingredients in ensuring a Korean craft whisky is produced.
This move from craft brewery to craft distillery is not unheard of, as Three Societies' Bryan Do shares a similar experience of having established the successful Hand & Malt craft brewery, which he later sold, and then moved on to pursue craft distilling at Three Societies.
Kim Chang Soo on the other hand has seen the majority of his career thus far in various functions surrounding whisky, from having gained some experience as a salesperson to running his own bar, and then famously cycling across the whole of Scotland, having asked for a job in every distillery, before being turned down. Fortuitously, a chance encounter on his Scotland trip ultimately led to his apprenticing at the legendary Chichibu Distillery in Japan. A couple of years later, he would successfully raise the funds needed to start his own distillery.
In a recent reel, it seems that the new CraftBros distillery has finally begun to fill its first casks.
While fans will have to wait several more years to taste the first whisky from CraftBros, one can hope for several work-in-progress releases, which, if judging by Three Societies' own early releases, might prove to be incredibly promising. After all, South Korea's intense weather and its patterns have demonstrated its ability to accelerate the ageing of its whiskies.
Yet, perhaps what is also fascinating with CraftBros is also its founder Kang Ki-moon's amazing show of camaraderie with his fellow brewers and distillers, often finding avenues to promote and push the scene forward in any capacity he has been able to do so.
(Left To Right): Three Societies' Bryan Do, Kim Chang Soo and CraftBros' Kang Ki-moon, meeting to discuss proposals to pushing for legislative change prohibiting South Korea's distilling.
Ultimately it seems that CraftBros Brewery & Distillery is a love letter to South Korea from the heart of a true brew and spirits lover.
We'll be watching with great excitement!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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How often is it that you read about someone's insane story of starting a nationally massive and internationally recognised brand all in a discarded airplane hangar, and then you get to meet them in the flesh?
Well, seems like my time has come - just as well Melbourne's Starward had just unveiled a rebranding - and I finally got to meet the man David Vitale himself!
| Read More: The Starward Distillery Deepdive: The Craft Brewer, Winemaker’s Whisky from Melbourne
Lovely man I should say, so as to hold off any suspense.
David was in Singapore to unveil Starward's new brand identity - what's wrong with the old one?! - yeah I really liked the old one too, and often I'm rather skeptical about new packaging, but when I got to see the new one in the flesh (the man in the flesh as well), well, I think this is the first time I've actually liked the new theme even better!
The core expressions - Nova, Two-Fold and Solera - got new clothes, while a couple of new releases came in to join the party, so we've got the 100 Proof, the Vitalis which was launched last year as part of the Aussie distillery's 15th anniversary, and then the new exciting single malt that's been finished in ex-Lagavulin smoky Islay barrels.
The new theme is very intergalactic and futuristic. It's got that 80's almost retro, yet vaporwave vibe - I like it! It's hard to go wrong with such a good name anyway.
As the masterclass got underway, David gave a brief introduction about how the idea for Starward came to be. He shared his Aussie love for craft beers, but some digging informed him that beer didn't travel well, and wouldn't be a brand that could go out from Down Under and be shared with the world. His subsequent visit to a Kiwi distillery opened his eyes to the wonders of single malt whisky and thus set off his passion for starting what would become Starward.
He warmly told us about how Starward was crafted with the locality in mind - that means Aussie ingredients, casks and sensibilities. This translates to the use of wheat and barley - the two largest Aussie agri exports - as well as heavy use of local wine (think Cabernet's and Shiraz, big reds!) and Apera (fortified wine, or Australian "sherry") casks, and the goal of creating whiskies that paired well with food (an homage to Melbourne's food culture) and Australian occasions like a backyard BBQ or wintery nights.
The man himself, David Vitale.
He also shared his heartfelt and sincerest hope for Starward to capture these Australian qualities that are very much a part of his own identity, and that it can be a love letter from Australia to the world. He talked about how he'd meekly shared with a Dan Murphy's sales rep that his goal was to compete with the likes of Balvenie, and that years later he received that fated call that he had accomplished his goal, and today Starward sits on shelves worldwide alongside the likes of decades old storied Scotch and centuries old blends.
As such this night I got to try Starward's flight alongside a food pairing, with David popping in and out to tell us the stories behind each expression and his tasting experience - and you're coming!
First of the night, we had the Two-Fold, which David shared was inspired his desire to capture the Australian landscape where wheat and barley were two of Australia's biggest agri exports and so he felt that it was absolutely necessary to have an expression that reflected as much.
After distilling a wheat whisky and a malt whisky, the two distillates were then vatted in a 60 / 40 proportion which is subsequently wet filled (wine casks come in at night, whisky filled by morning) in Australian wine casks from a local P-fold's winery, where it stays to age for the full duration of the ageing (which is about 3-4 years).
What initially struck me was how unique it was to include wheat whisky in the expression - wheated whiskies are not common outside the US by any means, whilst ironically, wheated whiskies are a big hit in the US (think Pappy's, Maker's Mark, Weller). Seems like real untapped potential here!
And what's more, this wasn't just done for the sake of it, rather it has a real sincerity about it - it's absolutely inspired by the local environment with 100% Australian ingredients!
But uniqueness and a great story doesn't cut it, does it? Onto the taste test!
Nosing it, there's lots of honey decked upon a pot of stewed peaches and apricots - just incredibly estery and fruity. As you get past the brighter scents, there's more dense fruity notes of raspberry jam, and then over time, even more interestingly, there's a funkiness of overripe banana! How interesting!
On the palate, it was more of the same, but with the addition of cherry candy and alittle bit more savouriness of honey soy sauce.
It had a clean finish that was also rather aromatic and perfumed, with banana candy and cherry candy, before deepening into more on black grape skins and a little bit of fruity but tart balsamic.
Starward Two-Fold, paired with Hokkaido Scallops with Onion, Two-Fold whisky butter sauce and avruga caviar.
I found the Two-Fold incredibly complex and unique with this three way split between wheat whisky, malt whisky and the red wine barrel flavours. This was incredibly interesting to me and obviously also delectable with all these fruity flavours whilst keeping to an otherwise clean and fresh palate.
It's an often outlined goal for whiskymakers to say that their whiskies pair well with food, but this one really delivered. Because it was so approachable but also complex and fresh, it makes a good complement to quite the range of lighter or heavier food flavours - in this case, it was paired with some scallops in what was for me an incredibly delicious butter sauce.
Great start!
Now we move to the Nova, which as David elaborates is the malt whisky component in the Two-Fold but isolated, so here we're told to expect something heavier bodied, richer and rounder.
David mentioned that the goal here was to make a whisky that would be a good reference point to single malt Scotch whisky, but obviously an Aussie take on it, with local barley and of course Red Wine barrels.
Let's see how it pares up!
Now, I've always thought that being an Aussie distillery comes with great benefits - few distilleries are in such proximity to high quality world class local wineries. In that sense, they're getting actually ex-Red Wine barrels, rather than Red Wine-seasoned barrels, which is often the case with whiskies from elsewhere. The big difference being that seasoned barrels make use of low quality wine that is meant to simply imbue a bit of flavour to a barrel and then be tossed, whereas real ex-Red Wine barrels were filled with quality wine that's eventually bottled and sold for drinking.
So in my books, that's a perhaps understated but big advantage for Starward. As mentioned earlier, Starward wet fills these red wine barrels within hours of being emptied of its wine (that's bottled and sold by P-folds) so you're getting a whisky that's really soaking in all these rich red wine flavours. David mentioned that something like 120 red barrels goes into each batch.
With the Nova I certainly got bigger, bolder aromas of honey, peaches and apricot - it's thicker and more syrupy here, with darker, denser sweeter flavours. Over time, it airs and blooms into a bouquet of rose water and strawberry jam.
On the palate, I got lots of stewed orchard fruits, mulled wine and spices, and also lots of raspberry and blackberry jam. Over time it turns alittle more savoury with a touch of marmite, and. then back onto that funky banana compote note. On the finish, it got more umami, with this earthiness of dried mushrooms and miso paste.
Starward Nova, paired with Octopus, Stracciatella cheese, pistachio crumble, and harissa sauce.
Compared to the Two-Fold, this was definitely punchier and stronger, with lots of darker, denser flavours, albeit expectedly less complex. That makes sense because here you're getting one part of the Two-Fold, but you're also getting more of it, so it's also more intense. It was very balanced and well-contrasted between sweet and savoury, and has an even more intense flavour of those fruit jams. Oh and talk about that curious umami bit at the finish.
This was paired with some octopus that was really tender, and came with some harissa sauce that added a smoky, roast chilli complexity. Solid pairing, I'd say.
Solera isn't just some intergalactic sounding name that Starward chose to complement its already very futuristic new clothes. It's a method used by Sherry bodegas where barrels of Sherry are stacked in layers atop layers, with the layer on the floor level (the Solera) being the oldest aged Sherry, and the layer closest to the ceiling being the youngest.
The Solera system. (Image source: Sherry Notes)
This is a traditional practice that has been carried out for centuries where a portion of Sherry is drawn from the floor level barrels (the oldest) for bottling, and Sherry from the layer above (a younger Sherry) is used to replace what's drawn from the layer below. This is then applied continuously layer upon layer all the way to the top most layer. In that sense it appears like a waterfall.
The goal here is to help the Sherry marry more cohesively to produce a more silky texture and well rounded flavour.
So how does it apply here? Well, Sherry is a fortified wine that can only be named as such if it comes from the Sherry triangle in Spain. Nonetheless, Australia too is home to some incredibly high quality fortified wines that follow the same process, but are instead known as Apera.
Paying homage to this Australian craft, David talked about how for the Solera single malt whisky, he has a large vat of Starward whisky where he draws some whisky out of for bottling, the equivalent amount of which is filled with new Starward single malt - alittle bit like the idea of a Solera. This means that in some ways, everything from what went into the first bottle of Solera, continues to stay in the vat in theory, and so each batch builds on top of that. The idea of which is to create a rich, well-rounded, well-married expression.
For the Solera, you see a markedly darker amber tone whisky. Its aromas are also deep and darker, with more on spiced honey and mulled wine. It has lots of dried fruit aromas too, with raisins, orange peels, and also chocolate and creme brulee.
On the palate, it keeps that consistency, but it's alittle more tannic with some red grape must - big, dark and juicy. Lots of Christmas-y notes of raisins, fruit cake, walnuts. On the finish there's custard pudding and sticky date toffee pudding.
Starward Solera, paired with Suckling Pig, saffron pilaf rice, confit cherry tomatoes and brown jus.
The Solera had a very warm, Christmas-y / Thanksgiving sort of quality to it, with these rich, darker, sweeter notes that is what you intuitively think about on a cold night. I actually really loved this alot because rather than being a traditional Sherry-aged whisky - the flavours here are certainly comparable - this was unique in having a brighter and less dense texture, whilst keeping with those warm flavours.
In that sense, I found it very approachable and easy to enjoy and I just didn't ever find it too cloying as I do with those typical Sherry bombs. This was alot fresher and yet just as flavour rich. Went great with the suckling pig, which too had Starward whisky flambeed on it! It was quite the spectacle.
Now, we're past the halfway mark and we have the 100 Proof.
American whiskey fans would immediately catch a whiff from its name what this expression might have taken inspiration from - the beloved BiB tradition!
BiB stands for Bottled in Bond, which is a unique American practice where the government federally regulates the maturation of whiskies which must comply with key standards including being bottled at 100 proof, aged at least 4 years, and produced at a single distillery within a single distillation season.
David shared about his love for Bourbons such as the Rittenhouse expression from Heaven Hill, and how he wanted to pay homage to this tradition considering the use of American oak in this expression alongside the Starward signature Red Wine barrels.
The 100 Proof is definitely more punchy on the nose, with a deep layer of honey here and in fact this comes with a herbal quality that's rather like manuka honey and butterscotch. Overall very rich and rounded, with an almost smouldering quality of a big block of maltose syrup melting.
On the palate, more of that maltose candy, but still topped with raisins, cooked plums and figs, as well as some chocolate syrup. The finish was also noticeably more nutty, and then backed by leather, and more earthy notes of dried mushrooms, raisins and the same plums and figs.
Starward 100 Proof, paired with Vintage Galician Prime Rib, mash potato, bone marrow sauce and charred broccolini.
This was by far the biggest and boldest (it's also the highest proof thus far!) - lots of richness and heft - and you can distinctly find the American oak influence here. You could characterise this as being really big and muscular, yet rounded, like a giant block of honeycomb dotted with sherry notes.
What I also really liked was how mellow it was, it was prickly nor aggressive. It was mellow but very flavoursome. It's heft and weight also commands a sort of importance about it - like it was cut especially for celebrations. And hence we're having it paired with a lovely choice cut of prime rib. Lovely fattiness and beefyness, incredibly tender and of course fantastic broccolini to boot! Meat, whisky and charred garden vegetables are an unbeatable combo!
As we run through expression after expression, I wonder what it must feel like for David - it were as if we were combing through the chapters of the past 15 years of his life's work! Behind every drop of whisky must have been triumphs and heartaches that you'd never guess, given his incredibly warm, genuine, humble, outgoing personality.
And thus it seems befitting we get to try the Vitalis expression. This expression celebrates the 15th anniversary of the distillery and thus - as you must have begun to spot a trend by now - pays homage to key aspects of the distillery's history and identity. This comes in the form of comprising of six whisky parcels that tell the story of Starward - they include red wine barrels, tawny, bourbon, apera and rum barrels, which were aged 4-10 years and then put together.
It's name is of course an ode to David himself and his efforts that have culminated in Australia's most recognisable whisky brand - Starward.
The Vitalis was quite unlike the Starward's from before - it was certainly darker and denser, closest probably to the Solera, and rather than those bright red berries, here was more of raspberries coated in dark chocolate. There were also bits of candied pineapple and wood spice - it's alittle bit of everything all combined in a pot.
On the palate, it carried across the dark chocolate and dried red berries, and for some reason made me think of Mexican hot chocolate, which was an interesting experience to say the least as its got chillies chucked in. The Vitalis nonetheless embodied the more traditional Sherry malt whisky notes of leather, tobacco leaves, before more of that classic Starward tart red berries came through on the finish, with some of that umami earthiness.
Starward Vitalis, paired with a Treacle Tart with whisky chocolate whip, whisky caramel and vanilla sponge.
Perhaps somewhat poetic, this came paired with dessert, which was an absolutely lovely treacle tart - that I unabashedly thoroughly enjoyed despite how decadent it was.
Overall, the Vitalis had alot of flavours going on, and again commanded more weight, given its darker, heftier sensibility. You still do find the hallmarks of those Aussie red wine barrels, but here you get alittle bit more of everything else as well. If I had to compare it to something, I'd call this hot chocolate.
And while those five lovely expressions have neatly wrapped up the Starward story, we've got one final expression that points us onward!
The latest, and probably what's gotten whisky folks very excited, ex-Lagavulin finished Starward single malt!
Now, we already know Islay has its fans, so traversing to such a territory was bound to drum up excitement. I don't quite think we've gotten anything similar from Australia yet.
Save to say the obvious here, but this was a collaboration between Starward and Islay's Lagavulin (where's Nick Offerman!), where Starward got their hands on some of Lagavulin's casks to finish (we're talking 18 months here) its otherwise Aussie single malt red wine barrel matured whisky.
But something worth pointing out is that the idea of using ex-Islay cask is particularly fascinating because traditionally most distillers would have to import peat in order to weave the smokiness into their whiskies. You see this with the Japanese distilleries. However, a couple of years ago, someone ingeniously thought to go at it from a different angle - what if we'd finish the whiskies in an ex-smoky whisky barrel rather than peating the barley?
That's created some interesting results! You can bet the effect isn't quite the same. Although I have to wonder if Australia has local peat... Hmm.
This one started off smoky as you might've already guessed (would be weirder if it didn't right?) - very big, aromatic plumes, yet not bitter! There was more on seawater, kombu, as well as some smoked butter and honey.
On the palate, there was a distinct flavour I hadn't yet gotten in Starward, which was that of black tea. More on those seaspray here too, and then it turns more medicinal with the signature Islay iodine and vegetal seaweed notes. There was also more of that herbal manuka honey. This mostly carried through to the finish, with the additional of some cough syrup.
This was quite the hit with the bunch of folks at the masterclass - so definitely a crowdpleaser - surprisingly with the ladies in particular! On my end, I found this equal parts Islay and equal parts Starward, albeit the Islay component was of course more conspicuous, but you still got the deep richness of the Starward base there.
Now wasn't that a fun masterclass! It isn't everyday you get to meet the man who makes your whisky. That aside, it was almost ridiculous how down to earth David was, as he shared with us his thoughts about the various expressions that signpost his journey in establishing Starward. An incredibly big personality, but so outrageously friendly, and also really forthcoming with sharing about the whiskies.
Running through the range of Starward's whiskies, you get the sense that it's quite the unique whisky that has the ability to span a wide spectrum of weightclasses, from really bright, fruity and refreshing to much more muscular, dark and decadent. On top of that, you're most assured of always getting those lovely red fruits in their expressions which is always a big hit, and at incredibly great value and availability as well! For me, the aspect of how Starward is crafted with the continuous desire to pay homage to Australia was a particular standout as I appreciate when a spirit can capture the essence of where it's from.
Fruity whiskies, great value, awesome story - what's to complain about?
The food was also fantastic, it was a great pairing, and all in all, a great re-introduction to the brand new Starward.
If you're looking to find Starward's whiskies in Singapore, you can find them over at Malt Wine Asia (you can even get them in miniatures!) who is their official distributor here. If you're elsewhere, definitely keep a look out for them!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
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What's a good meal without an ice cold pint to enjoy it with? When it comes to the topic of good food and beer pairings, some might say "why overthink it!?". And the truth is, they'd be right. At the end of the day, there's really no set formula and no "correct" way to pair food and beers, as it comes down to individual taste preference.
That said, if you're looking to be more explorative and conscious when choosing new flavour pairings, one of the most popular general principles of how to go about selected a beer-food combination is that of the 3C's principle. This refers to Cut, Complement and Contrast.
We'll go over what each of the 3Cs are, and how you can apply it to find a beer and food comination that anyone would be happy to toast to...
Cut refers to a beer's ability to cut through textures and flavours of foods. Beer has the unique characteristic of offering carbonation, which gives it the ability to cleanse certain flavours from the palette. Generally, this is great when eating foods with fatty, rich or spicy flavours.
Complement refers to the act of pairing beer and foods with similar aromas and flavour notes in a way that is harmonious. For example, you want to pair intensely beers with spicy notes with spicier dishes, or a rich, creamy and chocolatey Stout with a fudgy, decadent dessert.
Contrast refers to the way certain beers and foods have opposing yet balancing flavours, creating an optimal level of contrast that elevates the flavour experience. Opposites attract: meaning you should match different flavours like sweet and sour or bitter and sweet.
How Does One Apply the 3Cs in Practice?
Some of our favorite ways to apply the 3Cs in practice are as follows:
If you’re drinking a juicy IPA… like the Archipelago Summer IPA, pairs it with spicy foods such as sambal stingray, crayfish and squid or oilier, greasier foods like pizza. The carbonation cuts through the strong flavours and cleanses the palate between each mouthful.
If you’re drinking a crisp, delicate Lager… like Heineken, consider pairing the beer with subtly briny, lightly refreshing seafood like salmon or oysters, as these have similar and complementary taste profiles.
If you’re drinking a creamy, thick Stout… like Guinness, make use of its rich, chocolatey, espresso notes and find a complementary dessert such as a chocolate brownies or choclate lava cake.
If you’re drinking a sweeter, infused beer…. like the Tiger Soju Infused Lager Gutsy Grape or Cheeky Plum, pair its fruity notes with sour foods like kimchi stew or Sichuan sauerkraut fish. This will play up the contrast between the sweet and sour notes.
If you’re drinking a Sour beer like a Lambic, Gose or Fruited Sour…, dial up the contrast and enjoy it with saltier foods like cured meats or cheeses, or creamier, or make use of the tanginess in a Sour to cut through creamy cheeses or a fatty beef stew.
This is of course by no means an exhaustive list so feel free to play around with Cut, Complement and Contrast however you'd like. If you have some holy grail food and beering pairings you've discovered for yourself over the years, be sure to share them in the comments below!
Happy sipping!
@lotusroot518
]]>At what point does the pursuit of purity overshadow the character and soul of the sake?
The year was 1992. In the dimly lit room of a business hotel, Hiroshi Sakurai, the third-generation owner and president of Asahi Shuzo Brewery (which owns Dassai), was interrupted by an unexpected piece of news. A competitor from Nada Ward in Kobe had just released a Junmai Daiginjo sake polished down to an unprecedented 24%. Before that call, Sakurai-san's team at Dassai was on the verge of launching their own sake with a 25% seimaibuai (polishing ratio). But their thunderbolt was already stolen by the competitor's sake with a lower seimaibuai number of 24% on the market. Sakurai-san felt the weight of the news. The competitive spirit of the sake world, where honour and innovation walked hand in hand, meant that this was not just a minor setback but a challenge to be met head-on.
Beyond the sheer labour required, a high polishing ratio is exponentially difficult to achieve as it requires expertise to prevent the delicate core of the rice grain from crumbling. Think of it as slicing a salami into ever thinner slices.
| Read a little more about rice polishing and the sake production process here.
Sakurai-san picked up the phone and dialed his brewery. The ambient sounds of the hotel lobby and the distant murmur of conversations faded as he gave a simple, yet painfully gruelling directive: polish the rice 2% more, down to 23%. It was a tough call; one that requires an exponentially increasing amount of labour – 24 extra hours of work for just that extra 2%. But the team trudged on and pushed the boundaries of sake production, setting Dassai on a path to global recognition.
This moment, the spirit of competition and audacity marked the beginning of a period called the "sake milling arms race."
Before this pivotal period, a polishing ratio of slightly below 50% was already considered the gold standard for sakes, known as Daiginjo, or the 'highest' grade. But the early 21st century saw continued innovation in the sake world. Modernity eclipsed brewing tradition, and breweries constantly sought new ways to distinguish themselves and elevate their sake above sakes from scores of other already high quality breweries.
A high polishing ratio is exponentially difficult to achieve... Think of it as slicing a salami into ever thinner slices.
The Dassai 23, born from Sakurai-san's impromptu decision, became the torchbearer of this new era of premium sakes, and an international household name. You can read all about Dassai's unlikely rise here. Inspired by Dassai 23's success, other breweries began their own quests for perfection. Niizawa Shuzo ventured into the single digits with a 9% polished sake. Tatenokawa, not to be outdone, introduced "Shichiseiki," with a 7% polishing ratio, and then the "Komyo" with a staggering 1% polishing ratio. The boundaries of what was possible in sake production were being redrawn with each new release.
Of course, a higher polishing ratio doesn't automatically make a sake better; it's just one of many factors that influence the final flavour of the sake.
You see, when the modern sake grading system began setting minimum polishing ratios for sakes to qualify for certain grades, seimaibuai numbers appeared on almost every bottle of premium sake. A percentage measure is easy to understand, and gave consumers a simple proxy for sake quality. And so the sake rice milling arms race ensued.
The race to the bottom finally came to a ridiculous end when Niizawa Shuzo released a sake that had 99.15% of the rice grain polished away. This meant that the sake had seimaibuai number of 0.85%. And because sake regulations in 2018 allowed seimaibuai numbers to be rounded down to the nearest whole number, the brewer was allowed to label its sake as a 0% seimaibuai sake.
There's no clear benefit to polishing the rice to microscopic levels, besides marketing a sake brand.
This was the birth of Niizawa brewery's Reikyo "Absolute Zero" expression. While a regular Daijinjo would have taken 3 days of polishing, Niizawa boasted that its rice was polished for exactly 5297 hours and 34 minutes. This is 7 straight months of polishing to give a sake made from a hilariously microscopic speck of rice. A bottle retails for about 800,000 yen, or over US$5,500.
Do people think this sake tastes a thousand times better than a regular Daijinjo? Probably not. If anything, critics have argued that ultra-polished sakes taste ultra-refined, yet they lack the robustness, depth or complexity of less polished sakes. Experts also pointed out that an extreme obsession with rice polishing is wasteful and disrespectful of the ingredient.
If sake traditions count for anything, it's worth noting that terms like Ginjo (60% or lower) and Daiginjo (50% or lower) only showed up in the 1960s'.
So there's no clear benefit to polishing the rice to microscopic levels, besides marketing a sake brand. Dassai's representatives have been overheard saying that they made the Dassai 23 simply to sell more of the Dassai 50.
While many players in the sake industry use low seimaibuai numbers to pique the interest of new sake drinkers, there's been a growing appreciation for the entire spectrum of sakes. Instead, other breweries focus on heirloom rice varieties, unique yeast strains or traditional brewing methods that open sakes up to a larger universe of possibilities.
One example is the craft brewery Konohanano which shares the youthful exuberance of American craft beer breweries.
(Source: Omunomu Singapore)
Konohanano Brewery specialises in a primordial variant of sake called doburoku, which contains entire grains of rice within the drink. This gives it a unique porridge-like texture, a milky flavour, a bright rice sweetness along with an unusual fizziness from natural carbonation that has been winning over sake enthusiasts. Konohanao tends to use rice polished down to around 80%. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Konohanano is their experimentations with unusual strains of yeasts.
The 'LAB05' All Koji Doburoku uses strains of yeast that give it notes of exotic fruit with a dominant lactic note that reminds one of Italian salami. On the other hand, the 'Hazy Sake' Doburoku is inspired by the tropical flavours of hazy IPAs of the American East Coast, and is brewed with ale yeast and beer hops – this was probably the closest a sake came to tasting like a hazy IPA.
| Read our reviews of Konohanano's Controversial Unfiltered Sakes
If sake traditions count for anything, it's worth noting that terms like Ginjo (60% or lower) and Daiginjo (50% or lower) only showed up in the 1960s'. In fact, before the 1900s, breweries did not have advanced rice milling machines and couldn't polish their rice lower than 90%. Truly traditional sakes are not polished to a very high degree.
A number of heritage sake breweries that have stuck closer to tradition and refused to join the polishing arms race since day one. You could count the famous Tenzan Brewery from Kyushu amongst them. Founded in the 1800s by the Shichida family, who still runs the brewery today, Tenzan Brewery produces a wide range of internationally renowned sakes, from Genshu sakes (undiluted) to Ginjos, to Daijinjos. Tenzan's Daijinjo sakes tend to come in just under the 50% mark, at around 45% seimaibuai. Perhaps the most recognisable expression from Tenzan is the Shichida 75 sake which was released in the early 2000s.
Interestingly, while other brewers competed over lower rice polishing ratios in the early 2000s, the Shichida 75 challenged the misguided notion of "lower is better". The sake is made with a deliberately higher rice polishing ratio of 75% seimaibuai to create a full-bodied sake that maximised the flavour of the high quality Yamada Nishiki rice used to make it. This is said to give it complex aromas reminiscent of brown sugar syrup, figs, dried fruits, and a savoury character that sake lovers attribute to the Yamada Nishiki rice.
Another notable brewery is Senkin Brewery from Tochigi Prefecture, one of the oldest breweries from the region that was established in the early 1800s. The brewery dabbles with the old and the new. Their lineup includes a relatively well-polished expression of Daiginjo that comes in at 17% seimaibuai. There's also the Senkin Nature which honours traditional brewing practices by using organic sake rice, wild yeast and the practice of only polishing rice down to 90%. This gives Senkin Nature expressions more robust, earthier and grainier notes.
These days, the romantic notion of a relentless quest for 'perfection' by pursuing an ever-lower seimaibuai number no longer resonate with all sake enthusiasts. With the Reikyo "Absolute Zero" out now, the sake milling arms race arms race is finally over. You can't go lower than zero! In time, sake drinkers and the industry would finally get over the obsession with high polishing ratios.
We can already see this happening with the likes of Tenzan Brewery's Shichida 75, or genmaishu brewers, who work with essentially unpolished brown rice. Yet, the spirit of competition as embodied by Dassai's famous moves, remain at the heart of the sake industry. The world of sake continues to tap into both tradition and innovation for differentiation and compelling narratives. Whether it's by exploring heirloom rice varieties, ancient brewing techniques, unique yeast strains or even the addition of beer hops, there's a buffet of options for brewers and consumers.
We no longer have a simplistic measurement for what makes a 'better' sake, and sakes could vary across so many dimensions. It also follows that there won't be a 'perfect sake' out there, only one that you personally enjoy!
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>We humans are creatures of tradition. We revere the ancient, the history, and the old. It’s no wonder when a group of smart marketing folks start plastering buzzwords that imply an inkling of primordial origin to a food product, we enshrine them - sometimes catapulting the seemingly ordinary into fame.
A hop cone from Hallertau, Germany.
Is that necessarily a bad thing? I don’t think so! No two regions are ever the same - Chardonnay, the grape that makes for age-worthy sparkling wines in Champagne, will not grow the same as, say, in the warmer regions of the Napa Valley, where big powerful wines are oaked. When we see a Bordeaux appear on the dining table, we associate the wine to certain tastes and characteristics, because of the permitted grape varieties that make up the Bordeaux blend.
Only a few varieties of grapes are permitted to be in Bordeaux blends. Source: Wine Folly
So who exactly are the four noble hops? The four noble hops refer to four hop varieties originating from Germany and now Czechia that have ascended to nobility, partly because brokers and hop traders crowned them as such to highlight the origin of where the hops are grown. According to hops scientist Adrian Forster, the term “noble hops” was coined roughly in the 1970s and 1980s, when what Germans called the “fine aroma hops” got translated to “noble aroma hops” and then truncated to “noble hops”. In short, there is no scientific definition that made this hops noble, but instead a (largely) general consensus amongst hop traders and brewers.
A vintage Pilsner Urquell advertisement. Source: Open Library
However, this isn’t to say that the hop varieties didn’t earn their stripes (or vines) so to speak. The four hop varieties have been carefully selected and propagated for centuries - expressing the terroir and influencing beer-brewing styles in German and Czechia. Hence, even though these four varieties can be found growing everywhere else in the world, the hops grown in their legacy hometowns command a higher price.
So, here are the four noble hops: Hallertauer Mittelfrüher, Tettnanger (sometimes called Tettnang), Spalt (sometimes called Spalter), and Saaz. Hallertauer Mittelfrüher is the odd one out, as research suggests that Tettnanger, Spalt and Saaz share a common lineage or were at one point crossbred, hence the latter three form the Saazer group.
Hop images from Hopsteiner.
Before we go in depth on the characteristics of the hops, let’s first geek out a little on the chemistry of hops.
Hops introduce two elements into the beer: bitterness and aromas. The alpha acids, found in the lupulines of the hops, contribute the bittering element to the beer. The essential oils of the hops are what contribute aromas of fruit, flowers or spice into the beer.
The lupulines are the yellowy portions of the hop cone. Sierra Nevada has a interactive infographic on the anatomy of a hop cone.
Here’s where things get a little bit technical. There are two categories of hops: bittering hops and aromatic hops. Bittering hops contain more alpha acids by dried weight (expressed as a percentage), while aromatic hops contain less alpha acids and more esssential oils. Some hops are dual-purpose hops.
For the homebrewer, when purchasing hops online, suppliers typically indicate the alpha acid weight percentage.
A few examples of alpha acids include humulone, cohumulone and adhumulone. These acids are also responsible for some of the antimicrobial properties that preserve beer for longer as well. To extract these alpha acids, the hops need to be boiled in the wort, with longer boil times extracting more alpha acids. The high heat will cause the alpha acids to isomerise (essentially, changing the chemical molecule while retaining the same constituent atoms) into iso-alpha acids, which are then soluble in water and hence give beer its bitter flavour.
An example of humulone isomerisation when beer brewing. Source: Bland et. al. (2015)
On a chemical level, there has been some research conducted on alpha acids, with varying levels of understanding on what each alpha acid really does (in terms of the flavours they contribute to the beer, how bitter they are, what antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties they have, etc). For the brewer, the weight percentage of alpha acids in beer helps them determine how bitter the final beer will be, which could be represented on an IBU scale (international bitterness units) to convey to consumers and beer drinkers.
4 Pines Brewing Company, for instance, indicates their IBU to be 15 units on their Pacific Ale.
On a similar vein, there are also beta acids (lupulone, adlupulone, colupulone, and prelupulone) in hops - the less well understood sibling of alpha acids. They do not contribute as much bitterness to beers as their alpha sibling right form the get go (look up this published paper on how it compares to alpha acids in terms of intensity) - however, as a beer ages, the alpha acids break down and lose their bitterness while beta acids oxidise in the beer and become bitter.
How alpha acids and beta acids differ. Source: Schindler et. al. 2019
For the aspiring brewer, beta acids are not usually explicitly labelled when buying hops, but a quick search on the weight percentage of beta acids could be important to consider if a beer is to be aged or kept for a long while. Similarly, brewers could also look out for the alpha acid to beta acid ratio: a close 1:1 ratio may make a beer overtly bitter at the start but help with long term storing, whereas a 2:1 ratio could give a certain profile of bitterness and flavour that is more desirable in the beer.
Hallertau Tradition, a hybrid of two hop varieties, has quite a close 1:1 ratio of alpha and beta acids. Source: BSG Craft Brewing.
To wrap up this discussion on alpha and beta acids in beer, there has been some discussion on how humulone and cohumulone affects the bitterness of the beer. Both being alpha acids, it has been said that humulone has a “softer”, rounder bitterness, while cohumulone gives a “sharper, more unpleasant” bitter sensation in the beer. Much of hops and beer research have painted cohumulone as the bane of beer bittering, and hop geneticists have strived to produce hops with low cohumulone concentrations. I’m no beer brewer, neither am I an organic chemist nor a hop expert - but here’s an experiment done by a brewer to tease out the differences.
Brülosophy's experiment on humulone and cohumulone yielded quite some insights - testing the commonly-held ideas of what bitterness is desirable in a beer.
Now, moving on to essential oils - here is where hops varieties get much of their personality from. The essential oils of hops give beer a whole diversity of flavours and aromas - from fruity and floral (e.g. contributed by alcohols, esters, sulphur-containing compounds), spicy, woody and herbal aromas (sesquiterpenes, oxygenated sesquiterpenoids), to “green” vegetal ones (aldehydes).
A few examples of essential oils found in hops. Hydrocarbon oils are less soluble in water than oxygen containing oils. Souce: Pats Pints
In a broad sweep, aromatic hops contain more of these essential oil, and scientists are discovering a broader spectrum of these essential oils with more research (turns out, the study of essential oil in hops is dizzyingly difficult, with around 1,000 volatile compounds currently being discovered). While the variety of the hop does play a part in determining what essential oils and hence flavours are extracted into the beer, climate, terroir and a whole host of other factors in relation to where and how it is grown will affect the essential oil concentration and variety as well.
As a general rule of thumb, the essential oils in these hops are delicate and prone to being lost if it is boiled for long periods of time in the wort, hence, are added slightly later in the beer production process. Here’s the counterintuitive segment of this article: dry hopping and wet hopping. Contrary to what their names suggest, no, they are not opposite processes of each other - instead, they refer to the state of the hops when it is used in the beer making process… sorta. Dry hopping refers to adding dried hops, usually in pellet form, into the wort after it has boiled. This ensures that not too much additional bitterness is introduced into the beer, while the hops can still perfume and add flavour to the beer.
Dry hopping in a fermentation tank. Source: Sierra Nevada
Wet hopping refers to adding freshly harvested hop cones into the beer - be it before, during, or after boiling the wort. While it is logistically more challenging to wet hop beer as freshly picked hops, without drying, can lose its freshness and expire quickly, some brewers choose to do so to impart a “greener” taste to the final brew. Additionally, when hops are dried into pellets, some of its essential oils could be lost due to oxidation and heating.
Wet hopping.
What makes the noble, noble?
Long, jargon preamble aside, what makes the noble hops, well, noble? As we mentioned earlier, the four noble hops refer to hops that have been traditionally used in German and Czechia (and by extension, to other European countries as well). These hops tend to have a low alpha acid percentage, meaning that they do not infuse the brew with too much bitterness. This leads to the classical pilsner and lager styles of beer that the world loves so much.
Lager and Pilsner.
Remember how we talked about beta acids oxidising over time? An interesting trait of the four noble hops is that they have a close 1:1 ratio between alpha acids and beta acids. Some beer and hop researchers theorise that the noble hops played a huge role in lagering - lager meaning “storage” in German. Back in the days, hops were added to beer to improve shelf life - but lager beers were stored and left to ferment in cool caves before drinking. Due to the somewhat higher beta acid component of beers it could have kept beers fresher and bitter for a longer time.
While this could be an oversimplification of the beer styles in Europe, the beers in Belgium, Germany, Czechia and the surrounding countries tend to have a floral, bitter and spicy hop profile in their beers, as compared to more modern IPA contemporaries that feature a juicer, fruitier profile. It is important to note too that terroir really matters - these varieties of hops are now grown all over the world, but just like how Champagne grapes are prized because they are from Champagne, the hops and where they’re grown will influence the acids, essential oils and ultimately value of the stuff.
A Bohemian hop harvest in 1898. Source: Amstein
Now, let’s dive into each and every member of this hoppy quartet.
[Do take note that there are varying figures for the alpha and beta acid content of the listed hops. I took the alpha acid figures from Untappd’s article, and the beta acid figures from Hoplists’ articles.]
Let’s start with the odd one out of the list first. Hallertauer Mittelfrüher does not share the same common ancestor or genetic lineage as the other three hops. The origins of this variety is largely unknown - only that this variety was found in the wild and then subsequently cultivated by the locals living in the area (also known as a “landrace”).
Source: Hopsteiner
While the variety is grown throughout Germany, the Hallertauer Mittelfrüher refers to the Mittelfrüher variety grown in Hallertau, Bavaria, Germany. Hallertau, the largest continuous hop planting area in the world, has been known to cultivate hops since 768 AD and today produces 80% of Germany’s hops.
Map of Hallertau. Source: Wikipedia
Most brewers and hop breeders characterise the Hallertauer Mittelfrüher for having a spicy, floral and earth aromas. Currently, The Hallertauer Mittelfrüher is in decline due to its susceptibility to verticillium wilt and low yields, and a few breeders have been producing crossbred offspring to improve the resilience of this variety.
The Hefe Weissbier from Weihenstephaner is a beer that uses the Hallertau Mittelfrüher, according to Silly Sir Brewing Co.
Origin: Hallertau, Germany
Use: Aroma
Alpha Acid: 3.5 - 5.5%
Beta Acid: 3.5% - 4.5%
Aroma Notes: Spicy, floral, earthy
Beer Styles: Lagers, Pilsners, Belgian ales, European ales
Source: Hopsteiner
Tettnanger gets its name from Tettnang, a town at the South of Germany that resides close to Lake Constance (or Bodensee) and the Swiss border. The environment near the lake makes it a suitable place to grow Tettnanger, growing up to 5% of Germany’s total hop production. This variety is popular overseas - mainly due to its hardy nature and resilience against diseases. Be warned though - much of the hops on sale are actually Tettnanger crossed with Fuggle, an English hop variety. Hence, some hop suppliers differentiate by indicating Tettnanger Tettnang instead. This hops is also widely grown in Hallertau as well.
Source: Wikipedia
Many have compared the characteristics to be quite similar to Saaz and Spalt, further down in the list. However, the hops have been known to be more balanced and subtle in its floral, herbal and mild spicy aromas, hence it has found use in both as a bittering hop and as an aromatic hop.
The Rothaus brewery uses a blend of hops from Hallertau and Tettnang.
Origin: Tettnang, Germany
Type: Dual purpose (aroma and bittering)
Alpha Acid: 2.5 - 5.5%
Beta Acid: 2.8 - 5.3%
Aroma Notes: Herbal, floral, mild spice
Beer Styles: Pilsners, lagers, ales, triples, saisons, wheat beers
Image Source: Hopsteiner
This hops, unsurprisingly, gained its name from where it is grown: Spalt, Germany. The town of Spalt is renowned for producing beer and hops since the 14th century. In 1538, the town of Spalt was the first to receive the German Seal of Hop Quality: where an area is known to produce high quality hops from its terroir. The seal not only recognises the area which the hops are grown at, but also the particular variety as well. Nevertheless, there could have been some crossbreeding between Saaz hops and Splat hops.
Source: Minnesota's Free Country
Spalt, also known as Spalter, should not be confused with Spalter Select, a 1993 variety that crossbred Spalt with Hallertau Mittelfrüher. The aromas of Splat are known to be woody and peppery alongside ripe banana. Splat has been used quite extensively in altbier by German brewers, an old German style of beer originating from Düsseldorf that is usually copper in colour and sports fruity aromas.
Chances are, the altbiers from Düsseldorf contains Spalt hops.
Origin: Spalt, Germany
Type: Aroma
Alpha Acid: 2.5 - 5.5%
Beta Acid: 3.0% - 5.0%
Aroma Notes: Woody, peppery, banana
Beer Styles: Lager, pilsner, bock, kölsch, altbier
Image Source: Hopsteiner
Now, this hops didn’t originate from Germany. Instead, it originates from Czechia (Czech Republic), from the Czechian town of Žatec (Saaz in German). This variety of hops has been around since the 8th and 9th century, where in the town of Žatec, the conditions to grow the hops are exceptionally superb. The hops were of such value that when Charles IV, who inherited the kingdom of Bohemia in 1346, made the export of this hop variety outside of Bohemia punishable by death. Nevertheless, this variety has since spread and been cultivated outside of its original lands.
Image Source: Brew Engine
Saaz is incredibly popular for its low alpha acid percentage, making it ideal for adding a very subtle bitterness to the hops while perfuming it with aromas. The Saaz variety is only officially registered in 1952, where it has underwent cloning trials to improve its resistance to mildew and wilt. Saaz is also widely known to impart its mildly characteristic floral, herbal and spicy taste to beers, and is most notably known for its use in Stella Artois. Some specific aromatic notes include tarragon and lavender.
Pilsner Urquell, from Czechia, also uses Saaz hops.
Country of Origin: Czech Republic
Type: Aroma
Alpha Acid: 2.5 - 4.5%
Beta Acid: 4.0% - 6.0%
Aroma Notes: Mildly floral, herbal, spicy, sweet
Best Beer Styles: Bohemian-style lager, pilsner
Of course, for a list that, at least from a scientific point of view, seems rather arbitrary, there has been debate on what should and should not be on the list. Most of the general consensus settled around these four, but there are some hop growers and brewers who claim that the list should be extended.
After all, the royalty has its fair share of troubles. Not only is available land for growing these hops diminishing, climate change, disease and usually low yields has left hop growers seeking for alternatives. Many of these nearly-noble hops do share similar characteristics - aromatic, low alpha acid and a near 1:1 ratio of alpha and beta acids. Also, some of these varieties have had their fair share of time and use on the Europe continent as well, hence the argument.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of almost noble hops:
We’ve barely scratched the surface of this hoppy world - these hops are only four of the many thousands that are available in the market. Next time you pick up a kölsch, lager or pilsner, keep your tastebuds alert and see if you’re able to pick up some nobility in your brew - that’s a few hundred years of history in the making!
@vernoncelli
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Rum as we know it today is said to originate from the Caribbean, and often associated with European colonial styles like British Caribbean rums (Jamaica, Barbados), French Caribbean rhums (Martinique or Guadeloupe) or Spanish Caribbean ron (from Cuba, Puerto Rico and other parts of the Americas).
But the root ingredient of rum – sugarcane – isn't actually native to the Caribbean. Instead, sugarcane originally came from Southeast Asia and India. Around the 8th century, Arabian traders bought the crop from the Siam Kingdom (what is now Thailand) and spread it westward, introducing it to the Mediterranean regions. Then the famous Christopher Columbus introduced sugarcane to the Caribbean during his voyage in the 15th century.
Chalong Bay Rum is made in Phuket Distillery, and started by a young couple, Thibault Spithakis and Marine Lucchini. Thibault and Marine were originally working in financial services in Paris, but dreamed of running a rum distillery on a tropical island. Back in 2004, Marine and her family were holidaying in Phuket when the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami disaster struck. Marine and her family emerged unscathed, and since then, she has felt a strong connection to the island and its people.
Considering the backstory of sugarcane's origin, the couple also felt that Thailand was a fitting place to establish their distillery. After all, Phuket is a key part of the sugarcane trade route of the old world. Their hope is to use French distillation practices on Thai ingredients, and thus unite the two heritages and bring rum back to where they believe is the birthplace of sugarcane.
The founders take pride in supporting the community. Sugarcane is only purchased from smaller-scale farmers; those who do not have the wherewithal to work with massive companies in the sugar-making industry. The farmers that they work with harvest sugarcane by hand and use sustainable farming methods, and do not burn plantations after a harvest.
Thanks to La Maison du Whisky Singapore, we recently had the special opportunity to have a sit down with the charming Thibault to learn all about Chalong Bay's story, the geeky technical bits of distillation, and how they've been shaking up Thailand's craft rum scene.
First thing's first. What is supposed to be Chalong Bay 'Rum' isn't actually labelled as such. The bottle label describes it as The Spirit of Phuket distilled from 100% pure sugarcane, yet I noticed no mention of the word 'rum'. It turns out that alcohol labelling laws in Thailand are a little quirky.
According to Thibault, Chalong Bay has been granted a license to distill "white spirits" in Thailand, but their license does not extend to making "rums" as is the case for many other craft Thai distillers. As a result, even though it's as clear as day to rum drinkers that Chalong Bay is producing white rums, at present, the brand isn't permitted to call their spirit a 'rum'.
How is rum produced at Chalong Bay? Their spirit is made from fermenting pure sugar cane juice without any molasses or additives. When it comes to distillation, Chalong Bay uses a copper still imported from the Armagnac region of France, traditionally used for the distillation of Armagnac brandy.
Why an Armagnac still?
Thibault explained that the Armagnac stills used by his distillery are something like a hybrid still, with the features of both column stills and pot stills. This still consists of a small boiler which boils the fermented sugar cane juice and which causes vapour to rise though a short column with several chambers, within which low wines are continually fed into each chamber.
Interestingly, the boiler is heated by direct fire (instead of steam-heating, which is preferred by most modern distillers) fuelled by firewood. Thibault asserts that the use of direct fire makes for a more challenging but fun distillation process. The results may be a little more inconsistent, but the use of direct fire also has the potential to extract a lot more flavour. Apart from Japan's Shizuoka Distillery, this must be one of the few distilleries in the world using wood fire to heat its stills.
The use of French distillation equipment and sugarcane juice raises begs the question: how similar or different is Chalong Bay's rums from traditional rhum agricole made in parts of the French Caribbean?
To this question, Thibault opined that their rum-making methods are by and large similar to rhum agricole makers in places like Martinique and Guadeloupe. So as far as I understand from Thibault, leaving aside nuanced environmental conditions (including yeast strains), different sugarcane varieties and legal definition (such as geographical indications and AOC certification), we're effectively looking at a "Thai rhum agricole."
With these technicalities out of the way, we got down to tasting the rums.
This expression is the quintessential Chalong Bay white rum and represents the unadulterated taste of its distillate. According to the brand, this expression is supposed to be a "veritable ode to one fruit in particular: lychee." Let's give it a taste.
Appearance: Colourless with very slow legs.
Nose: Mellow yet layered with complexity. There's this initial hint of brightness that carries vanilla undertones along with the sweetness and tartness of lychee cream cake. There's also some brown sugar and Jaggery (Indian palm sugar) notes.
While it's mainly pleasant, there's a certain musky and gristly character. As I continue nosing, there are some mineral accents, eventually shifting to more pronounced fruity sugar cane juice notes, akin to apple juice.
Palate: Very viscous but also quite reserved in flavour. With a little patience, it starts revealing a dominance of spices, most notably cardamom and cumin. Underneath, there are softer notes of taro and a gentle whisper of papaya milk. A hint of fresh lychee pops out, but the spices firmly hold their ground. The warmth that follows is robust but it isn't sharp – it's more of a lively spiciness and comforting warmth rather than a sting.
Finish: Moderately short and fairly clean. It leans towards the green and leafy side, with a slightly herbaceous bent. Most of the spices mellow out, but a peppery zing persists till the very end.
My Thoughts:
🍰🌶 A lychee cream cake topped with ma la chili!
This has an incredibly vibrant and complex nose. But the much shyer palate caught me by surprise. I was expecting a bit more sweetness. That said, I did appreciate the pleasing viscous texture and the spiciness. The spiciness really stands out, but not in the "overpowering" sense. How do I explain – it's more of a bold character without any accompanying alcoholic harshness.
It's got pretty unexpected character.
Appearance: Colourless with very slow legs.
Nose: There's much richer sweetness here, somewhat reminiscent of white cake, but without the overt sweetness. A noticeable peppery presence is complemented by fresh coconut water and a subdued vanilla essence. There's also a hint of minerality in the background.
Palate: Clean and quite viscous. Vanilla from the nose reappears, pairing harmoniously with clean, aromatic and slightly briny coconut water notes. The entire experience is very rounded, with just the right touch of sweetness set in contrast against the persistent pepperiness.
Finish: Fairly long and notably dry, especially towards the back of the mouth. The rather dominant peppery note takes center stage again, accompanied by a melange of other spices like cumin and anise.
My Thoughts:
🪩 🌶 Quite spicy once again, though well-rounded and fuller in flavour.
This one definitely feels fuller in flavor compared to the first. It's got more depth and is assertive in its character. Although it isn't as lively and playful on the nose compared to the first expression, this High Proof variant made up for it in terms of a fuller, more well-rounded taste in the mouth, with rather nice notes of coconut water.
Given the stronger ABV, it's commendable how they managed to maintain a balanced profile. As a cask strength spirits drinker, this is a definite stand out bottling for me in the Chalong Bay range.
Thailand and Southeast Asia are known for their exotic range of spices, which Chalong Bay has access to. This inspired them to create an Asian spiced rum distilled with organic Thai sugarcane and 9 different varieties of Thai and Southeast Asian botanicals such as Thai sweet basil, chili, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and pandan leaves – all of these ingredients ethically grown and harvested in partnership with local Thai farmers.
At the masterclass, Thibault proudly added that this spiced rum was made possible by custom-made parts to the Armagnac still which was made on Thibault's special request to the still makers in France. This modified still contains several vapour baskets (much like a gin distillation still), and made it possible for him to distill rum whilst infusing it with flavours of the 9 different botanicals.
Appearance: Colourless.
Nose: Very sweet and spiced. Opens with an inviting sweet orange cake note, reminiscent of cozy afternoon high tea. Alongside, there's the warmth of gingerbread, woody spiciness of nutmeg, while the Thai basil brings a hint of herbaceous freshness. There's also a faint trace of lemongrass that gives it a bright, citrusy and herbaceous lift.
Palate: Opens very gently with a softly sweet, softly spicy note of candied ginger, evoking a very familiar memory of Asian sweet treats. Seamlessly followed by rich caramel, vanilla cream and lots of spices for sure, many familiar but I frankly can't identify them all. I get star anise, black pepper, cumin, Thai sweet basil, some perilla leaf and even a bit of tamarind all dancing around and offering a complex, layered experience.
Finish: Long. There's a noticeable dryness that begins with lemon zest and a light bitterness of citrus rinds, and an aromatic hint of pandan leaves. Gradually mellows down, with a lingering licorice mintiness.
My Thoughts:
⏳ A melange of very distinct Southeast Asian flavours - this was a trip down memory lane!
The vibrant flavours scream home through and through, and almost feels as if I'm visiting a provision shop in Little India that sells spices. From the sweet-spicy ginger candy to the pandan in the finish, this is a very lovely ode to Southeast Asian botanicals.
This is probably the best Asian interpretation of a Western spiced rum. It's a really fun expression to taste. If you've got a penchant for Asian-inspired cocktails or drinks, this would just hit the spot for you. This would also make a decent mixer with ginger ale.
This is a rarer expression from Chalong Bay. While the distillery focuses on white unaged rums, this is its first aged expression.
Thibault shared that he was inspired by how Armagnac brandy is aged, and thus decided to use a combination of new French oak as well as ex-Armagnac casks to age his rum. As part of full disclosure, the rum was distilled in Thailand but aged in France for 18 months.
Appearance: Bright gold.
Nose: Clean and gently sweet. There's this bright and inviting candied, caramelly aroma, along with a light scent of papaya milk and honey. There's also some minerality with a light grassy undertone.
Palate: Lots of spices once again, with caramel and honey dominating the palate. Interestingly, the earthiness and herbaceousness in the prior Chalong Bay expressions are lot here, while the sweeter notes of vanilla, honey and caramel and enhanced. There's also a growing pepperiness and spiciness, making it a touch warmer even when compared to the Chalong Bay High Proof.
Finish: Quite long and minty. A hint of fresh sugarcane juice and light floral notes offer some contrast to the spiciness, while the finish overall feels dominated by this cooling peppermint sensation, soon followed by light liquorice note.
My Thoughts
⚖️ A very balanced act.
This is a really balanced act. There are evident signs of rum funkiness and the influence of barrel aging, yet the barrel doesn't overpower the core spirit - in fact I don't taste any dry oak at all.
This would probably appeal to whisky and brandy lovers who find white rums a little too green or 'raw' for their liking. Just like the flagship Chalong Bay rum, it has the same pleasant spiciness that stands out.
After the Chalong Bay rum flight, we were introduced to the Saneha Thai Gin that is also made at Phuket Distillery where Chalong Bay is made. The bottle design looks really fancy, shaped as a hexagonal cylinder, with what looks to be an art deco-inspired bottle art.
The brand name "Saneha" can be translated as "passion", "affection" or "seduction" in the Thai language, and it conveys a sense of intense romantic feelings.
The gin is distilled along with juniper, sugarcane, coriander, Phuket pineapples, ginger flowers, cloves and also makwean, which is a distant cousin of the Sichuan pepper that is often used in Northern Thai cuisines and Thai curries to add spice. All the botanicals, with the exception of Juniper, are sourced locally in Thailand from organic sources.
Thibault added that to add a more tropical feel to the profile, pineapples were used not only in the vapour infusion phase, but also directly fermented to make the base spirit.
Appearance: Colourless, with thick slow legs.
Nose: Clean, sweet and citrusy. Opens with a citrus zing to it alongside a subtle hint of sugarcane juice and a lightly woody aroma from the juniper.
Palate: Really oily and viscous texture felt on the tongue. The first impression on the tongue is dominantly floral with notes of ginger flowers and some hibiscus, along with a very mild but bright citrusy sweetness reminiscent of pineapple juice.
As it develops, it slowly reveals a herbaceous hint of bitterness that reminds me of fresh coriander. There's also a growing spiciness of Sichuan peppers (the makwean, probably) that gradually intensifies and spreads across the tongue.
Finish: The aftertaste really stretches out, holding onto those floral elements, alongside hints of cloves that provide a soft spiced backdrop.
My Thoughts:
🥗 A spicy, colourful Thai salad!
This gin is like a Thai meal, blooming with a bunch of floral intricacies and rounded off with spicy, peppery embrace.
Like the White Spiced Chalong Bay, this too, is very representative of Thai flavours and spices. It also stands out for its tropical character expressed in the distinct pineapple notes on the palate.
The Saneha Luminous is a newly introduced variant to the gin portfolio. This is currently not yet available in Asia apart from being stocked at several Thai cocktail bars.
This variant uses a different range of botanicals. Notably, it seems designed to be elevated in its citrus profile: Juniper, makwean, star anise, pomelo, grains of paradise, kaffir lime, cassia cinnamon, coriander seeds.
Appearance: Colourless, with thick slow legs.
Nose: The aroma is very fresh, leafy and very citrusy, strongly reminding me of a citrus grove with a characteristic scent of lime leaves. There's a layer of a light undertone of vanilla and cinnamon, with a light resinous note of juniper remain consistently present in the aroma.
Palate: Opens with a smooth vanilla sweetness, followed by a zesty citrusy wave. This is complimented by a pronounced spicy sensation on the tongue, probably from the makwean or star anise make.
Finish: Long and full of citrusy zest - a blend of pomelo and kaffir lime, with a slight peppery touch. The gentle warmth and mild sweetness reminiscent of cassia and cinnamon lingers quietly.
My Thoughts:
🍋 🌶 Very compelling spice and citrus here.
Like its predecessor, this has a lot of spiciness in it. Yet it also holds its own with a more cinnamony and limey character. The citrusy profile is unmistakably more pronounced, with the kaffir lime and pomelo playing starring roles, which makes the Luminous feel a lot brighter in its flavour profile. That being said, I'd still rate it on par with the previous gin because there's a lot of complexity in it.
With such an intensely citrusy gin, this would probably make a good base spirit in classic citrusy cocktails, such as the Tom Collins or even a Southside. The strong, almost leafy citrus characteristics would shine through in these concoctions.
Now, it was certainly an eye-opening experience trying Chalong Bay's rums. While its production process is said to resemble rhum agricole, it has a distinctive, almost more Asian, flavour profile that sets it apart, and helps it carve out a unique niche in the world of rums.
The standout expressions for me undeniably are the Chalong Bay High Proof and the Chalong Bay White Spiced rum. The High Proof offered much more depths of rich sweetness, intertwined with lovely notes of coconut water, so that makes it my favourite of the Chalong Bay lineup. The White Spiced rum, on the other hand, is a fantastic Asian interpretation of spiced rum and it truly has the capacity to transport me to the aromatic lanes of a spice provision shop in Southeast Asia.
After tasting these 6 expressions, spiciness really emerged as the common thread though the flavour profiles of almost all the spirits from Chalong Bay and Phuket Distillery. But to be clear, his spiciness doesn't translate to a harsh or overbearing experience. Instead, it's a type of spiciness that is lively, warm and enjoyable to many who grew up eating spicy foods in Asia.
The distillery has masterfully embraced and showcased the richness of Asian spices in a way that is both familiar and refreshing.
@CharsiuCharlie
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Ever found yourself holding an icy-cold bottle of Heineken and wondering to yourself "Hmm... is this a lager or a pilsner?" You take a sip but you're not entirely sure.
You're not alone in this frothy dilemma! With the vast ocean of beers out there, even the most passionate beer lovers might sometimes bob around with uncertainty. But fret not! The brewing experts from Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (which has a portfolio of hundreds of different beers) saw our bubbles of confusion and have graciously poured their expertise into a handy guide.
This guide will help you identify the most commonly-seen styles of beers in Singapore and the nearby region, by their colour and taste. You will also learn about the most common brands of beers under each category.
Let's grab a pint and hop into it!
The most widely consumed style of beer in the world, lagers have a really long history and can be found in almost every part of the world. Unlike the ale, lagers originated from regions with much cooler climates in Europe, where the cooler environments were used for a much slower fermentation process.
This leads to a very light and refined taste beloved by both Europeans and Asians. That said, each region often adds its own spin, tailoring the brew to local preferences.
Appearance: A lager's palette ranges from gold to light amber, with a heavily carbonated, sparkling, clear appearance.
Taste: Lagers are predominantly very crisp and refreshing to taste, with an overarching theme of a very clean finish and no lingering aftertaste. It can vary in flavour based on the specific ingredients used (rice lagers are very popular in Asia), but certain brands that focus on more traditional and authentic brews would make their lagers with 100% malt.
Notable Brands: Those in Singapore and the region would almost certainly be familiar with the ubiquitous brands Tiger Beer and Heineken.
All pilsners are lagers (but not all lagers are pilsners)!
The history of pilsners dates back to 1842, in the picturesque town of Plzeň, Czech Republic. Josef Groll, a Bavarian brewer, combined local Saaz hops with pale malts to create this delectable, golden elixir.
The pilsner's distinctive golden shade can be attributed to its unique fermentation process. It's lagered, which means it's fermented slowly and at cooler temperatures. This gives the beer its signature clear golden hue but also contributes to a clean, refined taste.
Appearance: Pilsners are the literal golden child of the beer family. When poured into a glass, they shine brilliantly with a gold hue, clear and sparkling.
Taste: Pilsners deliver a smooth journey on the palate with crisp, refreshing notes. Compared to typical lagers, pilsners tend to be a little lighter in body, with a more assertive hop bitterness.
That said, they are also known for a harmonious balance, being neither too bitter nor too sweet.
Notable Brand: Those in Singapore and the region might be familiar with Anchor Smooth Beer and Anchor Strong Beer.
While barley malt became the dominant grain for beer brewing in most European beer traditions, wheat was also used to make beer in regions where wheat was more abundant.
This is why even though the famous Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516 decreed that beer could only be brewed from barley malt (and no other grains), certain regions had special privileges to brew wheat beer. Due to the higher protein content of wheat than barley, traditional wheat beers tend to have a hazy appearance, and a silky heavier mouthfeel compared to barley-based beers.
Appearance: Unlike clear lagers or pilsners, wheat beers have a cloudy disposition and range in colour from pale straw to deeper golden amber. The cloudiness is due to the presence of proteins from wheat and yeast that remain suspended in the beer.
Taste: There are many variants of wheat beers across Europe. The German style of wheat beer (or Weissbier) are often frothy with a distinctive floral and fruity aroma.
Notable Brands: Erdinger is one of the best known examples of wheat beer from Germany. There is also Edelweiss from Austria, one of the oldest brands of wheat beer that was established in 1646.
Back in the 1700s, the stout began its life as a descriptor for strong and robust dark ales known as "porters". It's said that the porter was named after the strong men who carried these kegs of robust beers.
The porter was incredibly popular amongst the working class, and production spread across the Europe. Eventually, the word "Stout" was introduced to refer to the strength of the Porter - "Single Stout Porter", "Double Stout Porter" or "Triple Stout Porter"
One famous Irish "stout" porter brewery became a household brand. That would be none other than the Guinness Extra Stout (which was once called something like "Guinness Extra Stout Porter"). Today, the words "Stout" and "Porter" tend to be used by breweries interchangeably to refer to this dark ale.
Due to the use of brown malt - with tons of caramelised sugars - stouts are famously known to have a nice note of roasted grains, chocolate and even coffee.
Appearance: You'll identify a stout even if you're colourblind. These beers come in a deep brown or jet black hue, with a creamy tan-coloured head.
Taste: Stouts tend to exhibit a rich roasted aroma with depths of coffee, chocolate, caramel and even sometimes liquorice.
Notable Brands: Few brands are as synonymous with stouts as the legendary Guinness Stout that hails from Ireland, now a global favourite even in Southeast Asia. Another well-known stout brand in the region is ABC Extra Stout (ABC stands for Archipelago Brewing Company that traces its history back to Singapore's colonial days of the 1930s).
Now, craft beers aren't a beer style per se. They're instead the products of small, creative, independent breweries aiming to leave a unique mark on the beer landscape.
The modern craft beer movement first took flight in the US, with deliciously robust IPAs and pale ales that were much hopper than commercial brews, before spreading globally. All of this a revolt against the monotony of mass-produced beers.
You can't pin down craft beers to one colour or taste to be honest. You have fruity and hoppy pale ales, punchy, juicy, hoppy IPAs, the spiced and zesty notes of Belgian Witbiers and many more – the world of craft beer is as diverse as it is vast.
Notable Brands: Archipelago Brewery has an extensive range that celebrates both tradition and innovation. Some of its standout offerings include the Tropical Pale Ale with its refreshing, fruity notes, the Belgian Witbier with notes of buttered popcorn (!), and the Summer IPA which is rich, malty and filled with grapefruit notes.
Speaking of which, we have previously done a tasting of Archipelago Brewery's entire lineup, so do check our review out!
| Read our review of Archipelago Brewery's Bottled Craft Beer Lineup
Traditionally, beers are made with just malt (or grains), hops, water and yeast, with no other added ingredients. But modern brewers experiment with introducing additional ingredients or flavours into the brewing process, or even post-brewing, to unlock new dimensions of taste and aroma - whether it's to make your porter taste more chocolatey or to make your pastry stout creamier.
Infused lagers would look pretty much like a lager; ranging from gold to light amber, with a sparkling, clear appearance. But the light profile of lager with the addition of infused ingredients, fruits or spices, would make for a delightful array of sweet or tangy notes that compliment the fizziness of a lager beer.
Notable Brands: This year, inspired by the popularity of the Korean-wave and Somaek (soju and beer cocktail), Tiger Beer released its new Tiger Soju Infused Lager, with familiar flavours of soju. The Tiger Soju Gutsy Grape infuses the beer with green grape soju, creating a grapey and refreshing drink. The Cheeky Plum takes things in another direction, infusing sour plum and interesting spicy notes into the Tiger Soju drink.
We have previously done a tasting of the Tiger Soju pair, so do check our review out!
| We Taste Test Tiger's New "Soju Bomb"
A zero alcohol beer might have once sounded like a novelty or paradox, but it's become clear in recent years that this segment is burgeoning. Many beer lovers are looking to make health-driven or socially responsible choices, whether it is to reduce their calorie count or to have a cold one at social gatherings and still be the designated driver.
Given the demand, modern brewers have been investing significant resources into perfecting the taste and mouthfeel of these 'beers', looking to make them look and taste nearly indistinguishable from their alcoholic counterparts.
Notable Brands: Many drinkers find the Heineken 0.0 Zero Alcohol Lager to be one of the closest non-alcoholic beer to its alcoholic counterpart. When poured into a glass, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and the regular version.
Taste wise, the Heineken 0.0 comes pretty darn close to the regular Heineken, with the characteristic maltiness, slight fruity character, mild sweetness and dry finish. If you drink it carefully you're bound to find some subtle taste differences - the alcoholic Heineken might be felt to have a slightly fuller mouthfeel and a bit more depth of flavour.
We hope this guide serves as a handy starting point to understanding the familiar beer brands around you better – whether they are crisp lagers or zesty wheat beers.
The beauty of beer isn't just in its taste but its ability to bring people together and forge connections. So the next time your drinking companion asks you about the difference between an IPA and a lager or pilsner, remember what we've covered today and get ready to impress them!
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>Many in the bar and cocktail world view Yuki Yamazaki as a front-runner in his niche – bringing authentic Japanese flavours to the realm of cocktail bitters.
It’s the 2010s and Toronto's already been experiencing a vibrant nightlife and cocktail scene; bars echoed with the sounds of shaking, stirring, and the clinks of well-made cocktails. Among the bartenders experiencing Toronto’s cocktail renaissance was a young Japanese man called Yuki Yamazaki. Far from the neon streets of Tokyo, it was in Toronto that Yuki first stumbled into the world of cocktail bitters.
A quick introduction: Cocktail bitters are to bartenders what spices are to chefs – think of them as the salt and pepper of the bartending world. Coming in little glass bottles with dropper tops, these potent herb concoctions drinks with depth and complexity. Think of the Old Fashioned: without bitters, it would be merely whiskey and sugar; with a couple dashes of Angostura bitters, it's a storied cocktail with layers of flavour.
Back then, Japanese bars primarily had orange bitters, yet Yuki noticed that the range of bitters available in Canada was expansive, with more than 100 brands. But what caught Yuki's eye wasn't just the sheer variety – it was the craft behind them. Many Canadian bartenders weren't just pouring bitters; they were creating them. This wasn't just about adding flavour; it was about artistry, culture, and a touch of personal flair.
Around this time, two Japanese phenomenon were unfurling in the drinks scene. Japanese whisky, notably Nikka and Yamazaki (no relation to Yuki), were capturing the world's attention. Japanese bartending, with its unique flavours and elegance, was becoming increasingly renowned. Yet, as the world fell in love with Japanese whiskies and Japanese bartending, Yuki noticed a gap. For all the love of Japanese flavours in alcohol, there were no authentic Japanese cocktail bitters.
Bridging this gap became Yuki's mission. The result? The Japanese Bitters Company. With the help of contacts at Mars Whisky, Yuki obtained a distilling license and set up a facility in Chiba, Japan. Then he created the world’s first brand of cocktail bitters crafted exclusively from ingredients authentic to Japan. It was a testament to Yuki's journey, and a nod to the rich tapestry of Japanese flavours.
One rainy evening in Singapore, at the intimate bar setting of La Maison du Whisky, we experienced first hand the creations of Yuki Yamazaki and his cocktail bitters. Beneath the soft bar lights, Yuki introduced us to his initial trio of bitters that captured essential Japanese flavours: the zesty Yuzu, the herbaceous Shiso, and the deeply savoury Umami.
These bitters hover around 27 to 28% ABV (although exact ABV isn’t very important once added to a cocktail), and were made with a two to three-month maceration process. The technique employs both traditional soaking and a modern sous-vide vacuum decompression, all in a bid to extract the most flavours from the ingredients.
We began with the Yuzu bitters, derived from the maceration of yuzu peels. The instruction was simple: a drop on the back of the palm, a brief moment to inhale the aroma, and then a taste. The flavour profile was unmistakably yuzu, but intensified. There was a pronounced ume fruit plummy note coupled with a distinct citrus rind-like bitterness which painted a vivid flavour picture.
With a glint in his eye, Yuki shared his insights. This intense yuzu character melds seamlessly with gin. In a playful tone he suggested that there’s little reason to spend extra on a Japanese gin like the Roku. This bitter can bring that Japanese essence to any standard G&T. “You can save money,” Yuki concluded. He suggested pairing it with classics like the dry martini, or using it to brighten up sweet and sour staples like margaritas, gimlets, or a whiskey sour.
After the bold citrus notes of the Yuzu bitter, Yuki transitioned us to another cornerstone of Japanese flavours: the Shiso bitters. This bitters drew its essence from fresh Japanese perilla leaves sourced directly from Chiba. This tasted of aromatic woodiness, underlined by sweet liquorice and a subtle herbaceous backdrop.
Shiso holds a special place in Japanese cuisine. It’s often a garnish in sashimi dishes, or directly incorporated into various dishes. But to experience it in this concentrated form was a novel experience, even for those well-acquainted with this garnish.
This is at once familiar yet novel when distilled into a bitter. And just as with the Yuzu bitter, Yuki pointed out the versatility of the shiso bitter. This aromatic woodiness and herbaceousness would also pair nicely with a gin & tonic or a martini.
The third bitter on our tasting journey was the 'Umami', a flavour term that is foundational to Japanese culinary artistry. On tasting the Umami bitters, it offered a strikingly rich profile - bold notes of bonito and the oily savouriness of freshly grilled salmon belly with the skin. It felt like we were tasting the very essence of Japanese teppanyaki, with its rich oily depths and balanced savouriness.
Yuki gives us a brief detour into history to reminds us that it was Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda who, after studying soup made from kombu, published his revolutionary research into his understanding of the umami flavour that changed the culinary world. While salt, sweet, sour, and bitter were the widely accepted tastes, Ikeda posited a fifth - umami. This wasn’t just a new flavour; it was the very essence of meaty savouriness, adding a depth to dishes that was both distinct and harmonizing.
With the historical context established, Yuki delved deeper into his own exploration of umami in the cocktail scene. He took some time to decide on how to create a Umami bitter, considering which umami-rich elements in Japanese cuisine are appropriate for use. He settled on a trifecta: dried bonito flakes, shitake mushrooms, and kombu seaweed. But Yuki elevated this blend further, infusing the aromatic touch of yuzu peels. Yuki shared that it took tons of trial and error to perfect his Umami bitter. Striking a balance became crucial, lest the mixture tilts too far into an overwhelming fishiness.
Yuki shared his thoughts on pairing. The Umami bitters is a bit more robust tasting, so it demands strength and robustness in the drinks it is used in. Yuki recommended using the Umami bitters with spirits that could stand up to its boldness - peaty Islay Scotch or the smoky and earthy mezcal. For those less inclined towards spirits, Yuki suggested the velvety sweetness of a vermouth or robust ales like a porter or even a classic Guinness stout. Umami pairs fantastically with the roasted malt's rich character.
We then moved on to Yuki’s most recent concoctions: the Hinoki bitters and the Sakura bitters.
The Hinoki bitters was first. For context, Hinoki is a type of Japanese cypress, a tree very often used in Japanese architecture. On the palate, it delivered a symphony of wet sandalwood intertwined with the sweetness of caramel.
Hinoki, as Yuki shared with us, is more than just a tree. Traditional Japanese homes often harness the aromatic charm of Hinoki wood. Its distinct, citrus-like aroma fills the living spaces, evoking serenity and a connection to nature. Tasting the Hinoki bitters, to Yuki, reminds him of stepping into a traditional Japanese home. Not only that, hinoki is also tied to Japanese onsen culture because traditional bathtubs are made from this wood, turning every onsen bath into an aromatic experience.
Yuki strongly recommends trying a Hinoki dry martini was his top recommendation. According to him, one of his bartending friend helms a bar at a Four Seasons Hotel, and claimed that the "Japanese Hinoki Martini," using Yuki’s signature bitters, is a top seller.
Finally, we tried Yuki’s Sakura bitters. Yuki admitted that this particular product was not his own brainchild. In fact, it was requested by his customers, especially due to the Sakura or cherry blossom’s position in Japanese culture.
We tasted the Sakura bitters. The aroma was unmistakably floral, transporting us directly beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms in full bloom – you just had to be there to smell it. The palate was very rich, thick and syrupy, and frankly somewhat overwhelms the more delicate floral notes (perhaps diluting this would open the flavours up). Lurking just beneath this sweetness was an unexpected salty depth.
For this bitters, Yuki used a combination of Sakura flowers and Sakura leaves. While the flowers contributed the familiar floral notes, it was the salt-marinated leaves that introduced the contrasting savouriness. In a move that might seem counterintuitive, Yuki opted to retain the salt. His rationale: a touch of salt can elevate a cocktail, lending it both umami and a heightened sweetness.
For Yuki, the Sakura bitters is highly versatile, melding seamlessly into a myriad of cocktails. Whether it's deep brown spirits like whiskey and rum, or the fruity vibrancy of a Cosmopolitan, the Sakura bitters lend a touch of Japanese florals to the glass.
Being a casual home bartender, I asked Yuki a rather practical question: how many drops of these bitters should one add to a cocktail? "Four drops," Yuki responded with a practiced ease, "directly into the cocktail as you're preparing it." He then added, emphasizing the role of sensory experiences in cocktail enjoyment, "Then two more drops right on the top. That's for the aroma."
As the evening unfolded, Yuki unveiled for the first time, two of his latest creations – the Yuzu Kosho and Mizunara flavoured Japanese liqueurs. These aren’t cocktail bitters, but are liqueurs.
After establishing a name for himself with bitters, Yuki’s creative spirit took him into the realm of liqueurs to popularise Japanese flavours with a distinct vision. Versatility was paramount. He wanted to create something simple to use by the amateur but also useful to the bartending professional. It had to be easy to make a flavourful drink just by adding soda at home, while also having the depth and complexity required by bartenders in upscale establishments.
Balance was also crucial, and for Yuki, it’s important the liqueur didn't stray into excessive sweetness while using local organic Japanese ingredients.
And so, what better Japanese flavour to experience than the Mizunara Liqueur. The very name evokes a sense of tradition, as Mizunara is a prized Japanese oak used in whisky aging. Apart from Mizunara wood chips, the liqueur is made with several other traditional ingredients: yomogi (Japanese mugwort) and the unique kibizatou (Okinawan millet sugar). A "low-temperature extraction" method was employed, maintaining a consistent 65 degrees Celsius over a 24-hour period to ensure the flavours were gently and fully extracted.
We tasted the Mizunara Liqueur, and it was certainly quite unusual. Tasted neat, it has an aromatic profile that was reminiscent of a traditional Chinese medicine hall, it was an orchestra of flavours from cordyceps to ginseng, and from the tang of salted dried plum to the comforting embrace of mugwort. The palate, consistent with the nose, brought forth a dance of herbal nuances – notably danggui – underscored by the caramel richness of the millet sugar.
But the true flavours are only unveiled when you make a cocktail with this. We added soda to the mix, and the aromatic oak of the mizunara finally shone through, transforming the drink into something reminiscent of a freshly brewed, high-end tea, subtly sweetened by the essence of molasses.
We then moved on to the Yuzu Kosho Liqueur, which honestly confounded expectations. When one imagines a spicy Japanese liqueur, wasabi immediately comes to mind as a flavour element. Yuki considered making a wasabi-based liqueur, but changed his mind because this idea seemed unoriginal. Instead, he decided to chart a unique course and settled on Yuzu Kosho – a spicy aromatic Japanese condiment made from yuzu and chili peppers, often added as a small dap to grilled meats in Japanese dishes to add a zesty kick to the smoky flavours.
Nosing this, we get milder notes of candied citrus and a teasing hint of peppery warmth. But we had a taste of this and were blown away by its spiciness. On the first sip we get a blast of intense spiciness, invoking sensations of potent habanero hot sauces, intertwined with the bitter tang of lemon and the luscious, salty undertones of a well-crafted lemon confit. The lingering spice continued at the back of the throat, a testament to its boldness. This was incredibly spicy, though it isn’t intended to be enjoyed neat.
But pouring some soda water into the liqueur worked wonders. This was transformed into a zesty, mildly spicy yuzu highball drink. The piquant intensity of the liqueur enhances the effervescent soda, and the spice lifted the effervescence, giving an illusion of the soda being extra bubbly. The resulting drink was vibrant, with citrus, honey, peppery and salty notes playfully teasing the palate.
Yuki suggests also pairing this with lager beers, specially those like Tiger or Tsingtao. Apparently, this would turn a lager into something like an ale. Given the journey we'd been on with Yuki's creations so far, it was an experiment worth exploring!
It's not often we get the opportunity to sit down with someone who's genuinely reshaping an industry. Many in the bar and cocktail world view Yuki Yamazaki as a front-runner in his niche, as he stands somewhat alone in his endeavor – bringing authentic Japanese flavors to the realm of cocktail bitters.
For those who want to bring a touch of this genuine Japanese flavour into their homes or professional spaces, Yuki’s The Japanese Bitters are now available on the La Maison du Whisky Singapore website. His concoctions really do introduce a unique Japanese character you can’t quite find in other products. It’s a convenient doorway (or should I say Torii Gate) into the Japanese realm of mixology.
Kanpai!
@CharsiuCharlie
]]>Close to 4 years in the making - the first malt whisky in Singapore has officially debuted. The new make was first distilled sometime in September 2019, where the spirit spent roughly 4 years maturing within an ex-bourbon cask within the Brass Lion distillery.
This photo was taken back in 2019. Source: Channel News Asia
This Singapore’s first is a joint project between Brass Lion distillery and The General Brewing Co brewery. For a bit of background - Brass Lion itself started as a distilling outfit back in 2018 after 6 years of development, producing gin since. The General Brewing Co was also established in 2018 as a brewery incubator, producing local label Off Day Beer Company and incubating breweries like Niang Brewery Co.
The team from General Brewing and Brass Lion. Source: General Brewing
The team behind the project placed great focus on the local climate conditions - which meant letting the wash ferment and the spirit mature in Singapore’s naturally hot and humid climate. Given that Singapore has not yet coined any official guidelines for what makes Singaporean whisky Singaporean whisky, the team at Brass Lion took a leaf out of Scotland’s guidelines for whisky - stating that new make needs to be aged for a minimum of three years. Since the spirit entered the cask, the Brass Lion team have been taking samples every 6 months, and determined now's the time to bottle the spirit.
Source: Brass Lion
On the outside, it looked as it business was as usual - just another Tuesday. However, the Brass Lion team were hard at work preparing for the big whisky reveal.
First, we were invited to try out a Negroni - made with the distillery’s barrel aged gin. The cocktail was strong (or perhaps, at acceptable strength given the crowd’s familiarity with high proof spirits) with a heady aroma of dark cherries and liquorice.
Starting out strong - a boozy Negroni made with the barrel aged gin.
We were led down to see the cask itself - displayed in front of the still (named Nala, after the Lion Queen [the one that married Simba in Lion King]). The Brass Lion team procured two undisclosed ex-bourbon casks during their training in Germany, the right which aged the whisky while the left aged gin as anticipating drinkers waited for the whisky to be ready.
The barrel for aging gin (left), the barrel for the whisky (right), and Nala (the still) at the back.
According to Jamie Koh, the founder of Brass Lion, the barrels were left at the back of the distillery, without much climate control. Due to the high ambient temperature in Singapore, the angel’s share was estimated to be roughly 8% by the time the whisky was ready for drinking (angel's share meaning the loss of ethanol and liquid due to evapouration from the pores of the cask). The matured whisky was not just a win as Singapore’s first malt whisky, but also for the spirits industry in terms of legislature.
Jamie Koh, founder of Brass Lion, leading the session.
We were then led up to the 2nd floor of the distillery - where the tasting room and bar is. The wall described the step by step process of the whisky making journey, featuring some cameos from the General Brewing and Brass Lion team (see if you could spot some familiar faces).
On display was a sample of the Maris Otter malt, a popular malt amongst beer brewers for its biscuit, sweet flavours.
To ferment the malt, a tailored blend of high-gravity yeast (80%) and ale yeast (20%) that could withstand high temperatures was selected to produce a fruity, funky wash. The high gravity yeast was selected for as it could withstand a high alcohol environment and ensured a higher alcohol yield, while the ale yeast produced the fruity, funky flavours. After 36 hours of primary fermentation and another 36 hours of secondary fermentation (which gave more fruity aromas and flavours), the resultant yield was a 2000 litres of 9.5% ABV wash.
The wash was twice distilled into new make using Brass Lion’s pot 150 litre copper still, yielding 180 litres of the stuff. Given the small batch production, the distillery had to run the still 22 times over the course of a week to distill the precious liquid. In the tasting room, there are also sample aroma boxes to get a sense of what the wash and new make spirit smelled like when it was freshly produced. Hong Fu right at Whisky Geeks has written an article and his tasting notes on how the new make was like, fresh from the still.
After browsing through the information boards, we were led to our first three tipples of the night: the Singapore Dry Gin, the Barrel Aged Gin, and the star of the show Brass Lion Whisky - all paired with a canape.
Of course, as the whisky was maturing in the cask, the distillery could not afford to twiddle their thumbs. Most distilleries distill gin or other spirits while their whiskies were ageing away quietly, Brass Lion not being the exception. This gin was recommended to be paired with seafood, hence the salmon tar-tare with roe.
Nose: Bright and zingy, with a relatively strong juniper aroma on the nose. The gin evolves towards a more lemony profile, with that characteristic citrus scent from hinoki (Japanese cypress)
Palate: The first note I get is pomelo peels - slightly spicy and astringent. As the gin sits on my palate, it opens up more chrysanthemum and white tea flavours, which then evolves towards a confectioner’s sugar sweetness. The juniper flavours a present, but takes more of a backseat.
Finish: The finish gets a bit astringent - reminding me of that mild bitter flavour of strongly steeped chamomile tea and tea stalks that have went through numerous brews of tea.
My Rating |
🙆It’s a refreshing, floral and citrusy gin. I see its appeal to a wide audience, but juniper heads can still get a kick of their piney aromas in this gin. An agreeable gin all around. |
This barrel aged gin is the third batch of the series, where the Singapore Dry Gin has spent 9 months in the cask. The first batch of barrel aged gin was aged for 3 months in the barrel (the same ex-bourbon cask used to age the whisky) to give an idea of how the whisky might be evolving in the cask.
For the barrel aged gin, it is paired with a sous vide egg, topped with pan seared foie gras and caviar.
Nose: A strong ripe banana aroma alongside an over ripened strawberry scent takes over. There are some vanilla sugar aromas as well, backed by a waft of milk chocolate.
Taste: The first tasting note I got was nutmeg spice, which quickly gave way to a vanilla custard profile. There are still hints of juniper on the palate, but it is masked by the spice and sweet flavours from the barrel.
Finish: Interestingly, the spirit gives a rounded, lemon zest flavour. It gets a bit less astringent on the palate as the spice, particularly the powdered nutmeg, fades off.
My Rating |
⤴️Wow! Quite an evolution from the Singapore Dry Gin. It’s interesting how the zappy-ier, floral, tea-like flavours make way for a denser, nutmeg forward aroma and taste. I taken special note of the milk chocolate - you’ll see why later! |
The protagonist of the evening. The cumulation of four years of waiting. For this whisky, it is paired with a chocolate truffle with almonds. Here goes!
Nose: The first aroma was a strong hazelnut milk chocolate. After swirling and letting the aromas develop further in the glass, the chocolatey aromas dissipate and make way for dried apricots and desiccated apple. After a while, the aromas develop towards orangette.
Palate: Straightaway, I get flavours of clover honey. It is quite sweet on the palate, with the prominent flavour being honey and nectar. As you let the flavours sit more on the palate, the malt character shows more, which leans towards a lighter, Marie biscuit sort of flavour.
Finish: Towards the finish, the floral aromas come through. I get a flavour akin to jasmine-infused syrup, with a bit of that bittersweet astringency from angelica root. There is a dark chocolate nuttiness as well.
My Rating |
🏁With such a short time in the barrel, this whisky is truly quite something! For a first attempt in making a true-blue Singaporean malt whisky (save for the malt that was grown in the UK) I think this is a solid start. For the folks who like sweet, floral leaning whiskies, this whisky could be the right fit for the bill. |
With popular demand amongst the brewing and whisky community, the Brass Lion crew had to bottle some of the stuff straight from the barrel. According to Jamie, the new make was distilled at 68% using the pot still, with the final ABV dropping to 65% during bottling.
Nose: A fresh, spicy ginger takes the main stage in aromas. There’s a mix of ginger flowers as well - a tropical, fiery grassy aroma. Underneath the spicy fresh ginger notes, there is that orangette aroma as well - but it leans toward dark chocolate instead.
Palate: On the palate, the whisky is noticeably oilier. The sweetness of this whisky takes on a more brown sugar, molasses profile, with a touch of honey-nectar like floral character. There is also a peppery spice to the whisky.
Finish: The oily perception lingers, reminding me of buttery pie crust. The pepperiness (akin to white pepper) tapers off along with the ginger spice, and leaves a warming baking spice mix instead. The sweetness stays long on the palate as well, that reminds me of pumpkin pie.
My Rating |
💪A strong, punchy whisky fitting of its alcohol percentage. The older sibling of the two - if the 48% whisky was the fruity, jammy pie filling, this 65% cask strength is the pie crust. Compared to its fruitier, more bubbly sibling, this has a more grounded, malt and butter forward profile with a perceptible density. |
A bonus tasting apart from the original trio (+ cask strength) - this gin was released for National Day. The jasmine pearl tea gin is inspired from the ubiquitous, everyone’s favourite bottled Jasmine Green tea. If Milo’s is to be crowned the unofficial national drink of Singapore, I’m sure the Jasmine Green tea is a very close second.
The pearl tea comes from an actual tea making process, where jasmine flowers are mixed with dried tea leaves and rolled into pearls, hence the name.
Source: The Tea Spot
Nose: It’s shocking how similar it is to the Pokka Jasmine Green Tea. not only does it have the signature jasmine aroma, it also has that syrupy, sweetener like scent, and not in a bad way.
Palate: The first sips of this gin gives off the similar profile on the nose - that sweet tea that has been infused with jasmine. There is also some aromas that I associate to rose water, with a subtle but piney juniper flavour that hangs at the back.
Finish: The astrigency grows slowly on the gums and palate, quite similarly to drinking a strong brew of tea. The leftover plant flavours remind me of tie guan yin tea.
My Rating |
🪀A blast from the past. Truly a very nostalgia-inspiring gin, and one that fondly reminds me of my childhood. It’s somewhat uncanny to have it brought back to live in a form of a gin now that I’m an adult, but hey, I’m not complaining! |
There’s no other way to word it - for a trial of its sort since 2019, this whisky has been a labour of love. The four year project (not counting the years it took to conceptualise and set the brewing and distillation in motion) has accumulated to 427 500ml bottles - 70 of those being cask strength. We’ve truly been honoured to be invited down for this tasting, and I doubt this will be the last of Brass Lion’s foray in barrel aged spirits.
The sister duo, Jamie Koh and Amy Koh. Source: Brass Lion
For those looking to get a taste of this whisky, the Tasting Room will be serving drams of the whisky from 23 September to mid-October. A limited number of bottles per day will also be made available for purchase on Brass Lion’s website from 9 September. The 500ml bottles are packaged in a motif that uses the topological lines around the distillery, highlighting the locality of where the whisky has been matured at.
Source: Brass Lion
In an exploration of Singapore - climate ageing of spirits, I think this is a great first step, with many more to come. Congratulations to Brass Lion on the whisky debut!
@vernoncelli
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Freddie Mercury – where do you even begin with a name that resonates so loudly across the corridors of rock history? The flamboyant frontman of legendary rock band Queen, known for his vocal range and timeless hits like Bohemian Rhapsody lived his life with passion and intensity – even sneaking Princess Diana out of the palace, dressed as a man, to the nightclub. As they say, a candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and damn bright did Freddie burn in his prime.
Imagine kicking back and grabbing a drink with the legendary Freddie Mercury, trading stories over a champagne or wine. While that remains my pipe dream (until I potentially meet Freddie in hell), we could still get the next best thing. This month, Sotheby's London is putting everything inside Mercury’s former house in London under the hammer. This includes a vast collection of items that Mercury once held dear - art pieces, personal possessions and antiques.
But as drinks lovers, let’s focus on the juicy bits. Part of this vast collection includes Freddie’s wine cellar, drinkware and his favourite bar furniture. Now, let’s get a closer look at what’s available!
Champagne is one of Mercury’s favourite afternoon booze, and wouldn’t you want to own a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon that Mercury himself would have enjoyed?
This lot includes two bottles of vintage Dom Pérignon, the world's most iconic Champagne under Moët & Chandon's prestige cuvée. The first is a Dom Pérignon 1985, considered one of the best vintages of the 1980s for Champagne due to favourable weather, giving it a harmonious balance of ripe fruits and acidity. The 1985 vintage could still be aged a little further.
There’s also a Dom Pérignon 1978 that came from a more challenging vintage due to uneven weather, but would have developed deeper tertiary flavours due to its significant bottle aging.
Next up, we have three Bordeaux red wines from Freddie’s wine cellar. The most desirable is none other than the Château Léoville Barton 1982, from one of the most highly respected estates in Saint-Julien, valued for its structure and shelf longevity. The grapes used are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Château Léoville Barton’s wines are known to have excellent aging potential. So this bottle from the 1980s should still be in a suitable window for further aging today.
There’s also the very desirable Château Canon 1982, from another prominent estate from Saint-Émilion, beloved by Merlot drinkers for its lush fruitiness, balance and approachability. Finally, there’s the Château Cissac 1982, which is made from primarily Cabernet Sauvignon.
It’s worth noting that all of these bottles are of the 1982 Bordeaux vintage, which is famously considered one of the best vintages, especially from the Left Bank region of Bordeaux (the Léoville Barton and Cissac are from the Left Bank). The ideal weather conditions of the year give rise to a very good depth, complexity and structure in these wines.
But there's more for those of us looking to set up a home bar that would grant us a lifetime of bragging rights. Everything from Mercury’s bar would be up for grabs, from the bar furniture, bar stools, to even barware once owned by Mercury such as whisky glasses, vodka shot glasses, beer mugs, jiggers and cocktail shakers.
There’s his collection of Victorian-era wine glasses and a set of decanters including a Baccarat crystal whisky decanter. And not to mention a beautiful set of traditional Meiji-era sake-drinking saucers from Japan.
We feel it’s worth mentioning that Mercury had also amassed a very sizable collection of rare crafted vases and porcelain made by the same artisans often appointed to create ultra-premium limited edition whisky bottles by The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Suntory and Nikka.
Most obvious from looking at the collection is Freddie Mercury’s love for Lalique’s exquisite vases, for which there are numerous pieces in his collection. Incidentally, The Macallan often partners with Lalique to create crystal decanters and bottles for its most exclusive collections.
The late René Lalique is perhaps the most famous French glassmaker in history known for creating incredibly clear and precisely detailed glassware and vases, and the Lalique company continues to be known by his reputation. In his life, Mercury was good friends with the late Marie-Claude Lalique, the third generation owner of the Lalique family of glassmakers. Here is another beautiful vase in Mercury’s collection made by René Lalique himself in 1920.
There’s also a set of vintage Wedgwood Jasperware bowl and jars in Mercury’s collection. Founded in the 1700s, Wedgwood is England’s most prominent pottery and ceramic maker in operation for over 260 years. Throughout its history Wedgwood has collaborated with many notable luxury brands, including Glenfiddich Distillery for a 21 Year Old Single Malt released in a “Wedgwood Blue” ceramic decanter.
To my uncultured modern eyes, the artistry of this Glenfiddich bottle’s design is lost on me as it frankly seems tacky, like something one could purchase from Disneyland. But to each their own.
There are also some highly sought-after Japanese porcelains in the collection from names that have done prestigious collaborations with the likes of Suntory and Nikka. Within Mercury’s collection of Arita ware, here’s an elegant set of two bowls from the 1900s, decorated with lotus flowers and a blue glaze image of a carp in tempestuous waters.
Arita porcelain is made by the town of Arita in Kyushu, often with blue and white decorative elements inspired by Chinese ceramics.
Finally, the collection includes a stunning Kutani covered bowl from the Showa – Heisei period, with decorative Japanese phoenixes and cranes on the side.
Suntory has released ultra premium expressions made by Arita and Kutani ceramic makers, including the magnificently crafted Hibiki 35 Year Old Arita Kutani set.
Nikka has also released rare expressions in Arita ware, including one that confusingly resembles a bottle of Chinese baijiu. The Super Nikka Arita Ryuku Island Map Edition comes in an Arita ceramic bottle bearing a hand-painted map of Ryuku Island.
We’re just scratching the surface. This is in fact one of Sotheby’s largest auction series, with 35,000 items and 1,500 lots, on par with the grand auctions of Elton John, Andy Warhol and King Edward VIII (the one who abdicated the crown).
The massive collection reveals much about the beloved Freddie’s eclectic tastes outside of just music, with a keen interest in various forms of art pieces, vintage wine and other ornaments. So if you’ve got the means, this might just be your chance to own a slice of rock history!
All of the above-mentioned items and many more would be available (some lots are already available for bidding) in a series of auctions at Sotheby’s that would respectively close on the 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th and 13th of September 2023. Interested bidders for Freddie's wine cellar are to note that specific lot would fall under the auction of 8th September.
Let's give a final cheers to the man, the icon, the legend that is Freddie Mercury!
@CharsiuCharlie
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