Brouwerij Martens Bochol Craft Beers Comes to Malaysia

Brouwerij Martens Bochol (the Marten Bochol Brewery) from Belgium has officially launched a series of their specialty craft beers at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur recently.

The brewery was founded 260 years ago in 1758 and is an independent company. Today, Jan and Fons Martens are the eighth generation in the family; who are still continuing the tradition of brewing beers.

We were introduced to:

1) Kristoffel White (5% abv), Blond (6% abv) and Dark (6%). Named after the Saint Kristoffel in the church at the heart of Bocholt, the Kristoffel range are abbey style beers, made with high fermentation. Kristoffel White is a cloudy unfiltered beer, Blond is made with a combination of barley, cornmeal and a special selection of aromatic hops and Dark with a selection of special malts and aromatic hops.

2) Sezoens Blond (6% abv) - a top fermented ale that is made using a special double dry-hopping process.

3) Boot Tread (5% abv) - An amber ale brewed with Saaz hops

4) 1758 IPA (6.5% abv) is brewed in small batches with a blend of 6 different type of hops, this beer marks the year that Brouwerij Martens Bocholt is established.

All beers are available in selected Village Grocer stores, Jaya Grocer stores, all BIG supermarkets and selected bars in the country. Dionysus Asia Sdn Bhd brings them in and you can check them out on https://www.dionysusasia.com/home

-Jon

The 4th East Imperial Gin Jubilee 2019 @ Malaysia

Gird your liver. Gin Jubilee's back - bigger and better. How?

13 participating Gin brands!

1. The Botanist 
2. Caorunn
3. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
4. Four Pillars Rare Dry
5. Gin Agricolo Blagheur
6. G’Vine Floraison
7. Hendrick’s
8. Napue by Kyro Distillery Company
9. Monkey 47
10. Rock Rose
11. Scapegrace
12. St. George Terroir
13. The West Winds Cutlass

Image: Wholly Spirits

26 participating outlets!

1. 61 Monarchy
2. Bar Shake
3. Bar Trigona
4. Beta KL
5. BotakLiquor
6. Coley
7. Elements
8. Flying Monkeys
9. HYDE at 53M
10. JungleBird
11. Knowhere
12. Mari Gin
13. Mezze
14. Mrs Jones’ Parlour
15. Pacific Standard Bar
16. Pahit
17. Pinchos Tapas Bar
18. PS150
19. Soma
20. The Locker & Loft
21. The Pawn Room
22. The Sticky Wicket
23. The Vault
24. Three x Co
25. Tickets
26. Woo Bar @ W Kuala Lumpur

Image: W KL's Wet Deck

Lots of fun between 8-12 Oct 2019!

• Kick-off party at W Hotel's Wet Deck on 8 Oct 2019
• Bar crawl through participating bars to vote for your favourite Gin & Tonic between 1-12 Oct 2019. Each post MUST include the hashtags #EastImperial, #GinJubilee2019 and also the Location of the bar.
• Catch guest shifts, masterclasses and workshops between 8-12 Oct 2019. For updates, follow https://www.facebook.com/ginjubilee
• Catch Gin Jubilee's finale party- the Gin Lane on 12 Oct at the Sentul West Depot for RM25 g&ts all night by all the participating outlets and gin brands!

For more check out https://ginjubilee.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/whollyspirits/

J

Will the Grinch of Octoberfest Presents Itself Again in 2019?

That's been on my mind lately.

Image: MyBeer Malaysia

2 years ago, you might have recalled The Better Beer Festival 2017 was cancelled (after 5 years!).  One Utama's annual one was also cancelled.  It would've been alright if their permits were outright rejected in the first place - but authorities gave them the okay, only to revoke their permits at the 11th hour, burning all monetary and effort costs involved. 2017 was a hard year for imbibers and organisers indeed.

Reeling from what happened in 2017, in 2018, the 2 local breweries managed to host relatively subdued events - either using different names and only through outlet promotions.

As we're heading towards October - I've not seen much fanfare. So far, we've noted only a couple of pubs promoting their version of Octoberfest.

Other than that, it has all been quiet.

I really miss those big Oktoberfest parties. Sob..

J

Connor Stout Porter's 'perfect pour' September

Connor’s Stout Porter, Malaysia’s premium draught stout continues to entice the taste buds of stout lovers with a  comeback campaign of its Perfect Pour Challenge.

Upping the ante for the second time this year, Connor’s Perfect Pour Challenge throughout September will feature the Connor’s booth and truck at more than 50 locations nationwide covering Klang Valley, Ipoh, Penang and Johor.

If you choose to accept the challenge for the next 2 weeks, quickly go catch the pop up bar at Pavilion KL @ Connection Level 3 every day from 4pm to 10pm; and 4pm to 12am on Fridays and Saturdays

or visit www.connorschallenge.my for the upcoming locations and states.

https://www.facebook.com/ConnorsMY/

Carlsberg's New Look for Its 50th Anniversary

Wow! Did you know that Carlsberg Malaysia turns 50 this year? And in conjunction with their 50th birthday, they've launched a brand new look.

Image: Carlsberg

The font on its label is now bigger and bold - perfect for old foggies like me to identify it from a mile away on the shelf.

Image: Carlsberg

The bottle cap has also been re-engineered to better seal in the beer, thus making the beer fresher on the pop. Now I can buy Carlsberg in bulk during CNY and store it for longer!

Also, the 6 pack packaging has been udpated so that you can tear one beer easily from its 6-pack packaging without damaging your car keys or finger nails.

Image: Carlsberg

Lastly, they also redesigned their glass. At the bottom of the glass, there's a laser-engraved, hop leaf-shaped logo that agitates the beer to allow more bubbles to float to the top and maintain the foam head for longer, like magic!

I took a closer look at it at home:

Can you see the laser engraving?

Compared it against a normal stemmed glass - can you see that the new Carlsberg glass on the left is agitating the bubbles to rise upwards?

Like magic!

50 years old and looking good Carlsberg - I hope to look as good when I hit my big 5-0 next year!

- Jon

Margaret River Tours Kuala Lumpur

When in Perth for the first time, what would you do? Well if you love your wines, it's got to be a visit to Margaret River. It has built its reputation as Australia's "mecca" of premium wines. While the region produces less than 3%  of Australia's wine, it accounts for more 1/5 of its premium wine.

Margaret River on Tour made its debut in KL at the newly revamped Pullman KLCC on the 24th of August.

It featured 10 brands including Cape Mentelle, Churchview Estate, Flametree, Howard Park, Pierro Margaret River Vineyards, Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Woody Nook, and Xanadu for wines, and the Margaret River Distilling Company for a selection of whiskies and gins.

We got to meet winemakers, owners, and producers and VIP guests could also attend the masterclass hosted by a panel of winemakers to learn more about the quality of wines from Margaret River and what makes them unique.

The place was really packed! No surprises there because the entry price was a well-priced RM120 (RM100 for early birds.

Let's all hope they'll be back again next year, and make it bigger!

Thanks for having us, Thirstmag.

For more: https://margaretriverontour.com/

-Jon

(Images from Thirstmag)

AD Ratttray Whisky X Mooncake Pairing

Thanks to Thirstmag, we had some whisky and mooncake fun at Pullman KLCC's Blu Bar & Cigar in conjunction with the upcoming mid-autumn festival.

AD Rattray is an independent company that bottles whisky ans has been around since 1868. AD Rattray buys spirits and whiskies in casks, then age and blend them into their own label's expressions.

Ben Ng of Drinks Alliance (Also Dram & Leaf, also Mish Mash) took us through the tasting.

His advise for a good pairing is to pick mooncakes which are not too sweet, has subtle flavours, and the texture shouldn't be too wet or sticky.

We sampled:

• Stronachie x lotus paste mooncake - the whisky is like a blank canvas that intensified the sweetness of the mooncake
• Cask Orkney 18YO (Limited Edition) x roselle and berry mooncake - surprisingly, this combination of the tart and sweet mooncake with the salty slight peatiness of the whisky
• Cask Islay x green tea mooncake - FA's favourite, the combination has a creamy toasty ice cream flavour that works so well.

Thank you Chef Jeffrey of Red Chinese Cuisine in Pullman KLCC for showing us some love in your handmade mooncakes.

- Jon

Launch of Cigar Bar KL @ Naza Tower

If you’ve been stalking us on instagram or Facebook,, you’d know that we're starting our cigar appreciation journey. Well, should't really come as a surprise as whisky and cigars go together like cheese and crackers... or rum and raisin... or steak and wine.. .. you get the drift!

We were recently honoured to witness the launch of The Cigar Bar KL which is located on the ground floor of Naza Tower Platinum Park.

Image: Cigar Bar KL

Image: Cigar Bar KL

The bar’s co-founder and director Jay Walia is an avid cigar enthusiast.

The bar stocks many Cuban and non-Cuban options including new world special editions as well which are available by the stick.

What makes Cigar Bar KL different from other cigar lounges? It’s not just a lounge, it's also a bar and what Jay wants you to experience is not just cigars but a curated experience marrying cigars with the flavors of whisky or rum, chocolates and salt to bring you a whole different flavour experience through his curated pairing menus ranging from RM55 to RM130.

Cigar Bar also offers a variety of whiskies, rum, brandy, wine and beer too.

For more: https://www.facebook.com/cigarbarkl/ and http://cigarbar.my/

- Jon

Kronenbourg's Dinner in Blue

On 12 July 2019, French wheat beer, Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, celebrated Bastille Day in Kuala Lumpur. The Frnech National Day, also known as Bastille Day, actually  falls on 14th July.

In conjunction with the celebrations, an opulent “Dinner In Blue” dining experience in true blue fashion was held at Chateau de Caffeinees. Celebrating all things French, the dinner included a fashion show as Kronenburg 1664 is also the official sponsor of the upcoming KL Fashion Week 2019 (KLFW 2019) which takes place from 21st to 25th August.

To conclude the meal, we were served a decadent dessert by Nathalie Gourmet Studio for a excellent finish. The evening was accompanied with French music and ended with a spectacular display of fireworks in celebration of Bastille Day.

In addition to the celebration, limited-edition designer merchandise up for grabs in the September campaign - enjoy Blue Happy Hours from now till end August to get a FREE half pint of 1664 Blanc! Simply spend RM50 and above every Friday when dining at participating modern bars, cafes and restaurants nationwide.

Carlsberg Team in Blue: Ted Akiskalas - MD, Gary Tan - Sales Director, Caroline Moreau - MD, Lim Chee Kaet - CFO, Pearl Lai - Corporate Communications & CSR Director, Lew Yoong Fah - Government Affairs & Duty Free Director, Felicia Teh - HR Director

For more, visit www.facebook.com/KronenbourgMY or www.carlsbergmalaysia.com.my.

- Jon

Images by Carlsberg.

MARIMBAR - Marini's latest concrete tropical retreat in PJ

The Marini's Group has finally ventured out of KL and now holds a high position in Petaling Jaya (PJ) with its latest venture in Marimba. Marimbar (Marini + Rimba - get it?),is located on the 35th floor of Pinnacle PJ Tower A, right next to Sheraton Hotel, PJ.

This latest venture by The Marini’s Group is a nature-themed watering hole that boasts a panoramic bird’s-eye view of PJ city and part of Kuala Lumpur. Similar to Marini’s on 57, guests can expect good music, fun cocktails and the delicious Italian food, all staple signatures of The Marini’s Group.

Signature cocktails:
The Red Rimba, RM40 - Lemongrass infused Gin, raspberry puree, lemon juice, pandan syrup, ginger & egg white
Blue Moon, RM45 - Gin, sweet & sour, pineapple juice & blue curaçao
Pisco Disco, RM38 - Chrysanthemum infused Pisco, lychee liqueur, lime juice, lychee juice & pandan syrup

For more:
https://marimbar.com
https://www.facebook.com/pg/MarimbarPJ

 - Jon

Images from Marimbar.

Carlsberg Red Barley

As a proud supporter of Liverpool FC and a long time sponsor since 1992, the Carlsberg Group decided to create a special brew to celebrate their 25th year in partnership.

Carlsberg Red Barley is a limited-edition 4.5% ABV pilsner that gets its distinctive colour from a barley variety that is specially curated and bred by the scientists at Carlsberg Research Laboratory.

This brew, according to the official tasting notes (because if nobody got to taste this unless you're one of the lucky 9 winners in Malaysia), is suppose to have clean, crisp and slightly hoppy taste expected from a traditional pilsner. Due to the barley’s rarity, Carlsberg Red Barley was produced in very limited quantities.

Carlsberg Malaysia only managed to get a few bottles (9!) into the country which they decided to give away during the long-awaited showdown between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at the Thirsty Bar, PJ  Two Square during the Champions League finals on 1 June.

Some of the lucky Red Barley winners.

Now, if only they had opened their winnings to share. :(

- Jon

Images from Carlsberg.

WhiskyPLUS KL 2019 - Game Plan

Malaysia’s Premier whisky and (some spirits) tasting event returns for its second year.

Some of whiskyplus kl 2018's offerings.

It is going to be bigger and better with even more brands than last year. Expect 50 participating brands including independent bottlings and new expressions to the market.

Some important details:

Where: Pavillion Hotel (next to Pavillion Mall)
When: 15th June - Session 1: 12-4pm, Session 2: 5-10pm.
Discounts available to: The Glenlivet Guardians Malaysia, Dram Full Malaysia members, bulk purchases
Expect: A set meal, a tasting glass, access to the main tasting floor, opportunities to join masterclasses, pop-up bars, a VIP Lounge to access a selection of premium whiskies (for VIP pass holders),  the return of the popular Collector’s Corner (featuring a special selection of exceptional purchase-by-the-dram old and rare whiskies), complimentary F&B vouchers for restaurants at Pavilion Hotel and its sister Banyan Tree property, a Cigar Corner in the main tasting room (and you can smoke your cigar at the Whisky Cove lounge!)
Ticketing & more info: Check out https://www.whiskyplus.my

Some strategies on how to get through the event:

1. Your ticket purchase comes with a set meal - please make sure you eat and line your stomach if you want to last the session.
2. Strong tasting foods will affect the taste and scent of your whiskies, so maybe not have them before the event. Also note that curries and chillies will hurt your nostrils IF you puke.
3. 50 whisky brands, with a few expressions each. 4-5 hours. Pace yourself. Head for the ones you’ve never seen or heard first. 
4. Spam your body with lots of water. Water will be made available everywhere for free. Take this opportunity to "rinse" your glass in between your tasting so that your next dram won't be affected by your previous tasting.
5. I’d STRONGLY advise you to not go home driving - Grab the MRT or a cabby/e-hail ride please. 
6. Don't lose the given tasting glass otherwise how on earth will you get the exhibitors to pour you some whisky? Well, if in the event that you do, you can purchase another at a very cheap RM15 each.
7. Stay classy and don't be a nuisance please. Don't be that idiot that causes a scene and then get viralled for all the wrong reasons. We deserve nice things! Also - there will be no-nonsense security guys stationed all over so you wouldn't want to be messing with them, trust me.
8. Lastly, have a swell time. For the price you pay, you're getting fed, so much whisky, a tasting glass, discount vouchers, chance to taste some rare stuff, and hang out with classy like-minded people. What a treat!

See you there!

So don’t say I bojio! If you do recognise us, do hit me up and slainte mhath with me.

See you then!

- Jon

P/s: We have a pair of Gold Pass tickets to giveaway. How? 
1) Share this post on your Facebook timeline
2) Tag the person you'd like to bring & tell us why you want to go.
3) Leave a comment on https://www.facebook.com/Ang3ltini so we know you're participating.

A new beginning: The Port Charlotte 10

Bruichladdich relaunched its classic range of heavily peated single malt whisky Port Charlotte in Malaysia by unveiling Port Charlotte 10 on the 14th March 2019 at APW, Bangsar.

Before Bruichladdich Distillery created the world’s most heavily peated single malt (the Ocotomore), or Islay’s first dry gin (the Botanist), resurrected growing malting barley locally, or dabbled in quadruple distillation, they distilled Port Charlotte Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt. The very first in a long line of experiments, this ‘peat with elegance and finesse’ offered an alternative to the medicinal malts for which Islay is famous.

The Port Charlotte expression is not new - this is actually a relaunch of sort for the Port Charlotte range which includes the Islay Barley 2011 and the introduction of the 10 year old.

The PC10 packs quite a punch bottled at 50% abv. Weighing in at a phenol level of 40ppm (the Octomore range weigh in upwards of 133-165 ppm,fyi). While the bite of the peat is rather subtle on the nose, lots of fruits come through on the nose. It is cask strength and thus sip with caution. The strength of the whisky dulls down the peat in the mouth.

A few drops of water opens up more flavours. One of the reasons why this product imparts so many flavours comes from the variety casks it has matured in, predominantly 2 types of American whiskey casks and French wine casks.

But wait. It cannot be called a range with only 2 expressions. There are another 2 expressions introduced that night. The Port Charlotte MC: 01 2009 and MRC:01 2010.

The MC:01 and MRC:01 expression are codes. MC is in reference of a cask used called Marsala cask that makes Italian marsala wine. A similar version would be port.The MRC:01 code means this expression has been mellowing in a special curated cask previously filled with a certain French red wine. If you are a wine connoisseur , you'd recognise that wine to be one of superbly high acclaim value, the ones only crazy rich Asians will buy.....

For more:
https://www.bruichladdich.com/

Official Distributor:
http://singlemalt.com.my/single-and-available
https://www.facebook.com/singleandavailablewhisky/

- Jon

No frills, no legends, no fluff, just Tomatin

Behind every great whisky brand, there is bound to have an awesome legacy of that product. As the title suggests, the Tomatin is a whisky made from the heart of the community of this distillery.

The Tomatin distillery sits high on the Scottish Highlands at 315m above sea level. Being one of the oldest distilleries since 1897, this proud distillery is acclaimed with several awards. Tomatin means "Hill of the Juniper bush" in Gaelic, yes, the same product that produces the berries for gin distillation.


As this distillery is located far from the coast and in a remote area, the Tomatin distillery is very much community driven where 80% of its workers live on site and with families working there spanning a few generations.

I had the opportunity to taste four of its core expressions. The Legacy (ex bourbon and virgin oak, 43%), the 12 year old (bourbon & sherry, 43%), the 14 year old (tawny port, 46%) and the 18 year old (oloroso sherry, 46%).

I found all four expressions interesting but the 18 was exceptional,  mostly because I'm quite a fan of whisky aged in rich oloroso sherry casks.

In our shores, the Tomatin range and brand is distributed by Drinks Connexion, importers of many other fine spirits and liqueurs.

- Jon

Stuart Harvey Explains AnCnoc

Gaelic pronunciations are hard - it's nothing like how they are spelled. I mean, have you ever heard of Ah Knock whisky? AnCnoc is pronounced A-nock and even the packaging is labeled ‘pronounced a-nock’.

Image: AnCnoc

We had the pleasure of having Stuart Harvey, the anCnoc distillery master blender to explain his creations and the whisky itself.

AnCnoc whisky is the product of the Knockdhu Distillery, in Knock Hill nestled in the northeast of Scotland in the Highlands with a spring which the whisky is made from.

Stuart said that what makes anCnoc special comes from the original style copper pot stills and worm tubs which cools the spirit vapour differently from the copper pot stills. This contributes to their new make spirit being more savoury, heavier, more fruity.

Image: The Star

We had the privilege to sample 3 expressions the 12 (40% abv), 18 (46% abv) and the Peatheart (46% abv) - they are all very agreeable. The 12 and 18 - floral and fruity, and the Peatheart is, you can guess it, their peated expression. AnCnoc uses both American and Spanish oak barrels for the aging process.

Check out what Michael's interview with Stuart and his take on Ancnoc's flavour profiles here.

There are of course other expressions from AnCnoc. Watch out for it on travel retail or you can find these at the sole distributor's shop - Single & Available Whisky.

Official site: https://ancnoc.com/

- Jon