Glen Grant Whisky Pairing Night & Canapés @ The Social, TREC

“The New Reveal” – whisky paring night & canapés was held for the media at The Social, TREC. It was my first time being introduced to Glen Grant, an award-winning single malt scotch whisky from Scotland.

Glen Grant’s story began in 1840, in Rothes, Speyside – one of Scotland’s renowned regions for whisky production; by brothers John and James Grant. Still produced in Rothes today, Glen Grant is currently the world’s number five top-selling single malt whisky (as claimed by Glen Grant) and holds a range of prestigious industry awards. The distiller practises a barley to bottle approach, whereby alongside milling and malting the barley on the premises, every drop is bottled on site too. Additionally, Glen Grant single malt Scotch whisky is made from the soft water of the Back Burn and the barley of Speyside.
The unique and smooth taste of Glen Grant whiskies are the result of the innovative tall slender stills and special purifiers that James ‘The Major’ Grant, son of founder James Grant, invented over a century ago. Still used to this day, this lasting legacy continues to distinguish the brand.

The latest premium expressions – the Glen Grant 18 Year Old and Glen Grant 12 Year Old single malt whiskies now join the existing range, which now in full includes The Major’s Reserve, 10 Year Old, 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and a selection of limited edition bottles; each based on more than 175 years of passion and craftsmanship. The new 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old expressions each add their own unique flavour profiles to the current Glen Grant range, offering even more choice for consumers.

The pairing session was led by Dennis Malcolm, a Scottish man who is Glen Grant’s Master Distiller of 50 years. We were introduced to the origin of Glen Grant, the distillery process and the tasting notes of each range of Glen Grant’s whisky.

That night, we sampled Glen Grant 10 Years, Glen Grant 12 Years, Glen Grant 18 Years and The Major’s Reserve.

First off the men was sesame prawn toast, smoked salmon blinis and crab spring roll paired with Glen Grant 10 Years. Arguably the best 10-year-old whisky, this was smooth, intense and slightly fruity with a soft almond finish.

For the last four years, the 10 Year Old has won the “Best Single Malt Scotch: 10 Years and Under” category award in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. In addition to this, in 2015 the 10 Year Old also took home the guide’s top honour for single malts by winning overall Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks).

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright gold

Aroma: Sweet pastry, pear drops with a hint of vanilla

Taste: Orchard fruit with rich malt notes

Finish: Long and complex

ABV: 40%

Next, we had chicken herb sausage roll and dragon roll accompanied by Glen Grant 12 Years. Western-Jap fusion canapé paired with this remarkable single malt which delights the palate with hints of caramel, vanilla and finishes with subtle hints of spice.

The 12 Year Old was recently awarded the IWSC GOLD 2016, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Speyside, 12-13 Years Old.

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright Gold

Aroma: Honey, pear and apple with hints of almond and citrus

Taste: Apple pie crust, caramel and vanilla

Finish: Lingering fruit with subtle hints of spice

ABV: 43%

The next thing served was my favourite of the night, mini wagyu beef burger paired with Glen Grant 18 Years. The nicely grilled mini patty went well with this single malt that matured for 18 years in the highest quality oak casks. This bright gold whisky delivered intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla, raisins and finishes sweet with hints of nuts and spice.

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright Gold

Aroma: Rich and floral with oaky overtones and hints of baking spices

Taste: Malty caramel, delicate, dried raisins and vanilla

Finish: Long, sweet with hints of nuts and spice

ABV: 43%

For dessert, we savoured the crème-grant brulee which was infused with Glen Grant Major’s Reserve. It was incredible how an ordinary crème brulee could go so well with alcohol in it. 

The Major’s Reserve – inspired by James ‘The Major’ Grant, grandson of the founder, is the lightest of the Glen Grant range. It is an easy drinking single malt Scotch whisky which is creamy and fruity on the palate with a slightly dry, nutty finish.

Tasting notes

Colour: Light golden colour

Aroma: Soft, slightly dry with a delicate apple note

Taste: Fresh, creamy with hints of vanilla and apple

Finish: Medium dry with a touch of hazelnut

ABV: 40%

After dinner, we stayed on at the bar to catch up with the girls while treating ourselves to more Glen Grant whisky.

Thank you Glen Grant and The Social for the great pairing session!

The Glen Grant whiskies are officially distributed by Drinks Connexion in Malaysia, and are now currently available at selected entertainment outlets and retailers in Malaysia. For retail enquiries or bulk order, contact Amanda Quar at amanda.quar@drinksconnexion.com.my

For more information on Glen Grant, head over to http://www.glengrant.com/

Toast The Macallan @ Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

Last month, Toast The Macallan debuted in Malaysia at Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. It was held as a pop-up exhibition-style event for 6 consecutive days from 26th September to 1st October 2016 and we attended one of the sessions!

Toast The Macallan was organized for individuals who are brassy and keen to learn about the esteemed single malt whisky. With the elegant ambience and the presence of The Macallan Brand Trainer, Keith Nair and Brand Advocate, Randall Tan, it was indeed a prestigious experience like never before.

Prior to the tasting session, we were given a walk-through and education brief conducted in interesting manner. It gave us an insight to the various ingredients of The Macallan Single Malt.

Founded in 1824, The Macallan has seen an increased interest in single malt scotch whisky across Asia. With the increased number of affluent individuals and the appreciated lifestyle, Malaysia is becoming one of the key countries in Asia to see a significant preference for single malts.

During the event, The Macallan unveiled its newest series – The Trilogy which consists of The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old, The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old and its latest expression, The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old.

THE MACALLAN 12 YEARS OLD FINE OAK

This contemporary-styled Fine Oak with its elegant gold straw colour is no stranger to The Macallan enthusiasts out there. It has a diverse character from maturation in 3 different cask types and is well-rounded thanks to the European and American Oaks, with a lighter creaminess owing to the bourbon-seasoned American Oak influence. Its delicate yet complex characteristics define the very essence of simplicity with its authenticity.

THE MACALLAN SHERRY OAK 12 YEARS OLD

Being the classic of The Macallan series, this quintessential sherry oak experience is matured exclusively in sherry seasoned European and American oak casks with a dominant European style, thanks to the proportion of Spanish sherry oak influence.

It has matured character and a lingering finish that is definitely a favourite amongst whisky connoisseurs for its assurance of quality that gives that rich and intense single malt whisky experience.

Its classic and formal and most all, the Sherry Oak will be a perfect gift this coming season.

THE MACALLAN  DOUBLE CASK 12 YEARS OLD

Two worlds unite to create The Macallan’s distinctive new balanced and honeyed Double Cask bottle. The Macallan’s steady dedication to exceptional wood management defines every aspect of its whisky creation and the launch of the new The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old is a further testament to this.

The Macallan Double Cask is the perfect balance of 100% sherry-seasoned European and American Oak, a marriage of 2 wood types. It’s a blend of single malt which showcases a true balance of character which results in a fully rounded and distinctive flavour.

By combining wood influences, it is able to produce a new variant which balances perfectly between the Sherry Oak and Fine Oak range. This new expression, with its modern and classy look, is certainly a desirable whisky to be savoured.

More info: http://toastthemacallan.my

10 Years After Graduating - I Feel Free; I Feel Liberated

It is a common saying that school days are the best time of your life. But I beg to differ.

Every now and then, I struggle from nightmares about forgetting an exam, sometimes math, occasionally BM, and more often than not a fcking Sejarah test!

Run a google search on those dreams and it will interpret that you are currently facing a stressful situation in life. My own interpretation: 10 years after graduating, I still can’t get rid of my exam anxieties!

I was from an all-girl school, one of the prestigious schools in that small town. There were 3 prestigious schools, none of which was a coed. Competition was tough, as everyone strives to stay at the top academically. Back then, my only purpose in life was to remain top 5 in class (because number 1 was impossible so I lowered my target wtf) and to score straight A1 for SPM. Ask me what I want to be next time and I would hesitate to give you my answer, because duh, scoring an exam was my sole purpose in life.

I participated in some curriculum, only because I was forced to, and also because I had to score sufficient points lol. But even as I put on those uniforms, my head couldn’t stop thinking about my text books contents, and how my precious hours could have been spent on revision (can you believe I was such a boring loser wtf).

College was alright, as I no longer felt obliged to be the top, because there was no such ranking as everyone enrolled into different classes. It was more of a battle against myself, to achieve the target I set on my own without a side-by-side comparison with others. What the others achieve has become immaterial. That was when I first learnt how to slack and to tune down my momentum in life.

Later on I graduated and finally entered the work force. That was an entirely different battlefield from my years of education. But after those years of stressful exam anxiety and those aspirations to remain at the top, pressures from work is really quite acceptable (lady boss if you so happen to be reading this, that does not mean you should gimme more work k I will flip table one =<). Rushing deadlines is inevitable, but it is nothing like panicking the night before your history exam because you simply don’t have the brain capacity to memorize the whole book word-by-word. On and off there are problems that seems impossible to solve given the limited time and resources, but they do not cause quite the same impact from the mathematics questions that I was unable to solve during examinations. I was never a math prodigy, and have only managed to score well after significant hours of tuition and practice.

Now that I am an adult, I do the things I want with the people I like without having to gain the unnecessary permission or approval from anyone. I can splurge on food that I enjoy. Put on as much make up as I want without being judged as a freak. Wear dresses above knee length without getting punished. Share my opinion without feeling fearful for being wrong (because I finally realized that when it comes to opinion, there really isn't a right or wrong). Speak my own mother tongue without being told off (which now that I think about it, what a ridiculous rule. The school restricted us to speaking only BM/English, and if you are caught speaking mandarin you would get punished LOL?).

I am a full-grown adult. I am independent. I enjoy the finest things in life. I take on adventures and seek for the unknowns. I love freedom, a blessing in return for coming of age. Though, sometimes I fear for the future, and my heart skips a beat at the thought of not being financially well to own a house yet. But that’s okay, sooner or later we will all be able to, soon, later, eventually, finally.

Right now, I am living life to the fullest.

I feel free. I feel liberated.

Not-So-Great Experience @ Cafe Ame Soeur, Bukit Jalil

I first saw pictures of Cafe Ame Soeur online several weeks ago. Instantly attracted to the interior of this new French cafe located at Bukit Jalil. A tad bit far from where I stay, but today finally had the chance to visit for our babe Rachel's birthday!

Wasn't expecting much from this cafe as we read that the food was not amazing. We were there mainly for the Parisian interior with a touch of golden hue, wallpaper and huge chandelier which shouts extravagant as well as the exquisite teapots and cutleries perfect for an afternoon tea session. 

We ordered a crispy chicken snack, a carbonara and a big breakfast kind of platter. True enough, they were edible but not fantastic. No photo of food as they weren't pretty enough to be nstaworthy :x

The service was rather horrible. Despite the cafe being so atas looking, we were not treated like welcomed guests at all. The cafe certainly gave us an impression that their sole purpose is to fully utilize their space and squeeze maximum revenue at all times instead of making even a minimum effort to satisfy their guests. 

I arrived early at the cafe, ordered a pot of tea and a crispy chicken snack while I was waiting for Rachel and Angela. The snack arrived and I had started eating. Then 2 women came in without a reservation and requested for a table for 5. There was only a table for 4 left unoccupied (which was given to us under our reservation at first but I requested to change to another table with better background), and an extra chair placed at the side would block the walkway. I was horrified that one of the waitress had the audacity to ask me to switch to that table and give my table to those walk-in guests instead. My table was meant for 4, no difference from the vacant one except mine was placed parallel to the wall. It was rather rude of the waitress to have requested me to switch since my order had arrived and I had started eating. You don't expect your guests to switch table just cause you want to squeeze in your walk-in guests. Besides, I wasn't being unreasonable for occupying a table for 4 as there were 3 of us (there wasn't any table for 3 anyway). Before I could refuse, the male waiter told me it was okay and I didn't have to switch, moreover I had only switched over from that table earlier. Great, at least one of them is smart and polite! 

When Angela arrived, she tried to order a pot of tea from the waiter but was told to order from the counter instead. Earlier on they took my order from the table though. I can't comprehend the inconsistency. Oh well I guess they're lansi enough to not want to take order from their guests despite having 4 or 5 idling waiters and waitresses.

And so Angela ordered her tea from the counter and came back to our table. 

5 minutes later 2 waitresses came to our table with a bill for Angela's Darjeeling tea and asked if she could pay first. (?????? -____- ??????)

What is their rationale?

My Early Grey and crispy chicken weren't paid yet also. So why should she pay for her tea first? 

They said cause they accidentally keyed in already -__________-"

I thought I have heard them wrongly. I never knew that guests were supposed to bear the responsibility for the cafe's own mistake.  Why couldn't they reverse the entry if they had wrongly keyed in? Or if they aren't smart enough to reverse it, just print out in 2 separate receipts when we ask for the bill la. Is it that difficult? It's not like we would deny the fact that we ordered the tea and run away from the cafe without paying. Don't understand their logic. But I guess they knew it was a stupid thing to ask for which would make 3 very unhappy guests, hence they came in pair -.- And you guess, of course we did not pay for the tea until the end. 

Anyway, enough of ranting. Check out some beautiful photos we took during our visit. I would recommend you girls for a visit to get some instaworthy shots. But for that kinda service and food quality, I can assure it is the kind of cafe you would visit once and never want to go back again.

So guess what happened to that separate bill of Darjeeling tea? They did not combine the bill and did not pass the separate bill to us. We left the cafe and took some photos outside the entrance for more than 15 minutes. Then the waitress came out and said 'Just now you ordered Darjeeling tea right, you haven't pay.' 

WTF.

I would appreciate if she could have said it in a better manner like 'Sorry we left out the tea' instead of making it sound like we intentionally not pay and tried to cheat their 12 bucks! My eyes rolled back so far they must have reached the height of the chandelier wtf. 

No offence to the cafe owner if you are reading this. Just sharing my experience and giving my constructive criticisms. Perhaps your staff could use some basic service trainings :) 

And for the rest of you, there is no doubt Cafe Ame Soeur is a beautiful place, and we enjoyed taking pretty photos and celebrating Rachel's birthday in advance albeit the not-so-pleasant treatment.

Cafe Ame Soeur

Address: 20, Jalil Link Block 2, 

Jalan Jalil Jaya 2, 

Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03 - 8999 0738

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cafeamesoeur/

[ADV] Oktoberfest 2016 @ 1 Utama Shopping Centre

UPDATED WITH PHOTOS FROM THIS YEAR :)

Check out some photos of us taken during Oktoberfest at 1 Utama this year. Just like the previous years, it was a fun-filled and joyous event with endless beer, performances and games all-night long. 

The public's response to the event was overwhelming. Despite the launch being on Thursday, the event was jam-packed with people as soon as I arrived after office hour. We Malaysians really do know how to enjoy ourselves!

Beer, food and merchandises on sale at reasonable prices. You can't find these goodies on normal days. One may even purchase a dirndl!

Ain't no Oktoberfest without German sausages!

Tried the various types of German beer. Aside from the usual giant Oktoberfest mug, this year we could bring home different types of smaller glasses for RM35 each (plus beer). And it costs only RM25 for a refill of beer! Definitely a better deal with girls like us with smaller drinking appetite :P

Had half a dozen of Jager shots and got that cute little Jager shot glass! *heart-eyed*

Fresh premium beer, nice German food, great performances and awesome company. Thursday night had never been better.

So much fun with the girls at this annual festival. Thank you Luen Heng F&B for having us. Looking forward to the next Oktoberfest with you guys again! 

**********

I have had really fun and joyful experiences at Oktoberfest since I first attended the event in 2011. The fun continued the following year as well! Along with our girls from MHB, we have shared lots of fond memories attending the Oktoberfest parties especially the big ones at 1 Utama Shopping Centre. 

This year, Luen Heng F&B once again partners with 1 Utama Shopping Centre to bring Oktoberfest back for the 12th year at 1 Utama, this time with a four (4) day party from 6 to 9 October 2016 (Thursday to Sunday). This festivities this year will be held for the first time on the Level 5 Rooftop, Old Wing, 1 Utama Shopping Centre from 6.00pm onwards.

Get ready for nights of live music, performances, games and a variety of local and international food and drinks. The event is for non-Muslim patrons aged 18 years and above and will be in the big tent will be constructed at Level 5 rooftop carpark.

This year’s party sees Euro-Deli and German Chef Jochen Kern (award recipient of the coveted World Association of Chefs Global Master Chef title) serving an array of German delicacies such as pork knuckles, sauerkraut, salads, soups, beef goulash, fish and chips, Jäger Putenschnitzel, meatloaf and grilled meats, bread station with German sourdough bread, pretzels, gingerbread hearts, cheese cake, apple strudel, bread butter pudding, and waffles. There will also be a smoking hot German BBQ Big Pan serving up German bratwursts.

Look out for these German brews:

• Erdinger Weissbier
• Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier
• Lowenbrau
• Warsteiner
• Konig Ludwig Weisbier

Erdinger Weissbier (5.3% ABV), pioneered in the 70′s, was the first German wheat to be distributed nationwide in Germany. Erdinger is brewed according to traditional recipes and has no preservatives, additives and pasteurization, complying with the Bavarian Purity Law 1516.

Franziskaner Weissbier (5% ABV), a traditional Bavarian wheat beer with more than 600 years of history, is refreshing and aromatic in character. This Bavarian beer is naturally cloudy and copper-coloured and enhanced with a sweet malt taste with a smooth creamy texture for finish.

Lowenbrau, (5.2% ABV), an original “German Munich Beer”, is famous at Oktoberfests. It is a lager beer that is refreshing with a taste of malt and mild hop bitterness. The beer is light to the taste, bright golden yellow in colour, and truly complements the Bavarian drinking experience.

As well as some other brews including:

• Budweiser
• Hoegaarden
• Leffe
• Stella Artois
• Little Creatures
• Magners
• Savanna
• Tennent’s Stout
• Gaymers Tropical
• Jagermeister
• And a selection of fine wines for those of you who don’t drink beer or cider.

What’s Oktoberfest without loads of entertainment and games?

The star of the event will be the Oom-pa-pah band – Die Emsperlen all the way from Germany, performing various fun Oktoberfest favourites that gets the crowd dancing along with lots of cute actions, as well as some rock favourites!

Guys, you can do the Chicken Dance with the pretty Dirndl girls. Girls, there are male Lederhosen dancers for you!

There will also be games and activities like hat switching, barrel rolling, arm wrestling, airbrush tattoo and face painting. Bring home some exclusive Oktoberfest merchandise like the stein tankard and mugs, yard glass, T-shirts, costumes, felt hats, magnets, badges and Oktoberfest fun wearable. There will also be discounts and offers for ONECARD members.

Speaking of the ONECARD, post your happiest Oktoberfest Instagram social snaps during the event and tag #1UTAMAxOKTOBERFEST for a chance to win a RM50 ONECARD Gift Card!

So how do you buy the food and beverage and merchandise at the event?

You can purchase cash vouchers at the sales booth at the event OR purchase pre-sale cash vouchers at http://www.oneshop.com.my from now until 5th October 2016 and receive exclusive freebies.

The dance floor will be the most fun spot at the festival when the bands take to the stage with people from all walks of life joining in the festivities.

Some important notes to remember:

(i) Entry is for Non-Muslim patrons aged 18 years and above

(ii) IC/Passport is required for registration

(iii) There will be security checks for safety patrons’ safety at the entrance

(iv) No backpack/luggage is permitted into the event venue (women’s handbags not larger than 2L)

(iv) Buggie service will be provided

(v) 1 Utama Management reserves the right to restrict entry

1 Utama Shopping Centre is located at:

No 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,

Bandar Utama City Centre,

Bandar Utama,

47800 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor, Malaysia.

For more info on Oktoberfest at 1 Utama Shopping Centre, head over to https://www.facebook.com/events/870403129760167/

For more info on Luen Heng and their products, head over to http://www.luenheng.com/

Remember to Enjoy Responsibly!