J&D Burleigh

Who invented whisky?
Was it the Irish or the Scots? The debate still rages on between the two and the answer is not as straightforward as one might think.

The art of distillation was brought to Ireland by a Scottish monk, Saint Patrick, whom he himself learned it during one of his trips to the Middle East. Hence, the first distillation of “whisky” was done in Ireland but by a Scotsman.

Whisky, or 'whiskey', is an anglicization of Gaelic terminology.
Irish Gaelic: uisce beatha and Scottish Gaelic: uisge beatha,literally meaning "water of life".
Earlier anglicizations include usquebaugh, usquebea (1706) and iskie bae (1583).
The term corresponds precisely to the Latin “aqua vitae”, which had been applied to distilled drinks since the early 14th century.

Then there is the other big question: How should we spell it?
The earliest examples of the spelling 'whiskey' with an 'e' can be found in Ireland. Irish distillers wanted to differentiate themselves from Scotland which had already established the conventional way of spelling it without the 'e'. 

American distillers adopted the Irish spelling of the word. Hence you write 'Irish whiskey' and 'Bourbon' or 'Tennessee whiskey' but when you're talking about Scotch it is most assuredly 'whisky'. In fact, that is the standard in all other whisky producing nations, Canada included.

How are whiskies made? 
The key components are: water, malted barley, yeast and the type of cask used. Other factors greatly influence the outcome as well. Example, on whether a distillery uses peat fire or not. The type of still is also important. A distillery may use a column still, continuous still, a pot still or Coffey still.



Short pot still (Lagavulin)

Pot still with a long neck(Glenfarclas)


The Coffey Still, a variety of still consisting of two columns, was an interesting development used for blended whiskies. It was invented in 1826 by a Scotsman, Robert Stein. However it was redesigned and enhanced by an Irishman, Aeneas Coffey. Single malts are distilled in pot stills and grain whiskies in column stills, continuous stills or Coffey stills.

There are dozens of other factors which affect the style and quality of the distillation. Length of still neck and number of distillations are both critical to the equation. Scotland generally distills twice but Ireland three times. The more you distill a whisky, the fruitier and lighter it will be.

Two whiskies made in the same region, using the same barley and the same water source will still taste totally different from one another. Indeed, regardless of the ingredients, the type of still used will greatly affect the character of the whisky- the longer the neck of a still, the lighter and fruitier the whisky will be. 

Then of course, the cask is important as well.

In Scotland, to be called a whisky, a spirit must be aged for at least 3 years in a cask. In Scotland and Ireland, contrary to the US, they very seldom use new casks; most commonly used are Bourbon casks, hogsheads(recycled casks that can be either Sherry or Bourbon) or Sherry casks. There is a new trend for wine cask finish, rum cask finish, beer cask finish. Time will tell whether these innovations become standard practice or simply passing fashions.

Bourbon casks and hogshead casks are quite neutral. Therefore; the maturation process will produce a spirit more on the distillation notes (maltiness, fruitiness, freshness). Sherry cask whiskies will be woodier, and more on maturation notes (woodiness, dried fruits, vanilla, toffee). 

There is a hierarchy among whiskies. In ascending order, you have blended whiskies (whiskies made of grain and malt), vatted malt or pure malt (made of different malts blended together) and at the pinnacle, Single Malt (a pure malt from only one distillery). Single malt is considered to be the highest quality you can find in a whisky.

It is more and more common to find single malts that are also single casks (bottled from only one cask), cask proof (bottled at the natural percentage of alcohol in the cask- usually between 51% and 62%) and non-chill-filtered. 

Chill filtering is a filtration process that removes sediments from the cask, helping the whisky maintain a clear aspect. Without this filtration, whiskies tend to become cloudy. However, by not removing the sediment, the whisky retains its full oiliness and flavour. Those non-chill-filtered styles are rarer boutique whiskies and a bit more expensive than the classic cuvees. 

So just how strong should a whisky be?
Whisky specialists all agree that the best compromise for the alcohol content is around 46%. Any less and a whiskey starts to lose its complexity. It is a fine balance. 

The Asian palate is more inclined to enjoy sherry cask whiskies. Indeed, one of the most famous Sherry Cask Single Malts in the local market is Macallan. Among aficionados, however, Macallan is seen as a reliable mass market product, but nowadays lacking the character of the more boutique styles of sherry cask whiskies.  

An excellent example of such a whisky is Glenfarclas. Glenfarclas is well-known to the connoisseur. It is highly prized for the quality of its sherry maturation. Glenfarclas uses Spanish sherry casks, which have matured Oloroso or Fino sherry in Seville, Spain. With a capacity of 500 litres, sherry butts are widely used at Glenfarclas, as well as 250 litre sherry hogsheads.This distillery is one of the very few independent distilleries still operating. It has been continually owned by the Grant family since 1836.

Their regular 15-year-old is among the rare entry range to be bottled at 46% alcohol. Since 2006, the Grants have been bottling a range of whiskies called the Glenfarclas Family Casks, single casks at cask proof from 1952 to 1995. Only a few collectors in the world can pride themselves on owning the full vertical collection.


J & D Burleigh prides itself in having one set of the Glenfarclas Family Casks  available for sale. This is a rare chance to own a piece of whisky history. 

 
Click here to view our range of whiskies.

Le Chambertin

Legend has it that a farmer by the name of Monsieur Bertin uprooted the trees in his field and started to plant vines around the 12^th Century. He wanted to follow the footsteps of his neighbour, the monks from the Abbey of Beze, in making good quality wines.  Monsieur Bertin’s newly planted vineyard was so elegant and refined that it was quickly recognized as one of the finest wine in the French Kingdom.  His vineyard was called Champ de Bertin ("Bertin's field") and later shortened to Chambertin.

It is said it was Napoleon’s favorites and that he insisted that they be available to him even during his various military campaigns.










Napoleon Bonaparte was a military and political leader in France during the latter stage of the revolution. He became the emperor of the French in 1804 until 1815 and won many wars often against much larger armies earning him the title of the greatest military commander of all time.

Corton-Charlemagne

It was said that the King Charlemagne initiated the planting of red grape vines (Pinot Noir) on the hill that led to produce outstanding red Burgundy of Le Corton, and took great pleasure in drinking those wines.

However, as the years passed, and with age and unsteady hands, the King would dribble the wine which would leave stains on his whitening beard.  Much to the dismay of his wife, she demanded that he stopped drinking his wine.  The King however, craftily ordered that the hill of Le Corton be replanted with white vines, which led to the emergence of the famous white Grand Cru Chardonnay of Corton-Charlemagne. He continued to enjoy his wines without compromising his image and at the same time, kept his wife pleased.

Charlemagne (from old French Charles le Magne), also known as Charles the Great was king of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans for over 45 years from 768 to 814.

Click here to discover our Chambertin and Corton Charlemagne wines under the Burgundy link.

Renato Vacca visits Singapore, the Merlion City. 

A few months ago, we decided to re-introduce a Barbaresco to our portfolio and after a long selective process of tasting, we unanimously decided in favour of Cantina del Pino. Beautiful high quality wines at an incredible value with superb ratings can only be a recipe for success. Thus, the wines were shipped from Italy to our cellar soon after and with a bit of rest, they were ready to be opened and enjoyed. A concept which stays true to Renato, owner of the winery, who told us many times during his visit, that enjoyment was the most important achievement of his winemaking. 

Renato started to work with his father two decades ago and bottled his first vintage in 1998. And since, many things have changed. He decided to purchase more single vineyards, which eventually become his two top cuvees - Albesani and Ovello. He also took the decision to upgrade the winery and did a major remodeling, but insisted not to change vital winemaking instruments such as the press. No fancy pneumatic press here but a traditional vertical press, which according to Renato, is perfect for Nebbiolo.

Renato also explained how things are done in Cantina del Pino. His father, in his early 70s, still works every day in the vineyard. He, of course, knows every square inch of the planted area and his experience is crucial to the care of the vines. Renato follows him and learn day by day, all of his secrets. How often do we come across, in this day and age, such a strong bond from a generation to the other?

So I asked: “What about the winery?” He replied with a smile, “Well it is just myself most of the time. I vinify, bottle and prepare the cases that have been sold…” and the list continues! From corresponding with the importers around the globe, to managing the finances, Renato is almost a one-man-show. His sister helps when he needs her to, or when he is on tour, but in a small family business such as this winery, one must have a multitude of skills to ensure things run smooth. And Renato does that perfectly.

To have him with us in Singapore was indeed a great opportunity to know more about the wines of this beautiful region of northern Italy. As a part of his visit, we thought it would be a good idea to visit the only fine dining Russian restaurant in Singapore and perhaps of South East Asia. Buyan, located in Duxton Hill has given many guests the opportunity to discover the incredible diversity of foods that Russia can offer. We met with Indra Kumar, Head Sommelier, who is always keen to discover new wines to pair with their Russian dishes.  These are the recommendations he made with the wines we tasted -

Cantina del Pino Langhe Nebbiolo 2008 is a great match with Beef Stroganoff. The acidity and freshness of the wine cuts through the richness of the dishes and lift the flavours.

Cantina del Pino Barbaresco 2007 with Cossak.  Another rich dish which consists of lamb, potato and cheese layered and cooked in the oven.  Indra also added another dish called Borscht made up of beetroot and cabbage soup with shredded beef. “The slow cooked flavors should blend together nicely” as mentioned by Indra.

Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello 2007 with Lamb Shashlyk. A grilled lamb dish that is rich and powerful enough to match the youth of this single vineyard.

Our second visit was to one of Singapore’s Internationally-recognized restaurant of distinction- Les Amis at Shaw Center, and we were welcomed by Zachary Tay, who also looks after the winelist at La Strada next door.

During our conversation, Renato explained that Langhe Nebbiolo is the best way to introduce the diners to the style of Barbaresco. The wine is under glass closure. We can compare it to Stelvin closure (screw cap).  It is a great way to keep the wine fresh and limit the ageing process, which is exactly what we are looking for in these wines. Corks are of course vital with the Barbaresco range as they need some oxygen to age.

During our tasting, Zachary gave us some recommendations to pair the wines with La Strada dishes -

Cantina Del Pino Langhe Nebbiolo 2008 with Chitara carbonara. The Chef actually does not use cream for this dish. A must try! The lively acidity of the wine acts as a perfect match with the weight of the dish.

Cantina del Pino Barbaresco 2007 with lobster and tomato sauce linguini.

Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello 2007 with grilled calamari cooked in olive oil. “The nutty flavours of this dish complements the elegant style of this Barbaresco”, said Zachary.

Our tasting for the day finished off with a stop at Rocks Urban Grill & Bar at Marina Bay. Renato explained to Roxan that his production is quite small. The quantities compare to that of the Burgundy productions, which coincidentally is one of Renato’s favourite wine regions outside of Italy.

Langhe Nebbiolo total production is 6,000 bottles.

Barbaresco total production is 10,000 to 15,000 bottles depending on the vintage.

Barbaresco Ovello total production is 5,000 bottles.


Tasting each wine with Renato showed us how much this wonderful region of North Italy has to offer. Wine production has changed in many ways over the last 20 years, and with the takeover of a younger generation of winemakers and owners such as Renato Vacca, the future looks very bright and with the promise of wines made with great expression, finesse and purity. And quite aptly put across by Renato, “It is also very important to perpetuate our traditions in the making of wine and a good balance of both modernism and tradition can only lead to greatness.”

On a recent report from the CIVC [Comité Interprofessionel des Vines de Champagne], Singapore found itself in the 19^th spot of the world’s largest Champagne importing country.

One must admit, for a city-state which is half the population of Paris, it displays significant growth in the consumption of champagne.  With many internationally staged shows held in the country, such as the Formula One, international fashion shows and trade fairs, the casinos and their grand theatre shows, the imports will nonetheless continue to grow amidst the growth of its lifestyle.

This leads us to our first post of our blog on what we would like to call, “Les bonnes manieres du buveur de Champagne” or "The good manners of the Champagne drinker".

In hope that the Baroness Nadine de Rothschild agrees with the following points, let us explore the different steps of serving and drinking one of the world’s most iconic beverages.


SERVING CHAMPAGNE

It requires very few simple steps, but if you fail to follow them, you may not enjoy your drink as much as you possibly should.

Secondly, the choice of glasses. Many of us have been given Champagne in flutes or sometime in the old fashion coupes (the flat glass) which are not the most appropriate to really enjoy Champagne. The first one, is too narrow and will retain most of the aromas in a one-dimension-effect.  The second (coupes), well, it is so wide that most of the bubbles will start to fade before you have your first sip and all of the aromas will gradually evaporate.

So the solution really is the tulip glass. In its classic style, it resembles a white wine glass. Stem, medium size body and slightly narrower rim. Perfect when it comes to expanding the aromas and concentration as they reach your mouth.

The other crucial point is to make sure each glass has been dried or polished with a kitchen cloth. Without the micro fibres of the cloth caught in the imperfections of the glass, the carbonic gas cannot produce the bubbles as we know it and stay completely dissolved in the liquid. This means your Champagne will taste flat and you will not see any bubbles coming up.  This is why sometimes, from the same bottle, some glasses are fine and others are flat. This also explains why a champagne glass must never be chilled in a freezer or a fridge. Water will simply coat the glass and hinder the natural creation of the bubbles.

When you pour the Champagne, pour a little first to wet the glass, then pour some more. Never fill it up to the top. Filling a champagne glass to the top rim is considered improper etiquette, and it also increases your chances of drinking a warm Champagne which is undesirable.

READING THE LABEL

Appelation d’Origine Controlée: Champagne
House Name: Billecart-Salmon
House Founded: Maison Fondée en 1818
Cuvée Name: Brut Réserve
Alcohol Content: 12%
Bottle Volume: 750 ml

In the absence of a vintage on the label, the Champagne is called non-vintage. This category of Champagne is a blend of several years put together. This helps to keep a consistent style and aroma panel and does not have the vintage variation. 

Should a vintage be mentioned on the label (such as 1998), the Champagne will be called a vintage Champagne. Produced only in great years, vintage Champagnes are a representation of both the style of the House, but also in the reflection of the special characteristics of the vintage. All grapes used in the vintage Champagne will come from the same harvest.



THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF CHAMPAGNE

Demi-Sec: The sweetest of champagnes, but not as sweet as a dessert wine. The translation of Demi-Sec is Half-Sweet. The Champagne retains a good level of acidity but has a high level of sugar.
Dry: A dry Champagne is actually fairly sweet.
Extra Dry: Between Dry and Brut, extra dry or off dry is round but not sweet.
Brut: Means ‘dry’ and is today the most popular style of Champagne.
Extra Brut: Often known as “zero dosage” this is the purest form of Champagne with no added sugar.

FOOD PAIRING WITH CHAMPAGNE

There are today, a lot of controversy in the pairing of food and wine, with so many new combinations and the mixture of so many food cultures, it is easy to lose yourself by listening to those whom seem to be certain they have found the perfect match. 

Certainly Champagne can be paired with many ingredients and many flavours. Widely known as an aperitif, many will never drink it during their meal, but one has to remember that Champagne is a wine and it will provide the same pleasure as fine Bordeaux or Burgundy.

To some of us, Champagne is the most versatile wine and can be paired with almost everything, except two things - steaks and sweet desserts. Perhaps you will hardly see anyone drinking Champagne with a sirloin, but how many weddings have been celebrated with ultra sweet cake and Champagne? Not only do they not match at all, but it is the perfect recipe for a bad hangover.

So, here is a small list of ingredients or dishes that work well... but never be shy to be adventurous!

- Scrambled eggs
- Caviar
- Mushroom dishes
- Pasta or risotto with creamy sauce (Preferably avoid tomato based sauce)
- Most Fish Dishes -  Any Seafood (Especially Lobster and Oysters)
- Any kind of nuts
- Most vegetables
 

CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE SIZES