Part 6 – Chinese New Year's Cake & YAMAZAKI Sherry Cask

 

Known as Nian Gao, this is one that I just had to get in, this is only available at the Chinese New Year period and is a great snack, the cake is  made from glutinous rice powder and can be cooked by dipping it into an egg batter and pan frying it.

 

I just had to add it in and eat it while sipping on the YAMAZAKI Sherry Cask, sweet and sour with heavy sherry.

 

 

 

Part 5 – Yuan xiao & BALBLAIR 1990

Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), people have had the custom of consuming ‘Yuanxiao’ during the lantern festival. They are a kind of rice dumpling made from glutinous rice powder with various fillings, like bean paste, brown sugar and all kinds of fruits and nuts.

 

Generally eaten on the last day of the Spring Festival, since they are also named ‘tangyuan’ or ‘tuanyuan’, pronounced like ‘tuanyuan’ (reunion).

 

Balblair 1990 and the dumpling soup go very well together, amazingly well giving you sweet and spicy characters with zesty fruits.

The BALBLAIR 1990 will be reviewed in February.

Part 4 - Crispy Chicken & Aberlour A'bunadh

Ok this one is almost a staple part of all Chinese set menus, its available everywhere and is amazing, it’s not just a normal chicken deep fried its specially prepared and not easy to do, also it is time consuming.

 

Keeping the head and feet as well as the chicken whole when serving represents prosperity, togetherness of the family, joy and completeness for the Chinese New Year festivities. Then you can cut it up.

 

 

 

 

Is considered as an after dinner drink or an on its own Malt but for me with the crispy chicken and a sip of this wee dram it gives you spices like cinnamon, ginger as well as a sherried cherry palate, it cuts through the fat of the chicken very nicely. Remember this is cask strength.

 

If you do not like it crispy then it can be steamed.

 

 

The Aberlour A'bunadh will be reviewed in February.

 

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!

 

 

Happy New Year!!!!

Part 3 - Noodles & Springbank 15 year old

 

 

Ok Whisky with noodles?

 

Well yes but these are not just any noodles; E-Fu noodles have a very unique taste. The noodles are soft and have a naturally sweet and nutty taste. The silky noodles coated with a smooth sauce. These noodles or other noodles are served at Chinese New Year and should not and must not be cut, they symbolize long life, and cutting will shorten your life.

 

I guess the cutting will shorten your life long before the Whisky does. This Dram with the noodles adds that tongue coating of praline smoke with black pepper and fruit.

 

The Springbank 15 year old will be reviewed in February.

 

Part 2 - Black Moss & Lagavulin 16 year old

 

Black moss, is traditionally consumed as a symbol of wealth, the dish is Braised Black Moss, Pork Knuckle and Mushrooms, so as I mentioned the this vegetable that resembles a clump of black hair symbolizes prosperity because it sounds like “fat choi,” the Chinese words for the phrase “be prosperous”.

 

 

 

 

With this wee dram you still get the creaminess and orange marmalade with the silky moss, with hints of barbeque on the pork.

The LAGAVULIN will be reviewed in February.

 

 

 

 

Part 1 - Dried Oysters & Ardbeg 10 year old

Oysters are not only popular aphrodisiacs but are also considered lucky in Chinese culture, Dried Oysters or in Chinese 蠔豉 (háo shi) is especially popular during Chinese New Year because of the sounding of its name when pronounced in Cantonese, which means good deeds, good fortune, or prosperity.

 

 

Generally Braised they have a pungent taste, rather or should I say completely different from fresh oysters, when they are braised they taste slightly sweet and with the Ardbeg 10, Amazing. They are usually served with vegetables such as mushrooms.

 

The Ardbeg will be re reviewed later in the month or early February.