Burns Night
Burns Night is a celebration of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, and takes place on the 25th January. Born in 1759 and died in 1796, Burns was the poet of the Scottish countryside and its people and no man did more to create the romantic vision of Scotland that we have today. Rabbie Burns had a hard and difficult life. He was of a hard-working but poor family and hunger and sickness oppressed him all of his life. I can only admire a man who endured all that and still managed to produce poetry, journals and commentaries. He was also a man who really enjoyed bedding the ladies, as you will find out if you read any of his biographies. For those of us who do not know his work well he wrote “Auld Lang Syne” with which we sing in the New Year. We remember him for his poetry and the Scots are rightly proud of him.

Burns Night Suppers
A Burns Night supper is a convivial, yet ceremonial gathering of friends. There are several stages in the evening, as follows:

In Scotland the guests are often piped into the room or hall by a live piper. However at most suppers the guests are piped in to recorded traditional Scotch music.

The host or chairman makes a short speech of welcome and toasts Robert Burns (Scotch whisky, of course).

The party then recite the “Selkirk Grace”, a short grace before dinner, which Burns is reputed to have written. The text is below:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

The traditional Haggis is then piped to the table and Burn’s poem”To a Haggis” is recited, to a whisky toast.

Supper should then commence and further entertainment can added as the meal proceeds. Typically this is recitations of Burns poems, playing traditional Scottish songs and of course more toasts, which will of course consume more whisky.

Traditionally, a Burns Supper ends with a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”

Scotch Malt Whisky
Malt Whisky is one of a man’s great joys. One of the marks of a stylish man is that he knows enough about malt whisky to get by in company. The varieties of taste, the interesting and varied histories and the individual character of each whisky make this a fit subject of interest for a worldly man.

Think about it. Somewhere in Scotland, a real craftsman painstakingly distilled a malt whisky into a cask, loved and cared it for a year and at the end of had produced a whisky that is unique,…and probably beautiful. And you are going to buy it for a few pounds (or dollars). Drinking malt is a fine luxury experience and a cheap one at that. It is easy to start, find one you like and go from there.

Drinking malt whisky
When it comes to drinking malt whisky I am a classicist. I like my malt in a whisky tumbler with just a drop of water. And I mean a drop, just enough to release the aromatics and oils of the malt, to bring out the flavour. I cradle the tumbler of whisky in my hand until it is at body warmth and the whisky is warmed. Perfection.

The only other thing you need is a good glass. Here is my favourite whisky tumbler, from my favourite glassmaker, Dartington.

The glass is here. If you are a romantic man, buy two. Your best girl will be bowled over by the loving symbolism of it, trust me.

Ten Malts and where to buy them
Here are ten malts I like. They are a good range, from the light to the heavy, in no particular order. I have not added the year of distillation because this is a short post, but my usual experience with malts is the older the better. The gentlemen at the stores listed below will advise you on years and “expressions” as particular distillations are called.

Isle of Jura
One of my favourites and a favourite of guests at my house. By the standards of Islay whiskies, of which this is one, Jura is very lightly peated. Still there is enough smoky peat flavour to give Jura a slightly salt-sweet flavour. A good malt for beginners because even the young distillations are quite smooth, with a slightly malty, caramel flavour. It is light and lingers in the mouth without being overpowering.

Blair Athol
A fruity, malt, with a dry aromatic finish with just a hint of the sherry casks it was matured in. Though that may sound a little light, it isn’t and Blair Athol has a strong finish. Blair Athol was the malt of choice of my father, it was his “sociable” malt that he drank with other men. If was drinking in family, he would drink Ardbeg, which is a very different proposition (see Ardbeg below). Blair Athol is beloved by the Japanese, though I do not know why this malt in particular. However it does account for why there is not a lot of this whisky available and its price is a little higher as a result. A “fine” malt whisky, which you could offer as an after-dinner drink to non-whisky drinkers.

Glen Ord
A bit of an acquired taste, Glen Ord is a malty, heathery, minty whisky with a lot of bite. It attacks on the tongue and is a complex strong whisky and very full-bodied. The aftertaste alone lets you know you have a real whisky on your hands. But stick with it and it has some very fine flavours in it. Not a whisky for everyday but for special occasions. For me, there are times when I want to be alone in my own company. Those are the times I drink Glen Ord and I really enjoy it.

Laphroaig
I do not know what it is about Laphroaig but it inspires the most fanatical loyalty. Men swear by it. In an earlier stage of my life I would drink no other malt and was forever singing its virtues. However I am recovered now…as long as I am not offered any.

Soft and fruity mixed in with the salt taste of the sea, Laphroaig charms the tongue and is a sweet and peaty taste. It has a loose, slightly oily texture and has a slight salty, peaty aftertaste. Though that may not sound attractive, combined with its refined and complex flavours it is a wonderful taste. I think it bypasses the thinking brain and goes from taste-buds direct to pleasure centres. Try it and, after a few, you are likely to find it addictive.

Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie is the best-selling malt in the world, so I do not have too much to add. I will say that it’s light, heathery taste makes it a good drinking whisky. I like it as a malt for pubs and bars and a very good one.

Oban
Bring on the big guns. Oban is heavily perfumed, smelling of honey, caramel and malt. It is sweet, big in the mouth and very distinctive. Once you have tried Oban you will remember it. In my experience this is a good whisky to give to men as an after-dinner drink. It looks like a malt whisky should and has a dark brown colour that goes perfectly with its dense, firm taste.

Bowmore
Well, if Laphroaig is addictive, Bowmore is more-ish, in that “just one more…” way. Sweet, malty and soft, smelling slightly of sugar and spirits, it is incredibly easy to drink. It has a full taste in the mouth and a smoky aftertaste. A bottle of Bowmore does not last any time at all in the Van Rijn household, it is one of our all-time favourites. If you are going to give it to friends, make sure you have enough for refills.

Ardbeg
Whisky monster! The perfume of Ardbeg hits you as soon as you pop the cork. A sweet peaty smell that will permeate the air. This is an immensely peaty whisky with a tang of leather, a slight taste of baked bread and an underlying sweetness. The taste of it will fill your mouth up. I am really not sure how to characterize this whisky but somehow it has become a favourite of mine. A favourite in the Van Rijn family and a big drink for those times when you want or need one.

Macallan
Macallan has been called the writer’s malt, so it is appropriate that I mention it here. The English writer Kingsley Amis, used to say that he kept a bottle by his typewriter and took a nip for inspiration at regular intervals. However Mr Amis was a great storyteller, so this may simply be apt invention. For a long time Macallan was also considered the connoisseur’s malt, so it was (purportedly) the drink of the man of style. Writers looking for a short-hand indicator of style would have their character drink Macallan.

Macallan is a strong, rich silky mouthful with great tastes of toffee, sherry, brown sugar. It is full-bodied and lingers in the mouth for a long time. I always think of Macallan as the taste of celebration and feel very honoured when I am served it by friends.

Springbank
Tastes fruity, fresh and dry, with the scent of plants and a fiery whisky taste that is mellower in older vintages. Wonderful light, complex, fresh taste. A reviver, morale booster, glad-to-be-alive drink. For launching ventures, spiting in the eye of your enemy, embarking on passionate love affairs. True style in a glass. Currently my favourite whisky.

A Scotch malt whisky book
David Stirk’s book is a well-illustrated guide to Scotch malt whisky. He explains the process, varieties of whisky and how they differ. He lists all the whiskys. Great for the novice, maybe a little too simple for anyone else. A good first reference and I am indebted to him for his list and guide to the actual distilleries.

Get it in the UK here and the US here   

Where to buy Malt Whisky in London
In recent years, the number of specialist stores selling Scotch malt whisky in London has increased. More power to their elbow, I say. Here are five I like.

 The Whisky Exchange
The Whisky Exchange is in Vinopolis, the wine museum, near London Bridge, in London. I had never been there until recently and was wholly unprepared for what a great experience it was going to be.

The Whisky Exchange must have the largest floor space of any whisky store in London. They have yard upon yard of shelves of malt whisky. There is a “sweet spot” within the store on which it is possible to stand and your entire field of vision is filled with malt whisky!

Here is the photo to prove it.

(click to enlarge the image)

While I was gazing at whisky heaven, I was approached by Matt Swinfen, one of the staff at Whisky Exchange to see if I needed any help. When I said no he said: “Enjoy the wallpaper….” Superb line! Had to quote him.

This is the place to go if you want to explore Scotch malt whisky. The front of house “team” (Matt Swinfen and Duncan Ross) are walking encyclopaedias of malt, being both impressive and very helpful. Their motto is “we try to give the type of service you got thirty years ago”. For my America readers, one of the things they do well is ship malts to overseas clients, a service in which they have lots of experience. For my city readers, this is the perfect antidote to the depressed markets. From your patch, the Whisky Exchange is five minutes from you, across London Bridge. Go see.

The Whisky Exchange does so many things exceptionally well, see their website for the list of services.

Details:

The Whisky Exchange

1 Bank End, London Bridge, London SE1 9BU

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7403 8688   

www.thewhiskyexchange.com

Milroys of Soho
Milroys is a London institution and is where I learnt about malt whisky. I owe these gentlemen a huge debt of gratitude for their knowledge, quiet service and sheer style. Over the years their advice has been vital to me, it was Milroy’s who first advised me to buy Blair Athol for my father, just one of their many pieces of wise counsel. My wife buys gifts for me from them and likes their service and their suggestions a great deal.

(Click image to enlarge)

I love this shop, for me it is part and parcel of having style. Every man should visit Milroy’s once, because to do so gives you an immediate understanding of connoisseurship and English style. If you are visiting England then Milroys is worth a visit, it is part of the true English experience.

Like the Whisky Exchange, Millroys have a lot of experience in shipping to other countries. But what makes Milroys so wonderful is the service. If you are a novice at malt whisky, need advice, then you could not be in safer hands. If you are at all knowledgeable then you probably go to Milroys for the quiet pleasure of doing so.

The manager at Milroys is Phillip Kirk and he is both hospitable and a wizard of whisky. Every “wee dram” that he has given me to sample has proven to be from magnificent whiskies.

Milroys website also sells their malts. It excels partly because of their expert tasting notes. Have a look see.

Details:

Milroys of Soho

3 Greek Street, London, W1D 4NX

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7437 2385   

www.milroys.co.uk

The Vintage House
Another London tradition and one of the finest malt whisky collections in London. Vintage House have an extensive collection of malts bottled by individual bottlers. Independents bottle single casks of years of their choosing. This means that they produce some very individual malts which are rare and have a very individual taste.

(click image to enlarge)

Vintage House have small room where, behind glass, there are hundreds of malt whiskies. It is a browsers delight. The staff at Vintage house provide a knowledgeable, breezily cheerful service and can tell you all you want to know about malt. They have over 1,400 malts in stock, so you are sure to find one you want.

Details:

The Vintage House

42 Old Compto Street, Soho, London W1D 4LR

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7437 2592   

www.sohowhisky.com

Royal Mile Whiskies
Royal Mile are an Edinburgh company, with a shop in London. They won Whisky Retailer of the Year 2003, 2004 and 2006, and have established quite a track record. They offer smart, thoughtful service and whenever I am in the store I see them patiently advising newcomers to malt whisky.

(click image to enlarge)

They stock a wide range of malts and also stock some of the best books about malts. Their tastings are very good, often being cleverly themed. Their most recent tasting was of whiskies from distilleries that have closed, with the opportunity to buy these now rare whiskies.

Details:

Royal Mile Whiskies

3 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QE

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7436 4763   

www.royalmilewhiskies.com

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
If you enjoy Scotch malt whisky, then this is the club for you. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is both a group of like-minded enthusiasts and an independent bottler of malt whisky. They bottle and sell single-cask single-malt whiskies from over a 120 distilleries at remarkably competitive prices. They have club-houses in Edinburgh and London (the London clubhouse is pictured) where members can buy a dram of any of the society’s whiskies or indeed buy a bottle. They have restaurant, which sells wine to accompany dinner, as well as malt.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Bar, London (click to enlarge)

Membership is £100.00 per year, which gets you a presentation case of malts, membership in London and Edinburgh, the right to buy their exclusive whiskies, the socity’s magazine and lots more. This is a great price and to be honest, I think they are giving it away.

Details:

The Scotch Malt Whiskey Society

19 Greville Street, off Bleeding Heart Yard, London EC1N 8SQ

Tel:    +44 (0)20 7831 4447   

www.smws.co.uk

Drinking Whisky
I like drinking whisky late at night. Music on, low, lights likewise. Something sophisticated, melodic and soulful playing quietly. Here are three of my choices:

  Frank Sinatra: The wee small hours of the morning
From the Capitol years, when Frank Sinatra did some of his best work. Sad songs elegantly sung.

Get it in the UK here and in the US here

  Antonio Carlos Jobim: Stone Flower
Immaculate romantic Bossa Nova. Slow, yearning, manly and sexy songs from the master at his peak.

Get it in the UK here and in the US here

  Michael Brecker: Nearness of you: The Ballad Book
Quietly atmospheric, intense and sensuous jazz. Never loud, always skirting the base rhythm, Micheal Brecker’s masterful sax draws you into his mood.

Get it in the UK here and in the US here

Drinking Scotch malt whisky
There is one other thing I know about malt whisky. Women who drink it are sexy. I drink malt with my wife, who has developed a taste for malt under my tutelage. We drink together late at night, in the surroundings I described above, music playing, lights low. We drink after dinner parties, returning from engagements, celebrating the end of a long day.

It is one of the times that we share together and the whisky makes it special. We have our own malt classes. Hers is cut Edinburgh crystal, which sparkles with a golden glow, as the whisky catches the candlelight. It is beautiful, as she is. Mine is a big, chunky heavy modern tumbler, a man’s glass. All very appropriate.

I look at her, long legs, long dark hair, green eyes, that slightly lopsided suggestion of a smile. She sits there, Ferretti frock, killer heels, drinking whisky, looking at me over the top of the glass, with those emerald eyes. She is very beautiful and these are some of the times I truly feel blessed.

Enjoy Burns Night.

John.

Here is a great place to have coffee. 

Beas’s is on Theobalds Road in Bloomsbury in London and is a combined bakery and coffee-shop.   

I was walking to my next meeting and I wanted coffee and I wanted to feel like I was having coffee, not sit in a chain-cafe with a cellophane-wrapped brownie.   I wanted Hemingway in Paris, not Joe Ordinary at Heathrow Airport.  Well, the Van Rijn subconscious good taste kicked in as I passed the door of Bea’s.

Beas is a combination bakery and coffee shop.  Literally.  The front of the shop is a coffee/tea cafe and the backroom is Bea’s bakery.  The bakery room is raised up a couple of feet but entirely open.  You can see everything and watch the bakers at work.  When I was there they seemed to be making meringues the size of small trucks.  I do not know how they get the air-con to work with two such different environments but they do and the coffee-shop in front is comfortable.

Bea’s has lots of glass shelves holding lots of cakes.  The wall’s are a gray-blue-green wallpaper with a floral overprint that looks oriental.  The overall effect is modern but somehow very comfortable.  The room is long and narrow. split about equally between the counter and table space.  At the end of the counter they have a large and bulky coffee machine that looks like it was converted from a piece of Bugatti chassis.  It has more brass than a steam train.     

The staff are welcoming, the display’s are good, it is easy to see what they are selling.  As a man that works for me, I like the simplicity and ease of service.

Coffee and Food 

The important things first.  They make a superb cup of coffee.  Without exaggerating I can say it was the best coffee I have tasted in recent years.  I am really particular about the coffee I drink (look for a coffee posting soon) and this was the best.  Secondly the food.  I did not have any of the cakes but they look inviting and inventive.  Some of them are mini-works of architecture.  However the sandwich of the day was Chicken Caesar and that was just excellent, really tasty.  The service was quick too.

So I asked about the shop.  They are a cake shop and sell all manner of cakes large and small that Bea makes (more about Bea in a moment).  They also make cakes to order, and I suggest you look to their website for that.  They also run the coffee shop. 

They do not have a big menu, except for the cakes, which seem to run to several pages.  But from my experience what they do they do well.  They sell coffee, tea and hot chocolate (the chocolate is Valrhona, the French gourmet chocolate) some sandwiches of the day, some soups and some stylish and original salads.                     

Good atmosphere 

Everything about this place was good.  The tables are nicely spaced, the acoustics are good and the ambient noise not too loud, the atmosphere (aided by the bakery at the back) is pleasant and unhurried.  If I had one criticism it was that it was a little untidy, with pieces of cardboard boxes stacked against the counter.  Still, it was the end of lunch, which I guess is their busiest time, so maybe they had not caught up yet.  

Bea’s is also a little sexy.  When you see people who are really good at their jobs and mesh together well, handle the work elegantly and without strain, there is something sexy about that competence.  I do not know how politically correct they are at Bea’s but I can see it, and it’s my blog, so I can say it.

Bea’s works on a summer’s day and is cool and laidback.  It is the kind of place where, if it was hammering a thunderstorm outside, you would just want to sit and drink coffee until it was over.     

I looked on their website and found out a bit more about them.  Bea’s is the inspiration of Bea Vo, who is the founder/head chef.  She has a CV of culinary expertise as long as your arm.   She has four businesses running in the shop:

The Bakery, both retail and bespoke cakes (bespoke cakes, that fits right in on this site)

The Coffee shop

A cookery school, for anyone who enjoys good food

A corporate food service. 

Their food is home-made and locally sourced wherever possible.  They operate a green business and they source their coffee from independent roasters.  They call the coffee machine “Enzo” and pride themselves on making great coffee.  What clinched it for me was when I left there was a man sitting in the sunshine at one of the outside tables, wearing shades and drinking a cappucino.  Perfect.  

I took the picture above from their website.  Next time I go I will take some pictures and post them.   Beas’s has style, go try them.

If any of our readers know Bea’s and want to comment, please feel free to do so, it would be interesting to get more impressions of this fun coffeeshop.

Details:  

Bea’s of Bloomsbury 

44 Theobalds Road,

London

Tel:  44 (0) 207 242 8330 

www.beasofbloomsbury.com

Simply because chocolates make a superb gift for women. Stylish men know their chocolates.

Recently a number of good chocolates have have come to market and, full disclosure here, I met the founder of Sir Hans Sloane at a luxury goods symposium. He offered to send me some samples of his chocolates and I took this opportunity to review them.

Sir Hans Sloane chocolates
I like the fact that the brand is called Sir Hans Sloane, after the original inventor of chocolate. It makes it clear that the brand knows its history and affirms its connection with the luxury chocolate tradition. The brand image feels authoritative and discriminating.

Sir Hans Sloane is the brainchild of Bill McCarrick, who is variously a chocolatier, chef, and member of the international Academy of Chocolate. Bill trained in Switzerland and Austria, the traditional homes of luxury chocolate. He has worked and studied in in Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bali and Dubai and of course England. Working as a chef and chocolatier in all of these places Bill explored the local cusines and experimented with local products and tastes in his quest to produce excellent chocolate.

I have left out big chunks of Bill’s impressive resume but by 2001 he was head of production for all chocolate, bakery and pastry products at Harrods. In July 2006 Bill created the first Sir Hans Sloane chocolate in the kitchen of his home. From here he went on to win a Gold award for his organic dark chocolate at the 2007 World Chocolate Awards.

In person Bill is gently spoke and quietly humourous. Listening to him is an inspiring experience and a masterclass in chocolate connoisseurship. If you want to tour the chocolate studio and hear Bill speak you can sign up at the website here. http://www.sirhanssloane.com/

Making Chocolate
There are two secrets to great chocolate. The first is the beans.

Sir hans Sloane are meticulous about selecting only those cocoa beans that they think will be good enough for their chocolate. They select from a limited number of estates that meet their criteria for taste and quality. This concentration ensures a consistent quality and taste.

Second is of course the the chocolate making process. Sir Hans Sloane’s chocolate-making studio is situated near the old Brooklands racetrack in Surrey. Here they make their chocolates. They start with their own carefully controlled conching process. Conching is the process whereby the cocoa liqueur is kneaded and rolled over time to produce a silky liquid to which the Chocolatier (step forward Bill) adds Cocoa Butter and other flavourings to make what is called Couverture, the raw chocolate. To my knowledge, Sir Hans Sloane is the only chocolate company in England which produces its own Couverture.

Like a good winemaker creating a vintage, a chocolatier gently conchs his raw Cocoa liqueur. Bill McCarrick conchs his over three days, compared to some other Couvertures which are boiled to completion in only six hours. Bill’s slow conching allows him to cook the Couverture slowly, preserving the deep, subtle flavours of the chocolate.

Once the Couverture is made, bill creates the final chocolate, using the flavours and ingredients he has made his own. The final product is quality chocolate and pralines.

Seeing is believing
So what are the chocolates like?

Firstly they look good. Sir Hans Sloane pralines come packaged in white boxes with red trim, with matching red typography. The boxes are very well-made being high-quality paper over board, bound by a corded ribbon. The look is artisan, expensive and stylishly adult, without fussiness or overpackaging.

The individual pralines are finely made, with no chocolate spills or unevenness. A further nice touch is that they have the legend “Sir Hans Sloane” printed on the underside in edible white type. I would like to know how they do that.

Tasting is believing
So I arranged an informal chocolate tasting. I represented the men and three female friends gave a woman’s assessment. The pralines were the “Artists Pralines” set with each praline flavour named after a classical artist.

The first taste was that of the chocolate itslef, which was silky smooth. The dark chocolate had a rich flavour but without the bitter bite some chocolates have. The chocolates released their taste slowly into the mouth. The flavour was luxurious.

Then came the flavouring, distinctive and subtle. The coffee-flavoured “Caravaggio” had a full roasted arabica-bean taste, without any harshness. The almond-flavoured “Goya” was finesse itself, creamy and nutty. Only the vanilla-flavoured “Gauguin” felt a little over-flavoured.

The third pleasure was the texture, each reflecting the flavour. “Caravaggio” came out tops here, with a wonderful understated crunchiness, that tasted of coffee beans.

All of this combined to give the pralines a fine clean taste which left the flavours, not the chocolate, in the mouth. Rich in flavour but light in the mouth, they left us with a feeling of having our palettes cleansed.

Chocolate Gifts
If you want to give chocolates as a gift, then giving Sir Hans Sloane shows that you know chocolate and know what you are doing. One of my female friends pointed out that women would recognise the quality inherent in these chocolates and feel very special if given Sir Hans Sloane as a gift.

If you are looking for an even more exclusive, more personal gift, Sir Hans Sloane has a bespoke chocolate service. Bill McCarrick will use his expertise on your behalf to create a signature chocolate, for you alone. This would be a truly stylish gift to give.

Good stuff chocolate, its another weapon in your style armoury.

Sir Hans Sloane is here. www.sirhanssloane.com

 Now this really is style on a budget! 

This is a lively, zesty Cote Du Rhone Villages from Wine Discoveries.  Very smooth, but with a big flavour, lots of blackberry and raspberry flavours with a fruity, peppery aftertaste.  This is a wine with obvious strength but also a good degree of finesse. 

Great for dinner parties but even better if you want to hand out some drinking wine that will get noticed.   This wine will be a staple in my cellar and at £6.99 they are giving it away.