Beijing Boyce

Question: What’s five parts Islay single malt, three parts each Highland single malt and grain Whisky, and one part each Speyside and Islay single malts?

Answer: The Boyce Blend’r

That’s the name of the brew I created at The Dewar’s Academy of Whisky last night. Throwing on a lab coat and heading into the blending room is part of the master class that BRAWL – the Bourbon, Rye and Whisk(e)y League – participated in at Jianwai Soho.

Things kicked off with welcome drinks (Dewar’s 12-year-old) and a bagpiper. Memories of spitballs, cheating over a neighbor’s shoulder, and the politics of who sits where ensued as we entered class. The big difference: Whisky was never allowed in the classrooms of my youth (things might have been more liberal in the teacher’s lounge).

Class started with a video, projected on three wide screens – one in front, and one on each side. A helicopter shot took us across Scotland to the home of Dewar’s where, inside and warmed by a fireplace, our virtual host talked about the history of the country (it is birthplace of TV, Dolly the Sheep, and Halloween) and company (in the 19th century, an owner toured 26 countries and, as he sailed along the route, threw bottles overboard with a note promising that those returning them would be rewarded with Whisky).

As our virtual host exited through a door on screen, our live host – Jordan Campbell – emerged from a door cut into the backdrop. Over the next hour, we learned of different kinds of Whisky and how they are made and stored.

The highlight: the blending room where we created our own mix using grain Whisky and four single malts. Each participant received a Dewar’s flask so we could take our blends home.

We also did a blind tasting of Dewar’s, Chivas and Johnnie Walker. I found this part a bit leading – one did not have to be class genius to know number three was Dewar’s. It garnered eight votes, compared to two each for Johnnie Walker and Chivas (I picked the last). My advice to future tasters – go back and try each Whisky a second time before you vote.

Afterward, we relaxed in the lounge and enjoyed six tapas from Mare, picked by Billy Kawaja, the chef behind the Cafe St Laurent brunch. Most were a decent match for the Dewar’s, including grilled pork medallions with blue cheese, gratinated goat cheese bruschetta with anchovies, and deep-fried salty cod with green pepper.

A few notes:
- The temporary Dewar’s “castle” is well-designed, with two long bars, and a lounge,  a classroom and a blending room. This place had a bit of a Rui Fu feel, though rougher.
- The organizers are hesitant to open the 30-year-old Dewar’s Signature. If you put the stuff on display, you can hardly be surprised that people want to sample it after trying the 12-year-old. With 89 more classes to go, I’m sure there’ll be a few more requests to crack those bottles.
- The video is excellent, but can be dizzying at times.
- Overall, the event was well-organized, educational and fun. Given everything is free – our only cost was the tapas – it would be hard to find better value. I would recommend the master class to anyone interested in Whisky, a good time, or both.

Note: I hope to post some photos tomorrow.