LEARNING FROM THE BEST
One of the world’s best bars gets its own expression of bourbon.
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As if having its own rickhouse wasn’t enough, Manhattan at Regent Hotel Singapore worked with the Beam Suntory-owned Maker’s Mark for a custom-finished Manhattan Maker’s Mark Private Select Bourbon.
Clients get the chance to finish a barrel of cask-strength Maker’s Mark 46 with 10 wooden staves chosen from five different flavour profiles of staves – from caramel and brown sugar to smoke and spice – that could result in 1,001 possible flavour combinations. The bourbon is then aged in a limestone warehouse to minimise “the angel’s share”, which refers to the part of the spirit that evaporates as it ages in the cask.
Manhattan’s Private Select creation involved gathering every member of the bar and floor team for a tasting session to determine the 10 wood-finishing staves for its Private Select that was aged for six months.
The result? A richer, sweetleaning bourbon with plenty of ripe orchard fruits, sweet spices, pipe tobacco, and a persistent chocolate finish.
Bottled at 54.55 per cent alcohol by volume, it is a flavour bomb neat and stands well in a spirit-forward cocktail.
“Since its inception in 2014, Manhattan has been the paragon of craft bartending with our cocktails. Maker’s Mark is an ideal partner because it is an iconic American bourbon whiskey that is synonymous with quality and celebrated for its flavour,” shares bar manager David Nguyen-Luu. There are only 240 bottles of this Private Select. Of these, a limited number is available for purchase at Dolcetto by Basilico.