Whisked Away – Chivas Whisky Tasting Session at 10 Feet Tall – Cardiff

Yesterday was a first for me. Rather intrigued by the prospect, I had booked myself on a whisky tasting session at Cardiff’s 10 Feet Tall. Now it should be known that I am not an avid drinker of Whisky, sticking more to Port, Brandy – drinks that I had thought a little easier on the palette. But the thought of trying a few different types of this tipple and learning a little in the process, seemed like a reassuring step into another world of taste.

10 Feet Tall, was as usual, full of very friendly staff, I was quickly led to the second floor, where things kicked off to a tasty start – A sweet and citrusy ‘Blood And Sand’ Daiquiri, accompanied by a canapé of black pudding and a juicy Duck bonbon. Some real thought had gone into the pairing, which perfectly accentuated the Chivas Regal Whisky in the cocktail – sampling 10 Feet Tall’s expertly made cocktails is a must! Following the more-ish nibbles, we were led to the tasting room, in the top floor of the venue. The whole room was laid out in a way that really set the scene … we were given tasting sheets, plenty of mixing tools and of course plenty of whisky.

Black pudding and a sweet duck bon bon to complement the Blood And Sand daiquiri.

The session was led by Phil Huckle – Brand ambassador for Chivas Regal and John-Paul Podvoiskis – brand ambassador for Pernod Ricard – a globally successful producer of premium spirits, of which Chivas is a part. Both were very enthusiastic hosts and clearly very passionate about the brand. Phil gave a brief but enlightening talk on the blends of Scotch Whisky we would experience – Speyside, Islay, the Highlands and Lowlands and also the Grain Whisky or ‘Mortar’ which would prevent the grains overpowering each other. With a few helpful pointers we were left to our own devices to mix a blend to take away with us at the end of the night – very generous! The room bustled with excitement and curiosity.

Single malts and grains are mixed and tasted, with water to aid the tasting.

The whole evening was a lot of fun and things were made even more interesting with a little bit of competition (best blend name and best tasting blend). I have to say (even with prior warning from Phil), I mized a little on the smoky side adding quite a bit of the peaty Islay blend – maybe romancing too much about the smell of wood fires. Another on my table went a little more subtly down this route, naming her blend ‘Dragon’s Cough’ – swiftly swiping the best name prize of Strathisla 12 (single malt Speyside). I have to say that the winner for me was ‘The Point Of No Return’, which was a lovely sweet mix, with more of the delicate notes of the Lowland blend, it contained a high proportion of the grain whisky, which gave it a beautiful brandy like tone – reminiscent of Christmas time.

Phil had earlier given a nod to the fact that blended whiskies are sometimes associated with being the poorer cousin of the single malt. The evening definitely served to highlight that blended whiskies can indeed be a flavour sensation and offer as much if not more than single malts. I’ve never really paired whisky with food, but the canapés and the array of different colours and flavours has definitely inspired me to use them more both in and to accompany my cooking. A great evening was finished with a rich and warming sip of the some of the more aged whiskies. Definitely give Chivas 18 or 25 a try! The event was clearly enjoyed by all who attended and there was a definite buzz about the place that night. The momentum was maintained throughout and there was plenty to entertain and no shortage of tastes to tingle the tongue. I would definitely recommend booking a place on one of 10 Feet Tall’s tasting events!

A finished personal blend from one of the attendees. A loving leaving memento.

The First Mouthful

The first of many more morsels… A few years ago, I started a food blog, whilst living in Cardiff. I found myself immersed in a bustling city full of tasty experiences and decided to share a little of my experiences, from visits to local eateries to my own cookery creations. Having returned to Cardiff, a little more worldly, following a fantastic cultural interlude in the beautiful Wye Valley, it seemed an opportunity missed not to see how things have developed and take a look at some of the places I’d yet to visit and to once again envelop myself in what my local surroundings have to offer. So here we have the relaunch of my musings.

Recent Encounters –

Bunkhouse:

Bunkhouse is situated on St Mary Street, Cardiff and conveniently very near Cardiff Central Station. An interesting find, as the name suggests, as well as a cosy meeting place its is a reasonably priced bunkhouse/hostel. Bunkhouse offers an eclectic and very welcoming experience. It is full of comfortable sofas and day beds and more quirky fairy lights and parasols that brightly dress the interior, making it a great, bustling place to meet friends.

It has a European ‘café-culture’ feel about it, the people inside were deep in conversation, and there was an over-all very relaxed feel about the place. I was (in all honesty) there to try the Beer among other things, having read a recommendation – I’m always on the hunt for an alternative to the pub to sample local or indeed more exotic brews.

Greeted with a friendly smile from behind the bar, having asked a few questions about what was on offer, I was swiftly offered a few samples of beer, to aid me in my choice. A good call really as one was a little to dark a beer for my liking. In the end I settled on a beer called ‘Delirium Tremens’, a heady blond Belgian fermented  beer (8.5%)- attentively served in the appropriate glass. I also couldn’t resist trying some of the fruitier ‘Floris’ beers on offer  (also made by the ‘Delirium’ Brewery, Belgium) – ‘Fraise’ and ‘Passion’ both amber beers (3.6%). Having recently been introduced to Baccus Cherry Beer (a West Flanders Kriek beer), I was intrigued to see how these other Belgian beers would compare. ‘Fraise’ had a very strong Strawberry taste – perhaps a little on the perfumed side for me, but ‘Passion’ was refreshing, aromatic and light. They were good appetisers, perfect for a summer’s day and well suited to their light and colourful setting. Great to see too that Bunkhouse also stocks ‘Celt‘ beers, made by a Caerphilly based Welsh craft brewery.

I would definitely recommend Bunkhouse,  as a relaxing alternative to some of Cardiff’s heaving bars.

10 Feet Tall

I have to say that in all the time I’ve lived in Wales and indeed in Cardiff, I had never ventured into 10 Feet Tall (Church Street Cardiff). More of a frequenter of cafés and coffee shops, I perhaps, rather to quickly concluded that it was just another bar. However, on a recent trip to Cardiff, whilst passing the market, I made my first visit.

On entering, I soon found a lovely, comfy seat by the window and made my way to the bar to take a peek. There were plenty of places to sit (or stand), as the place is rather generously spread over three floors. My beer choice was gladly helped along by a fresh (and complimentary) bowl of hot, sweet popcorn.

The bar man was knowledgeable on the choice of beers available and having given a few mysterious clues as to what types of tipple I enjoyed, he was able to decipher this and suggested some of ‘Celt’s‘ locally brewed beers. Some of those I tried were – ‘Lammas Harvest’  (a Berliner Weiss style Beer) and ‘Goddess Of The Spring’ (a Farmhouse Saison). ‘Lammas Harvest’ promised Gooseberry and Thyme and boy did it deliver. Full of punch and tang, this tart beer was crisp, refreshing and sharp with the subtle hint of herb tying the bouquet together – not to be missed this one, and would go great with fish. ‘Goddess Of the Spring’ was a little more subdued in the Strawberry sense, but was again a pleasantly fresh beer.

On a second visit to the venue, I sampled some of the food on offer. Choosing a sharing platter (as with friends), there was a good choice of food, from standard style nibbles (very moreish onion rings) to something a little different (Steamed Coconut Bao Buns). All great comforting food, made by passionate staff.

I would very much recommend 10 Feet Tall, a great place to meet and immerse yourself.

10 Feet Tall, also offers a variety of music/club nights and other creative activities, including life drawing , run by ‘Cardiff Life Models’ and has a tempting daily 2-4-1 cocktail offer.