Guardians of Glenlivet Strike Again, This Time With A Most Unlikely Pairing .... COFFEE!

I get very excited whenever I see these green invitations.  The fact that the event is for the "GUARDIANS" of Glenlivet gives one a sense of purpose, much like a superhero, except our superpower, if it is one at all, is to swirl the precious amber nectar and be able to spout and detect all the different notes, from vanilla to fruit to spice... Sssh, I hope they (the organisers) don't get wind of this, but my palate is as insensitive as leather, and my scope of description is "oooh, nice, more 18 year old please".

I lifted this from the Glenlivet website, so as to sound a bit more knowledgeable.

This particular event sought  to pair very specialized coffee with the various Glenlivets,  which I thought was a very novel concept indeed.  Again, I have to camouflage my plebian-ness, and it's best NOT to mention at any point that my daily cuppa consists of a Nescafe Gold.  I can hear my artisanal brew friends fainting in horror, clutching their chests and gagging.  Nevertheless, there's nothing to stop one from experiencing new things in life, and well, when a glorious opportunity like this presents itself,  one just thanks one lucky stars.

Who knew, that tucked away in the Club Utama (hitherto only known for the Restaurant Extra Super Tanker).. in the Village, lies a haven for coffee afficianados, where a cuppa cost almost as much, if not more, than a pack of glenlivet.  Roast Factor Glee, the place is called, and I've heard rumours about how coffee is such an art form, (and I don't mean the pretty drawings baristas create from the foam of a cappucino), but I have never really witnessed the painstaking love involved in the brewing of certain brews.  Put it this way, the amount of time taken to make one cup,  I probably could finish baking an entire cake.

The traffic as always, was HORRENDOUS, and I hate being late especially for these events, but made it JUST in time to see Lionel Lau introducing himself and the event. .

The first blend, paired with Glenlivet 12 Year Old was the Guatemala, Los Cerritos
Altitude: 1200m/ Crop year 2013/ Varietal Catuai, Caturra and Bourbon.  Caramel butterscotch notes, pleasant round acidity with notes of milk chocolate and caramel leading into fresh black cherries, and finishing with notes of baked apple.

You could see the meticulous care with which the lady boss, Shyue Chin and her brother, Shyu Wen, lovingly prepared these exotic brews.

Paired with the 15 Year old Glenlivet, the Panama, Carmen Estate Washed, Altitude:
1650-2000m/ Crop Year 2013/ Varietal Catuai Caturra Typica.  Sweet plum, apple and some toffee in aroma, deep candied fruit-like sweetness, raisins, apricot, fat juicy body with medium acidity, long delicate finish.

This was my favourite combination, as I found the first one a bit too mild, and not particularly leaving any evocative impact on any part of the tongue.

This whole fancy set up comprises the V60 Hario Dripper and Buono Kettle which releases the hot water in a thin water stream.  You really need the patience of a saint, and a lot of elbow grease to produce a cup of coffee.

Finally, to pair with the 18 Year Old Glenlivet (this time round, the 18 Years finished very quickly!), Rwanda Inzovu Washed, Altitude: 1200-1800m/ Crop year 2013/ Varietal Bourbon Typica. Caramel, lime and soft floral in aroma, black tea-like, plum, lemon, thick body with tart green apple acid, candied grape-like sweetness, long finish.

Okay, the caffeine from the coffee, and the buzz from the booze, now that's a good combination alright!!!

Looking forward to the next chapter of the Guardians.