John Kepplers (Premium Irish Cider)

Ok. On a recent trip to Dublin, I tried an Irish Cider.

 

 

Taste Test Time    

                  

        I have tasted lots of cider, and I think its a excellent summer drink. So when I seen a new (new to me) brand I wanted to give it a try. I bought a few of the 500ml cans-which were cheap. From the pictures you can see below its a black can with a large red apple in the middle. The Cider is from C&R Drink Link ltd. which was set up in 2004. Kepplers is made in Midleton Co. Cork an area that's more well known for its whiskey.

 

                                                                   

Kepplers Irish Cider

When trying a cider its a good idea to drink it from a chilled glass. On first pour this cider had a lot happening, its was bubbly, and its head fizzed off quick. The colour was bright orange & looked inviting.

Now, for the all important taste. It was sweet and you could almost feel the bubbles on your nose as you sipped it back. Its was a good Apple flavour, simple and not over powering.

For me the taste was very like Bulmer's Cider, with the added bonus of being cheaper. This is a winner. Kepplers also boasts a nice 6%ABV, I will definitely have a John Kepplers again.

In general, World Cider drinking is growing. I found the following paragraph from "thegrocer.co.uk" website...
  Half the world’s 20 million hl worth of cider sales are in the UK and Ireland. Heineken is the world’s biggest cider producer, with a 19.5% share of global sales, C&C is second with 12.7% and third is African company Distell (30% of which is owned by SAB Miller) with 12.1%.

So with this in mind go try Kepplers or another Cider & join the revolution!

Kepplers Irish Cider

Some cookie please....

Hi,

How things going? I know I know I know..... It's been a while we didn't update the blog...

We've been travelling everywhere and sometime internet isn't that handy... :(

We were in Ireland for a month , then back to Malaysia , then a wedding in Jakarta, then China for about 3 weeks which is the worst for internet, blogging n facebook stuff, we all know abt that...

Am now back to Malaysia, feeling lost n don't know what to do. thinking of working with others and thinking of opening up my own shop too..

Am I thinking too much and blah blah blah.......too much to tell u guys.

Why not sit down with me and have some tea n cookie!  :) That makes me more happy.. :P


Simple Butter Cookie 
200g Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
1       Egg
400g Plain Flour, sifted
1tsp  Vanilla Extract (or any flavour u like)


Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and flavouring mix until well cooperated.
3. Fold in the flour.
4. Shape it into a disk and wrap in cling wrap. Put into the fridge for at least 30 mins.
5. Preheat the oven to 200c.
6. Roll it out to about 4mm thickness and cut it out with cookie cutter.
7. Bake it in the oven for 8-10mins or till cooked.

I bought some cookie cutter when I was in China. That's why I can't wait to try them out.. Hahaha...
There u go !!

The Angry Bird Cookie Cutter!

Cut n Cut n Cut

Fresh from the oven. :)

Opss.. They are Angrying !! When I forgot to take them out from the oven

Any packaging idea?
Logo designing is still in progress.

NOW..... Where is my tea ??


Love,

Chilie

Bear Beer (Danish Beer)

 

 

Hi all, its been awhile but here is a Beer I found in a supermarket in Malaysia. Lets get straight into it!

 

 

 

  TASTE TEST TIME

 

 

Recently I was in an International supermarket in Kuala Lumpur & I found an interesting beer name- So I said heck ill give it a go.

 

The Beers name is " Bear Beer ", & it comes from the Harboe Brewery in Denmark.  I bought a 33cl can. It was a smart simple can, Black in colour with a great white Bear in the middle.

 

To be honest I have been wanting to try a strong beer for a while & '' Bear Beer " had a nice 7.7% ABV to start me off. ( I know there are hundreds of more stronger beers,but I wanted to start a bit low).

 

The actual day I had this beer was one of the worst flooding in Selangor so I just grabbed it from the sinking fridge, there was no time to find a glass to take a picture! Sorry

 

The first taste seemed over powering & very Malty. Its had a very malty smell too. This did not stop me from finishing it. The strong taste lasted till the end of the can & altho its probably too malty for my likening this is well worth a try. Think Friday 6pm after a really long week at work to get you started quickly.

 

 

Go Try it & update me what you think.

 

Talk Soon

 

 

 

Bear Beer 7.7%ABV

                                        

18yr Chivas Regal (Scotland Whisky)

Hello folks, I hope the drinking is going well. Today I'm on the scotch whisky. Lets see how it goes.

Taste Test Time

Chivas Regal is one of the most recognisable brands in the whole world. Many years ago when I started drinking I found the name a bit funny to pronounce....Chives I would call it! trying to sound man like.
Anyway despite my stupidity Chivas has grown from strength to strength, because its so freely available & recognisable I think its lost a bit of its posh status.

Lets start with the bottle. Its in a clear glass bottle engraved with the year the original Chivas grocery store opened (1801). The label is rather grand, its a gold colour that mixes the name & age of the blend in blue (Pictured Below)

18yr CHIVAS REGAL

When I poured it into my glass it was a a sharp gold colour, its looks was appealing, rusty & bright.

Next was the all important taste. Recently I had been drinking single malt aged whisky so this was kind of a personal difference test.

At first you can taste the spiciness in the mouth. Its not a smooth taste. However after a few glasses the spiciness got a little less...but it remained. I can see why its popular. Its a whisky that lets your throat know "I'm here" so its a good drop. Its has a 40 % ABV so its a normal intake.

Overall this is a drop I would recommend. And it has been requested by Frank Sinatra on many of his backstage tours, So who am I to argue

18YR CHIVAS IN THE GLASS

18YR CHIVAS REGAL

If you would like to know more about "Chivas" simply click and go to the website. If you have tried it let me know what you think.

Talk to ya soon.

Tumans Monastrell ( Spanish Wine)

Im back on the Vino, and here is my review of this Spanish Drop.


Taste Test Time

A few nights ago I was invited out to dinner in Kuala Lumpur & I got to taste some Spanish red wine. The wine was from the "Salvador Poveda Winery" in Monovar, Alicante in Spain. It was a wine made from a grape Ive never heard of before "Monastrell".

The wine was from the Tuman range in 2006.

Tumans Monastrell

This is a great wine with a superb light fruity finish. This one of the smoothest wines I've tried. The taste also gives a great blend of berries in the mouth. A top choice. Its smells fruity as well & as you can see from the picture its a deep red in colour.

If your looking for a real easy to drink, smooth wine this is perfect. Go try it and comment a yay or nay.....

Pearl River Beer Chinese Beer (Guangzhou)

Hi, I hope the drinking is going well, here is another Beer I tried.....


Taste Test Time


I have travelled alot, and wherever I go I like to sample the local beer, I was on a trip to Guangzhou so I tried a bottle of Pearl River. The brewery is officially called "Guangzhou Zhu Jiang Beer Group" & according to its website its pronounced - JOO JUNG BEER.

Well for me this beer was not a good taste, it was light in colour & light in taste, with no head. Think of drinking very light golden water, or dear I say it Budweiser!

Pearl River (Zhujiang Beer) Guangzhou

You can see from the picture how light it is. China Is a great Country with lots of different alcohol choices but I'm afraid the Pear River Beer is not its best. It has a 5.3% ABV so it strong enough but where is the taste?

Go Try it & comment for a Yay or Nay....

CANTON TOWER

Here is a quick picture of Canton Tower or also known as Guangzhou Tower I took.  The Tallest structure in China. Ill be back with more of my drinking adventures from China.

Brian

My Ladybird

I haven't been cooking or baking for a while as I was moving back to Malaysia from Melbourne . It's really tiring for moving between two different countries. I supposed this is not too much a big deal nowadays, because it is so convenient with all the shipping service you can found on the market as well as the flexibilities you have for buying the luggage size. Sometimes you just don't realised how many things you have. :P Opss.. Sorry.. just a bit too much of shopping that's all. Haha...

Alright.. Enough for packing and moving now. Back to my kitchen, Chilie's Kitchen. :)
I made a Ladybird Cake for my cousin's Birthday.
Here is some photos I took.

This is a Mocha Almond Cake that was baked in a bowl to create the dome shape. 

It's cut in half and filled with Chocolate Ganache and sprinkles a handful of Almond nibs

Chocolate Butter cream for crumb coating

Flower

The Head

and

Ta . Da !!!

I'm actually not too happy about it. It was so hot and humid in Malaysia. After I crumbcoating the cake with buttercream, I put them back in the fridge for setting. I pull them out later to apply for the red fondant but it is just so difficult to handle because the buttercream is melting. I have to rush it back in the fridge to keep the shape. At the end as you can see, it sweat all over until the decoration on top sliding down. I have find other way to solve the problems.Maybe coat it with marzipan? or maybe some other more stable vegetable fat and butter blend? Any suggestion please let me know... Thanks...

Cheers. 

Chilie.

     

Trafalgar Pale Ale Australia Bitter

Well Today, I'm writing about a Bitter in Sydney...........

Taste Test Time

On a visit to Sydney for any traveller the No. 1 place to go is the the iconic Opera House, But undoubtedly if you are a lover of Beer & history then a trip to " The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel " is a must do.  This is Sydney's oldest Pub and opened way back in 1841.  They serve homemade beers in the bar in what can only be described as a colonial atmosphere both inside & outside ( Pictured Below).

Lord Nelson Hotel

Lord Nelson Signage

The Bar

This Hotel is situated in "The Rocks" area at the corner of Kent & Argyle Streets. You can also see above a picture of the bar & taps. Its decor has a great old world feel, it makes the hotel a truly classic pub. Its micro brewery has a 6 excellent choice in beers. I just tasted the one so ill concentrate on that, Don't worry it gives me an excuse to return!

I had the Trafalgar Pale Ale. It was a fine Brew. The colour is a deep golden colour. The flavor is a mixture of fruitiness & malt. There is no need to savour this first sip, it stays with you all the way to the last drop. In simple words its a winner. It has a a 4.2% ABV so it makes this a nice smooth bitter.

Take a long look at this full pint (Picture Below) it did not stay in the glass very long.

Excellent Pub with excellent beer go & enjoy.

Trafalgar Pale Ale Pint

Drip Mat

Tooheys New Australia Beer

Hello All, I'm on the Beer again this time I'm in Australia.

Taste Test Time

Tooheys New

On a trip to Sydney while I was living in Australia, I tried " Tooheys New " beer. The Tooheys Brand is huge in Australia. Tooheys comes under the "Lion" company which runs brewery's all across Australia & New Zealand which in turn is owned by the "Kirin Brewery Company''. It doesn't stop there "Kirin Brewery Company" is owned by Mitsubishi.....ok lets just get back to the Beer!

Tooheys New is available on Tap, in bottles & cans, on this occasion I sampled a bottle (pictured), or a stubby as the Australians like to call it. Its a typical gold colour larger,and as you can see when its poured initially has a white head. But this head slowly fades away. It has a typical larger smell and despite what some Aussies say, in my opinion this is a drinkable brew.

It has more plus factors than minus factors. Its widely available, its past history as sponsor of the wallabies plus the Melbourne Cup make you feel Aussie drinking it. Tooheys also do good Beer TV ads. Oh and yes its Cheap.

Tooheys New has a 4.6% ABV and this mass produced beer gets a little thumps up from me. We all know there are much better beers available in Australia but Tooheys New is definitely not the worst.

Have a try & tell me what you think.

Mount Cass Pinot Noir New Zealand Wine

Hi All, another day another beverage...this time I've brought wine.

Taste Test Time

Mount Cass NZ Pinot Noir

This is a New Zealand Pinot Noir which I tasted while living in New Zealand. The winery is "Mount Cass" in the Waipara Valley on the South Island. This winery has a number of wines on offer, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & Pinot Noir (pictured in glass) plus Riesling (pictured in bottle). I saved megapixels by snapping both in one shot!

My tasting was the Pinot Noir, Which of course was FREE at the Vineyard. You can slightly see from the picture that it is a light red in colour. The aroma & taste was fruity which made it lack in taste for me, a bit too dry. Its has a 13% ABV so if you like a dry pinot this is for you.

Overall the experience at the "Mount Cass Winery" was brilliant and I would recommend you visit. They also have won awards at the Air New Zealand wine awards.

PUB IN WAIPARA

Also for all my Beer friends, If you are in the Waipara region why not go to a great New Zealand Pub. Its called the " Waipara Hotel" and it serves beer on Tap , the staff are super plus  it has accommodation. Its also featured in the New Zealand movie  "Netherwood".

The Waipara Hotel

Check out the "Netherwood" Movie website.

 

HB Dunkel German Beer

Hi all. Well Chilie & I have been moving continents, yes from Australia to Asia, and it wont stop there! We are also planning a trip to Europe. So the Blog has taken a back seat. However this has not stopped my drinking!

                                   Taste Test Time

Dunkel Beer

This is a picture of my Beer at a German Bar in Melbourne. Its a bar called "Hofbrauhaus" which is located in Market Lane in the city centre. As I'm not a fan of wheat beer & I didn't want to be too boring & go for the HB Orginal, I instead went for the HB Dunkel (Pictured).

The best thing about visiting a German theme bar is the large glasses that the beer can be consumed in, or "Steins" as the Germans like to call them.

My Stein of HB Dunkel was served with a large white froth head, which is again typical German. German Beer glasses always have enough head space above the measured amount of beer, So you get exactly the proper amount of beer you pay for!

The white froth head looks well with the Dark Red beer below. The taste of the HB Dunkel is a strong Malt taste (Strong in a good way). There is also a hint of caramel which makes a great finish.

This a great German beer with a continuous Malt taste, plus with a 5.5% ABV it gets a big thumbs up from me. Go Try it & tell me what you think.

Meet Me...

Hi Im from Ireland & I have a passion for Beer. I am now well over my hangover from Last week and ready to begin my life of Beer blogging...Yay.

I will also be brewing my own beer so learning myself how to Craft Beer.

I hope you enjoy.

Brian

Hey, What's the story?

It's been a while that we keep saying we want to create a blog, but just saying n saying ......
and now finally put it into an action when Brian is lying deadly from a big night out beside me and heavy pouring rain outside.

I love food especially desserts. Brian loves beer and mostly every alcoholic beverage you can mention. So, we are going to put the things we loved together in this blog.

Sit tight & Enjoy!  :)