Spirit Ahead is a collection documenting the newest releases on the planet of drinks. On this version, we take a look at the newest choices from Royal Salute.
Samba, bossa nova, the Ipanema seaside, the Christ the Redeemer statue—these are the issues that Rio de Janeiro is thought for. Little did we all know that the Brazilian metropolis can be recognized for its vibrant polo scene. Royal Salute did know this, and that was the rationale why they landed on this metropolis for his or her seventh cease of the Royal Salute 21 12 months Previous Rio de Janeiro Polo Version launch.
Housed in a vibrant inexperienced bottle, the whisky this yr is as soon as once more crafted by Grasp Blender Sandy Hyslop. With the assistance of Royal Salute World Polo Ambassador Malcolm Borwick—knowledgeable polo participant who has had precise play time in Rio de Janeiro—to color an image of the flavours that might encapsulate the town, Hyslop was in a position to mix a whisky match for the royals, but has nuances that seize the graceful bossa nova vibes that Rio de Janeiro is thought for.
So, what does Rio de Janeiro style like? Wealthy, fruity, and creamy. “Coming alive with the creamy sweetness of vanilla and coconut, the fruity notes on this blended malt whisky are like an intricate dance, very like the Bossa Nova carried out on a heat Brazilian night. To make a mix as particular as its inspiration, we included Braeval whisky matured in first-fill casks. This has not solely allowed us to offer it a brand new dimension, nevertheless it additionally resulted in a style expertise as fascinating and multi-layered as Rio itself, a real illustration of the town’s irresistible attraction.”
The blended whisky was aged in American Oak casks, bringing forth candy and creamy vanilla and coconut notes. On the nostril, you’ll get aromas of charred pineapple, poached pears, toasted oak and candy floral undertones. Upon sipping, most will get nuances of honeydew, inexperienced apples, coconut, white chocolate, and salted caramel with a spicy end. The proper mix that captures the spirit of Rio de Janeiro.
The Spirit of Polo in Ipoh
Along side the launch, Royal Salute introduced us to Ipoh to expertise firsthand the sport of polo, in addition to style the brand new whisky at The Banjaran Scorching Springs Retreat. We took off from Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara within the new BMW i5 and zoomed in direction of our first vacation spot: BP Polo Membership. There, we had been obtained by Dato’ Beh Chun Chuan and Borwick himself, and the latter took it upon himself to impart some polo taking part in data to us, even insisting that we strive it out for ourselves. Borwick was, the truth is, in the course of his polo season and took the time to fly to Malaysia for this particular launch.
Borwick himself comes from a protracted line of polo gamers—his paternal grandmother performed within the first ever Girls Worldwide Polo match in 1924, whereas his great-grandfather and granduncles made up the England crew. He had been taking part in polo professionally for some time and have become Royal Salute’s exterior marketing consultant, earlier than they approached him to develop into a model ambassador. “It’s such an honour to symbolize a model that has a lot wealthy cultural British heritage,” he advised us in an interview at The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat. It was the morning after the launch, and he was wanting miraculously recent. “I made certain to drink a number of water after the occasion and had a pleasant, lengthy soak within the scorching spring tub,” he winked at us.
As somebody with years of expertise taking part in polo professionally all over the world, we needed to ask him: how was Brazil completely different than different locations? “Brazil is legendary for its hospitality, friendship, and the exuberance they’ve for all times. The post-match leisure, or the post-match rituals in Brazil, is excellent enjoyable. ?They prefer to have a very good occasion and so they go fairly late,” he mentioned. As for why Royal Salute ended up with Rio de Janeiro for its seventh polo version, Borwick shared that the model requested him for a few of the iconic locations he had performed throughout his profession and Brazil caught out notably for him.
“For me, it simply stays in my reminiscence—the friendship, kindness, and the enjoyable that the folks have each taking part in on the sphere and off the sphere,” he reminisced. There’s an annual occasion simply outdoors Sao Paulo, he mentioned, in a ravishing nation membership named Fasano Boa Vista. “Each time we play, it’s a sundown polo occasion with about 2,000 folks watching the sport. The proprietor of the resort is a big fan of polo, and we all the time have a enjoyable match as a result of the extent of newbie gamers in Brazil is as excessive because the skilled gamers, so it’s very aggressive,” he mentioned. “However the friendship and camaraderie you have got after the sport is exclusive.”
For the Royal Salute Rio de Janeiro Polo Version, Borwick shared with Hyslop that he wished each the whisky and the packaging to be vibrant, floral, vibrant, and energetic—all of the issues that he felt encapsulated Rio de Janeiro. “(Sandy Hyslop) is a real genius; we acquired collectively and got here up with some phrases and expressions, in addition to emotions in regards to the place, after which he blends the whisky to replicate that,” mentioned Borwick.
A Particular Whisky Pairing Dinner
To rejoice the event, we acquired to strive a particular whisky pairing dinner at Jeff’s Cellar. Crafted by Chef Boon Lee and his crew, the six-course menu is paired with a collection of Royal Salute whiskies, together with the brand new Rio de Janeiro Polo Version. Surrounded by centuries-old limestone in a cave, this dinner is really one for the books—and you can also expertise it for your self. Accessible to the general public from 23 July until 30 September 2025, the menu is priced at RM990 nett per individual and contains three beautiful Royal Salute whisky pairings.
This text was first seen on GRAZIA MY.
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