An AWESOME Experience at The Singleton SA Launch

I had the pleasure of being a guest to the Taste Above All event held in Johannesburg last night (April 22). The event proved to be an edible art exhibition and was held at the Arts On Main. 

The event, which showcased The Singleton variants of The Singleton Dufftown 12 YO and The Singleton Tailfire Single Malt in South Africa, featured “edible design” from renowned chef & experience designer, Caro De Waal, who created a unique Taste Tour for guests in this, her first installation in the city.

Recognised as the world’s Best Tasting Single Malt Whisky, challenging the pre-conceived notions around Single Malts underpins The Singleton’s core philosophy, and the unique launch event was designed to give a new sense of appreciation to the spirit.

Along with the installations, guests also experienced Caro’s creative cuisine and took in The Singleton-inspired artwork by photographer Lebo Lukewarm, ending with a guest appearance by Tumi (from Tumi & The Volume) who performed the new single off his debut solo album.

Caro De Waal has become internationally renowned for developing bespoke, sensory experiences combining two simple, yet integral areas of life – eat and design - and her installations artfully deconstructed the key flavour profiles in The Singleton Dufftown 12 Year Old and The Singleton Tailfire variations by engaging all the senses.

Guests also took in the art of photographer Lebo Lukewarm, who analyzed the character of the malts via his own artistic interpretation on giant screens, followed by an innovative dinner incorporating The Singleton, further engaging guests’ sense of taste with the Single Malts’ bold, unexpected flavour notes.

VERDICT: 

The night was not without flaws, (you know I have to there) guests were annoyed by the long wait at the bar for drinks. The event only served drinks made with the brand, which unfortunately wonderful as the drinks were to taste — took a while to make and that meant long wait at the bar. 

I did appreciate the fact that the event was not overrun by celebrities, which sometimes can overshadow the purpose of events these days. The night was about The Singleton, rightly so.

Sans the frustration with getting drinks, I had an awesome time. The icing on the cake was guests being offered a chauffeurs to drive their cars home at the end of the evening if they had a bit too much to drink. Luckily I had a chaperon who doesnt drink so I didn't have to take advantage of the added service provided by the organisers.