Where are the mampoer master classes?

An invitation from Aficionados to a blending master class to be presented by Ian Chang, master blender at the Kavalan whisky distillery in Taiwan, the week after next. It brings back the days of high apartheid when Taiwan was our only friend and SA academics and other tourists used to flock to Taipei for squid on a stick.

kavalan

Against all odds, Taiwan turns out to be Ground Zero for spirits. Last year the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles ‘Spirits Selection’ was held in Taiwan and this year it will be held in Brazil – in Florianopolis, playground of the rich and famous. Blind tasting starts this afternoon.

The trip to Brazil was hastened by the Taiwan tournament which awarded, “for the first time ever, a double gold medal to a Cachaça which surpassed other spirits from all over the world. All of this was the product of the Cachaça producers’ quest for high quality in their distilled spirits, which had already been achieving awards, thereby consolidating Cachaça as a distinctive product with unique characteristics and a very high potential to compete with other distilled beverages.”

Do South African producers of Witblits and Mampoer enter such tournaments? A mampoer master class sounds like a marvellous idea.