Truly Singaporean Makan and Minum Masterclass:
Tri-epitome of French Brandies
Tri-epitome of French Brandies – A Culinary Pairing Journey with Patrick Sng
Join us for a rare tasting event that brings together the “Tri-Epitome” of superb French brandy craftsmanship — Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados—paired with a unique, Truly Singaporean fusion menu. Led by Patrick Sng, an industry expert with nearly two decades of experience and a rich portfolio of certifications, this pairing journey will deepen your appreciation for French brandy and its diverse terroirs. As a Musketeer of Armagnac and an accomplished educator, Patrick is exceptionally qualified to guide us through the nuances of each region’s brandy styles, offering insights into what makes each spirit unique.
The event will highlight Cognac's smooth elegance, Armagnac's rustic complexity, and Calvados's fresh apple intensity, each harmoniously matched with local fusion dishes crafted to elevate these world-class spirits. Discover the richness and diversity of French brandies while indulging in the flavours of Singapore, making this a truly cross-cultural culinary experience.
Event Details
📍New Ubin Seafood MYMCA, 60 Stevens Road Singapore 257854, Thursday, 21st November 2024, 7:00PM
📍New Ubin Seafood CHIJMES, 30 Victoria St, #02-01B/C 187996, Saturday, 30th November 2024, 7:00PM
💵 Price : $90++ Early Bird ($120++ U.P)
🕊️ Early Bird rates available till 17th of November 2024
✴️ 20% OFF Ticket Price if you pay via Grab Dine-out
➡️Minimum 2 pax to book.
Hurry! Limited seats available!
Table Of Contents
Meet Your Host: Patrick Sng
Mr Patrick Sng. Image credit: https://www.spiritedsingapore.com/
Patrick Sng, the founder of One Minor Group(which operates www.onecellar.com), is a respected figure in the alcohol industry, having accumulated more than two decades of experience. With an impressive list of certifications and accolades—including being a Certified Specialist of Wine, Whisky Ambassador, and Musketeer of Armagnac—Patrick brings unparalleled expertise and passion to the table. His love for alcoholic beverages is evident in his roles as an educator, speaker, and judge across a wide array of drink categories.
France's Famous Brandy Regions
France’s brandy-producing regions—Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados—are celebrated worldwide for their unique terroirs and strict production standards, each yielding distinctive spirits with regional character and historical prestige.
France’s Brandy producing regions (image credit: WSET)
Armagnac, produced in Gascony in southwest France, is one of the oldest distilled spirits in the world and is divided into three sub-regions: Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac. Bas-Armagnac is particularly renowned for its sandy, siliceous soils, which create complex, fruity Armagnacs with aging potential, while Haut-Armagnac, though lesser-known, produces rarer, delicate spirits. Armagnac is distilled once in column stills, which results in a full-bodied, rustic spirit with layers of dried fruit, spice, and earthy notes. Strict regulations govern aging and bottling to preserve its authenticity, and most Armagnacs are aged in local black oak barrels, which lend additional complexity over time.
Armagnac’s Terroir
In contrast, Cognac is crafted in the Charente region and must adhere to rigorous regulations to carry the Cognac designation. The Fins Bois cru is one of six growing areas, known for its chalky soils that bring finesse and fruity elegance to Cognac. Cognacs from Fins Bois are often characterised by roundness and floral notes, with a fruity vibrance that matures more quickly than those from regions like Grande Champagne. Cognac production is strictly monitored under AOC guidelines, with double distillation in copper pot stills and mandatory aging in French oak barrels, producing a refined, smooth spirit prized for its versatility and elegance.
Cognac Crus (image credit: Wine Folly)
Lastly, Calvados from Normandy, specifically the Pays d’Auge AOC, is celebrated for its apple (and sometimes pear) brandy. The terroir of Pays d’Auge, with clay-limestone soils, is ideal for growing the specific apple varieties essential for Calvados. A hallmark of Normandy, Pays d’Auge Calvados undergoes double distillation in copper pot stills and is then aged in oak casks, creating a complex, fruit-forward spirit with notes of baked apple, spice, and vanilla. Calvados enjoys AOC protection, which enforces traditional farming and production practices, preserving the spirit’s purity and regional heritage. Together, these brandy regions showcase France’s legacy of terroir-driven spirits, each offering unique flavours and deep-rooted traditions that continue to captivate enthusiasts globally.
Apple Trees in bloom of the Calvados region in Normandy.
Food & Brandy Pairing
The Pairing Menu:
Château Arton Fine Blanche (Highball)
Pairing: Spiced Nacho Bites with Tender Beef
Sous Vide Egg with Smoked Pork Belly
A refreshing introduction with Château Arton’s Fine Blanche, an Armagnac with floral notes and fruit-forward brightness, presented as a highball. The creamy richness of sous vide eggs and the smoky notes from artisanal pork belly harmonise with the drink’s orchard flavours, while the nachos' spice enhances its crisp minerality.
Cognac Monnet VSOP
Pairing: Golden Prawn Radish Cake
Mini Popiah Delight
Monnet’s Cognac VSOP offers warm, spiced fruit and honeyed layers, beautifully balanced by the savoury prawn and chye poh (preserved radish) of the radish cake. The light, delicate crunch of mini popiah (spring rolls) provides texture and depth, highlighting the Cognac’s nuanced sweetness and oak notes.
Dartigalongue Hors d’Âge Armagnac
Pairing: Five-Spice(Ngoh Hiang) Party Platter with Century Egg Delicacies
The matured, complex notes of Dartigalongue Hors d’Age, with its profound dried fruit, vanilla, and earthy undertones, find harmony in the umami-rich five-spice platter, featuring century egg slices and marinated delights. The bold flavours resonate with the brandy’s depth, making it an indulgent combination.
Baron de Sigognac 15 ans d’Âge
Pairing: Pork Trio – Crispy Pork Jowl, Smoked Pork Collar, Supreme Pork Ribs
Truffle Mac and Cheese
Rich and layered, Baron de Sigognac’s Armagnac offers caramel and toasted oak notes that complement the smoky and tender pork trio. The creamy truffle mac and cheese balances this depth with luxurious textures, creating a pairing that amplifies the spirit’s velvety warmth and long finish.
Famille Dupont Calvados No. 3 (Caroni Rhum Cask Finish)
Pairing: Braised Pork Trotters with Braised Egg
Hei Bee Yam Rice
The aromatic apple and rhum cask finish of Famille Dupont’s Calvados finds a perfect match in the braised pork trotter, rich with tender flavours and soft textures. The hei bee(dried shrimp) yam rice brings in a subtle earthiness, complementing the brandy’s fruity acidity and spiced complexity.
Dessert:
Mini Kaya Cream Puff
End your tasting journey on a sweet note with a creamy kaya-filled puff that enhances the lingering sweetness of the Calvados and Armagnac, leaving a gentle tropical echo.
Château Arton Fine Blanche
Château Arton Fine Blanche
Special Event Day Price: $88 Nett
Terroir : Clay-limestone of Domaine d’Arton(AOC), Gascony, Haut-Armagnac
Grape Varietals: Primarily Colombard and Ugni Blanc
Alcohol: 45%
Size: 750ml/Bottle
Tasting notes :
Blanche d’Armagnac is a French AOC spirit not aged in wood. It exalts the aromas of the wine from which it is made.
Fine Blanche® is the first white eau de vie of Armagnac AOC, created in 1985 by Patrick de Montal and François de Ganay. Recognized in 2017 as the Prix d'Excellence, it is the only perfectly natural eau de vie. It has a pure and crystalline color , natural aromas of fruit and flower which offer a territory of freedom and creativity.
Awards :
Ultimate Spirit Challenge - 2021 - 91/100
Gold medal - Ascot 2021 - Best in Show Category and Brandy
Silver medal - New York International Challenge - 2021
Silver medal - International Wine & Spirit Competition - 2021
Cognac Monnet VSOP
Cognac Monnet VSOP
Special Event Day Price: $108 Nett
Terroir : Limestone clay soil of Fins Bois, Cognac.
Grape Varietals: Primarily Ungi Blanc.
Alcohol: 40.0%
Size: 750ml/Bottle
Ageing : VSOP(Very Superior Old Pale). Minimum 4 years, Fine grain. Distillation with lees for more aromatic elegance. Aged in our cellars in Jarnac, France.
Casks: French Limousin oak.
Tasting notes :
Regularly awarded in professional tastings, Monnet VSOP is the Cognac that every Cognac enthusiast will enjoy. Its radiant, generous flavours taste like sunshine!
Rich, mellow and balanced, with deep notes of fruits, honey, nougat and a very long smooth finish. Spicy notes with vanilla, fruits and a hint of leather.Awards:
International Spirit Challenge – Gold
Melininger’s International Challenge – Gold
Bartender Spirits Awards - Gold
Wine Enthusiast - 96 points!
Dartigalongue Hors d’Âge Armagnac
Dartigalongue Hors d’Âge Armagnac
Special Event Day Price: $138 Nett
Terroir: Sandy and silty soils from Bas-Armagnac
Grape Varietals : Baco 22A, Ugni-Blanc, Folle Blanche
Alcohol: 40%
Size: 750ml/Bottle
Distillation : continuous – 58% vol
Casks : Gasconic oak – mix of new and aged casks – medium and strong toasting
Cellars : dry, then humid
Age : > 10 years old
Tasting notes :
Aromas of vanilla, prunes, toasted oak, touches of yellow-fleshed fruits. Lovely length in the mouth that finishes on tasty and spicy notes making it an easy Armagnac to enjoy. Dartigalongue Hors d’Age showcases a traditional Armagnac complexity achieved by blending these varietals, producing a deep and nuanced flavour that gains maturity from extensive aging.
Baron de Sigognac 15 ans d’Âge
Baron de Sigognac 15 ans d’Âge
Special Event Day Price: $138 Nett
Terroir: Tawny sandy soils, Bas-Armagnac
Grape Varietals: 80% Ugni-Blanc & 20% Baco 22A
Alcohol: 40%
Size: 750ml/Bottle
Distillation: An Armagnacais still produced with a one-way distillation process with an alcohol percentage of 56%.
Ageing : 15 years minimum in oak casks
Tasting notes:
Amber colour with mahogany highlights.
Fine nose, marked by notes of vanilla, cinnamon and candied orange. Roundness and smooth on the palate with floral, woody and spicy notes followed by a long and pleasing finish, hints of grilled almonds and vanilla.
Famille Dupont Calvados No. 3 (Caroni Rhum Cask Finish)
Famille Dupont Calvados No. 3 (Caroni Rhum Cask Finish)
Special Event Day Price: $198 Nett
Terroir: Flint and chalk clay of Pays d'Auge region (AOC), Normandy.
Fruit Base: 100% Apples (Calvados does not use grapes but rather specific varieties of apples)
Alcohol: 42%
Size: 750ml/Bottle
Distllation: The apples are mixed, crushed and pressed. The apple juice ferments completely to give the cider to distill. The double distillation takes place one month after the cider fermentation process. The first distillation of the cider gives the small water at 30% vol. and it is the second distillation, that of the little water, which gives the apple brandy.
Aging: 6 years minimum. In toasted oak barrels of 400 litres including 25% new barrels. Minimum finish 5 months in 220L barrels having contained Caroni Rhum.
Casks: This Calvados gains additional complexity from aging in Caroni rum casks, imparting tropical undertones to the classic apple-forward profile.
Tasting Notes:
Eye: Beautiful yellow color with deep golden highlights.
Nose: Greedy, fine, complex. Hints of sugarcane underlined by lovely roasted apples aromas.
Mouth: Frank attack, powerful mouth supported by aromas of cooked apples and fresh almond, long and persistent finish. Slightly peppery and very pastry vergeoise sugar aromas.
