Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Let's Talk About Luxury: The Macallan's £10 Bar at The Montage Beverly Hills

The names Macallan and The Montage Beverly Hills are already synonymous with luxury, but the £10 Bar is on another level. This Macallan exclusive bar is by-reservation only and has a $50 minimum per person. It's not hard to meet the minimum with the prices. The 12-year old Macallan aged in sherry oak is  £10, and the price goes up from there. Luckily I was there as Shop Eat Sleep's guest on her hosted media visit.

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But I had to do a double take when I saw a $64,000 drink on the menu. Yep. I did say this bar was on another level of luxury, right? The 64-year-old Macallan goes for $64,000. That's for a glass/shot, by the way, but hey, they have the last two ounces of this stuff left on earth.
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That beats the special Royal Marriage edition which was $12,000 for a whole bottle.
We sat outside since it was a nice day. Quiet, breezy, overlooking the garden and fountain. It is certainly a nice place to hang out and chat.
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Of course, we had to order some Macallan. Our server told us that the sherry oak whisky tends to be smoother and fruitier. If you prefer something oaky, go with the ones in the fine oak section where the whiskies were finished in a bourbon barrel. For the smokier ones, there's the Highland Park line. So. When you order whisky here, they will bring you the four different ice options. There's the whisky soapstones, the ice cubes, specially made ice balls, and the one he most recommended - the ice ball made with Highland Springs water.
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They actually ship water from Scotland to make these ice balls, no joke. It's supposed to be best since it's the same water used to make the whiskies. Even the "local" ice ball is no ordinary ball: it has the £ logo carved inside of the ice.
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We tried both the sherry oak (18 year) and the fine oak (17 year) - with the Highland Springs ice ball, as suggested.
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Personally I like the smoother sherry oak better.

All the drinks are served tableside. The server will come out with a cart and prepare everything and serve them in beautiful Lalique crystal glasses.
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With these prices you don't just get your drink. The complimentary snacks they give you consist of applewood smoked bacon, curry spiced pecan, and 26 month aged Gouda
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Next, we tried a couple cocktails. They have a small menu of about 5 cocktails, not just featuring their products but the other company's line like Nolet's Gin. We tried the Jimmy Mac made with Macallan 18yr, Averna, Benedictine and orange bitters ($35) and Vieux Carre with Hardy Red Corner Cognac, Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica ($30).
Again, everything is prepared table-side on the cart with your server walking you through each step.
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The glass the Vieux Carre comes in is certainly striking, but not easy to drink from
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The food menu is completely different than Scarpetta downstairs but still under the hands of Scott Conant. We had the Bison tartare with truffles ($38)
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I originally wanted a sea urchin and crab dish but they were out of that, so I ordered the bison tartare. But later they brought us a plate of super tender grilled octopus to make up for not having the sea urchin.
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£10 Bar was a nice experience indeed, with great personal service and a Macallan lineup worth a scotch lover's visit. If I have the kind of disposable income needed I wouldn't mind spending some of it here.

£10 Bar
225 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 860-7800
http://www.montagebeverlyhills.com/beverly-hills-bar.php

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