Yum Cha Chats: Florian Picasso reveals his go-to flight of single malts

Sunday’s are hard but can be made easier with unexpected delights — so here’s some fluff to get you through it. Inspired by a recent jaunt for dim sum with Miss Yellow in Hong Kong, allow us to deliver a new edition of Yum Cha Chats — which means let’s go eat dim sum and drink tea in Cantonese. The series will dig into the obscure and tasty 'fillings' you never knew about your favourite DJs and have nothing to do with music — every Sunday. Best enjoyed from bed…

Whiskey is considered a drink for the sophisticated, or the more hedonistic when it comes to alcoholic spirits. But according to Florian Picasso, great grandson of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, “whiskey can be enjoyed at any time of the day”, and “the key to a good tasting is to know your line-up, never drink it with ice, as cold kills the taste, in a small tasting glass to enjoy each aspect of it from nose to palate.”

Florian Picasso is a French-Vietnamese DJ and producer, scoring top marks in the game with his festival shows and productions. We sat down with Florian for Yum Cha Chats to know a little bit more about how he’s been indulging his time during the pandemic, and he’s been wise — his passion for whiskey only started to develop about a year ago, and now he’s close to being a connoisseur of the diverse world of malts.

“It’s a French whisky distilled in Lorraine, a region of France known for their volcanoes. On the palate, it is accompanied by fruity aromas and a hint of coffee. As for the finish, it seduces with its spicy side and its velvety aspect.”

“A smooth single malt from Japan finished in an Irish Pale Ale cask. It’s velvety smooth, and has pronounced notes of apple tart and caramel from the oven. Perfectly aged with a dynamic presence of fruit from the orchard, yeast, and beer.”

“Only 120 bottles were made for this edition to pay tribute to famous writers. I’m a fan of the Kipling edition — very intense and smoky leather feels. It’s a nice one to finish off the night.”

“It’s a limited edition dating from 2009 — a Japanese single malt that is part of the Yamazaki Cask Collection range. Unfiltered cold, this expression was aged entirely in Spanish sherry casks.”

“A great Lowland whisky that's a must try in my books. It's superbly balanced, sweet and spicy with a lot of character. Perfect to sip in summer as it feels like a rush of freshness.”