Kam Eat With Me

Prakaan, Thailand’s first premium single malt whisky brand, was officially launched by Thai Beverage Public Company Limited recently. The brand applies international standards for single malt whisky production and uses water from the natural sources in Kamphaeng Phet province. 

Prapakon Thongtheppairot, Chief Spirit Product Group of Thai Beverage PLC, said, “We are very proud to present Prakaan, Thailand’s first premium single malt whisky brand, which has been meticulously built, starting with the deep meaning of its name.

“Prakaan’s story was inspired by its brand characteristics of Provenance, referring to the origin of the abundant resources sprung from Thailand’s Western Forest Complex, recognised as one of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The forest covers a vast region including Kamphaeng Phet, making the groundwater from this province perfect for premium single malt whisky production. This makes Kamphaeng Phet province the strategic location for Thailand’s first malt whisky distillery. 

“Pride reflects the pride of Thai people in the historical narrative embedded in Kamphaeng Phet’s unique and long-standing ‘fortress’ (prakaan in thai). And we have taken this inspiration to thoroughly build the brand from name to packaging design. Finally, ‘Passion’ represents our commitment in harmoniously blending century-old whisky distilling techniques and expertise with the tropical geography of Thailand to deliver an experience derived from a perfect balance of art and science that will take you on the Irresistible Quest for the Unforgettable Taste. 

“So, we are proud to bring Prakaan, Thailand’s premium single malt whisky, to the global market with our world-class quality.”

The production of Prakaan follows high international standards. Utilising copper pot stills from Scotland, the whisky is produced and matured in Kamphaeng Phet under the carefully controlled temperature and humidity. With the strong focus on quality, Prakaan single malt whisky is matured in oak casks and delivers an exquisite one-of-a-kind experience.

The label pays tribute to the historical significance of Kamphaeng Phet in protecting the nation with the launch of the brand’s first three variants under ‘Tribura’ series, which symbolises the eponymous three-layered fortified walls surrounding the province. 

The Tribura series PRAKAAN SELECT CASK is aged in American oak, ex-bourbon casks, giving it vanilla, honey, and citrus notes; PRAKAAN PEATED MALT uses high quality barley malt dried with peat fires to give it a distinct smoky flavour with vanilla and honey notes; and PRAKAAN DOUBLE CASK boasts a meticulous two-step ageing process in American oak, ex-bourbon and Spanish oak, ex-sherry casks to give it raisin and chocolate notes with a finish of mild spices. 

I was privileged to be one of the few invited for a whisky and food pairing session at Soleil KL during which Paul Warathep Chandeeraj, international brand ambassador shared more about Prakaan. I found myself leaning towards the Peated Malt, enjoying the smoky flavour beautifully paired with the Charcoal Grilled Angus Ribeye. Meat so tender, there were two kinds of cooking styles in one dish – grilled and braised – offering different textures and taste spectrum. Beef wagyu cheek came with grilled asparagus, parsley root and whisky infused green pepper sauce. 

The Select Cask was no less impressive with the canapes of cured Fjord Trout, smoked French herring and whisky in the shell Sakoshi Bay Oyster. We had the blini with whisky cured trout and sumac cream while the herring came with romesco on toast. But the show stopper was the oyster, bathed in whisky. In fact, we were encouraged to drop some of the Select Cask Prakaan for added flavour! So juicy and decadent! 

Spanish Duck Foie Gras pate had us speechless with delight, washed down with the robust Double Cask. The duck came with caramelised peach, cured duck ham date chutney and whisky jelly and we slurped up every last drop to ensure no whisky was left behind.  

Dessert was whisky spiked burnt cheesecake that came with orange bitters syrup, pistachio and chocolate crumble, a fitting end to an exquisite whisky pairing session.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Soleil since it moved to DC Mall, and it’s holding well as a classy dining space.  

More on Prakaan on www.prakaanmaltwhisky.com