Where to Drink: B28 (Basement 28)

Note: As of 6th of June 2011, 'Basement 28' has been officially named B28 by bar owner Mike Soldner. I have since changed the name of the bar to B28 in the post but will keep it in brackets for the link to the page

The Need to Knows:


Name: B28
Address: 28 Ann Siang Road, The Club Hotel S(069708)
Email: mikesoldner@me.com
Opening Hours: 5pm-2am (Tuesday-Saturday), Closed on Sunday, Monday is Members Night
Dress Code: Smart Casual (No Slippers or Shorts please!)

SGwhisky is proud to present to all its viewers the first look at one of the hottest new whisky places in town, B28 at Ann Siang Hill. The name B28 is based on its address, which is the Basement of No.28 Ann Siang Hill, which is actually The Club Hotel owned by the Harry's chain.

B28 is actually the new bar opened by Mike Soldner, who used to helm the successful Malt Vault which was just a few doors down the street. Bringing his love for jazz, whisky, quality service and a holistic experience to the next level, Mike has designed the new place to have everything he wants in a bar, in many ways, this is a culmination of a dream for him. From the look of the bar, he has gone all out to make this bar one of the places to be, and has hired a great core team to bring this dream to fruition. Here's presenting the core team of B28:

L-R: Deidre Pereira, Aubrey Sim and Mike

Aiding Mike with the place are two lovely ladies, Deidre Pereira and Aubrey Sim. Together, they are single minded in their pursuit of making B28 a real success.

With a wealth of experience during his time at The Malt Vault behind him, Mike is no stranger to the Singapore bar/whisky scene. As highlighted, he has spared no expense at making this bar everything he hopes a bar should have. From great drinks to great jazz, he has made sure B28 has it all. In his email to his customers, Mike has already stated his dream for the bar, to make it 'one of the best bars in Singapore.'

In terms of selections, B28 has an extensive list of 120 whiskies, most of which are exclusive single cask bottlings from the top independent bottlers of Scotland. One of the more unique brands the bar stocks is Cadenhead, the oldest independent bottler in Scotland. On top of those independent bottlings, Mike has handpicked 20 of his personal favourite distillery releases, some notable expressions being the Ardbeg Supernova, Highland Park 18, BenRiach Curiositas as well as a few of the Glenfarclas family casks. For those of you who just want to try some of these great whiskies, one of the great things about this bar is that every single whisky is available by glass (you can choose from three sizes: nip, dram and double), making this one of the few places where one can get a real rare whisky without burning too big a hole in their pocket.

Aside from whisky, B28 also has a list of 26 wines and champagnes, picked by Bruno Vaillant, a famous connoisseur and purveyor of fine wines. It also contains an offering of 12 craft beers, including a rare Japanese lager that contains Red Miso paste! Ask the bar for more details.

As one would expect by now, the bar also spares no expense in ensuring these drinks find their way to you in style. Using only Schott Zwiesel Crystal, the bar boasts to be the first to launch the new Zwisel whisky nosing glasses in the photo above. But enough about the bar contents, let's find out more about the rest of the team!

Heading the service and marketing side of the bar is Deidre, a business director who is great friends with Mike. She hopes that the bar will be one of the best in Singapore, and is looking forward to meeting people and interacting with them. As a bit of a whisky lover herself, Deidre has extremely specific preferences, citing her favourites as a 1970 Bunnahabhain independent bottling from Duncan Taylor as well as whisky from the closed North Port distillery. 

Completing the core team is renowned bartender Aubrey Sim. Despite her young age, Aubrey has already blazed a trail in the Singapore bar scene, winning the Diageo World Class: Search for Singapore's Best Bartender in 2009. Attracted by Mike's desire to make great classic cocktails, Aubrey will be helming the bar which boasts a range of 20 classic cocktails and 12 Specialist whisky cocktails. Bringing her unique brand of discipline and dedication to the table, Aubrey's cocktails are definitely one of the selling points of this place. Some of the cocktails she will be whipping up include classics like the Pegu Club and Caprihina, as well as whisky hits such as The Manhattan and Old-Fashioned.

Fancy a Woodford Reserve in your cocktail? Gotta pay more for it though!

It is worth noting that no expense too is spared in the making of the cocktails, with only fresh fruits and top quality booze used in the making of cocktails. An Apple Martini for example is made by muddling real apples, and the extensive collection of vodkas and gin include top brands like Uluvka vodka and Martin Miller's Gin.

Looking at the bar, it is clear that everything seems to be well thought out, with comfortable custom made chairs, ambient lighting from the bar top and great jazz paintings making the place look like a perfect place to chill out. Seating is unfortunately limited though, with the capacity to hold about 35 people comfortably. The bar is opened from Tuesday to Saturday, and is opened only for members on Monday. The exclusive membership is restricted to 30 people, and each member gets a locker full of top quality liquid with two bottles of whisky, one bottle of red wine and one bottle of champagne. During the visit Mike revealed that a few places are left so contact him for more details!

The final draw of the bar itself is the Live Jazz performances that will be starting in June. Bringing together top Jazz musicians in Singapore, Mike hopes to entertain his gusts with the best Singapore has to offer. SGwhisky was unable to meet the full band, but will definitely put up a review on the Jazz when the band finally starts performing next month!

All in all, B28 looks to be a very meticulously thought-out bar with a great concept and a great team at the helm. Though it might seem exclusive, it seems clear that its exclusivity rests mainly in its range of drinks and top-quality cocktails. So the next time you find yourself at Ann Siang Hill, do pop down to the bar to have a dram, and experience for yourself the magic of B28.

Great For: Exclusive whisky, Great Jazz, Chilling Out