Would Rachmaninoff love a glass of Islay Whisky?

INSPIRED by London’s private members’ clubs, realtor-turned-bar-owner Peter Ng wanted to create a bar that would provide a classy venue for networking: where deals are made, secrets traded, and drinks enjoyed over live music.

The result: whisky, cigar and jazz lounge Maduro. After opening at Dempsey Hill in 2019, it earned a loyal following. Today, regulars still make the trip down to its current location in the lower lobby of Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, where it moved to in June 2023.

Though Maduro takes its cue from members’ clubs, Ng does not want it to be perceived as one. Instead, he seeks “an unpretentious atmosphere with just the right amount of exclusivity”.

The premises thus include a “living room” whisky bar and an outdoor courtyard, both of which feature live music – but also a private lounge and meeting rooms for formal business occasions, where a selection of Cuban, Dominican and Nicaraguan cigar blends are available.

Music takes centre stage

Compared to some jazz bars where the music might serve mainly as background ambience, performances take centre stage at Maduro.

Classically trained himself, Ng began his career as a jazz pianist before venturing into property. He has performed alongside well-known regional artistes such as Frances Yip and Anita Sarawak.

“I used to play in bars and restaurants,” he says. “I thought, why not save Maduro as a platform for emerging musicians?”

Since moving to its new Sentosa home, the bar began offering live music paired with a tailored whisky or cocktail programme. On most Fridays and Saturdays, there are performances from 8.30pm till late. To complement each gig, there is a list of three or four recommended drinks.

Ng remains actively involved in running the bar, working with whisky connoisseurs to curate the drinks list for each live music night.

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Just like music, whisky embodies a wide range of qualities. “For the bold tune of Rachmaninoff, the heavy-bodied peaty and smoky flavours from Islay whiskies would be called for, while for the melodic music of Chopin, the gentle warm notes of Lauder’s would be more appropriate,” explained Ng.

Whisky is commonly associated with jazz, and Maduro does brand itself as a whisky and jazz bar. Even so, says Ng: “I try not to be defined.” Beyond jazz, the performances span a diverse range of genres, from classical to contemporary, pop fusion to Latin.

Handpicked masterpieces

In line with its name, which means “mature” in Spanish, Maduro aims for a sophisticated ambience with its collection of art pieces. Handpicked by Ng and his art curator wife, these include photographs, paintings, murals and sculptures.

And as a specialised whisky bar, Maduro prides itself on a selection of non-mainstream labels, with a wide range of hard-to-find whiskies from independent bottlers.

Such whiskies are often single-cask, unlike the blended whiskies from mainstream brands. Single-cask whiskies capture the full taste of the barrels and the conditions they were produced in, offering a wider variety of flavours.

“Single cask means that there is only a certain amount of bottles being produced, anywhere from 300 to 500 in the world. When it’s gone, it’s gone,” said whisky connoisseur John Bosco, who works with the bar to design the drinks list.

Among the bar’s rarest gems are a S$17,800 bottle of Isabella’s Islay Aged 30 Years and the Eidolon Port Ellen 1983 Aged 36 Years. The latter was produced just before the legendary Islay distillery closed, with only 638 bottles available worldwide.