Johnnie Walker Game of Thrones "A Song of Ice" and "A Song of Fire" (Tasted #471-472)

Diageo is continuing its Game of Thrones series with the release of two limited edition blends – Johnnie Walker "A Song of Ice" and Johnnie Walker "A Song of Fire". These two new releases are based on the overarching book series "A Song of Fire and Ice", of which Game of Thrones was part of.

A Song of Ice, containing malt whisky from Clynelish distillery, is described as having a ‘crisp, clean taste’ with a ‘green and grassy’ flavour and notes of ‘vanilla and tropical fruit’.

A Song of Fire containing peated malt whisky from Caol Ila distillery, is said to feature ‘subtle smoke tempered by a rich, rounded sweetness’, and is bottled at 40.8% abv

These releases follow the launch of "White Walker" by Johnnie Walker last year and Diageo's Game of Thrones Single Malt Collection earlier this year.  The latter was a series of eight limited edition single malts that represented the Great Houses plus the Night's Watch. Personally, there were some real highlights from the collection including the Lagavulin (Lannister), Oban (Night's Watch) and Dalwhinnie (Stark).

Now, the White Walker and the Single Malt Collection were launched in anticipation of the final season of Game of Thrones which aired in April 2019. However, both A Song of Ice and A Song of Fire have been released post the end of the final season. Whether this point to an upcoming Game of Thrones series, it hasn't been confirmed though there are rumours a prequel is in the works.

The bottle design have been inspired by the two great houses who face off in final season of the series - House of Stark (represented by the Direwolf) and House of Targaryen (inspired by Daenerys Targaryen aka Mother of Dragons). The sigil of both houses, a direwolf and a dragon were used on the bottle design.

Tasting notes aside, the bottles have been impeccably designed. A Song of Ice share the same colour and design as its White Walker release from last year. On the contrary, A Song Fire incorporates a bolder design featuring what looks like Drogon, one of Daenerys' dragons.

Tasting them side by side, is one tastier than another? They are both different and I personally, prefer the A Song of Ice over A Song of Fire though they may appeal to different taste buds.

Johnnie Walker "A Song of Ice" (40.2% ABV, NAS, Blend, Scotland, A$69.99)
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Colour: Pale Straw

Nose: Herbaceous, fresh hay. There are some sweet treats from apple stew, stone fruits, vanilla and orange zest.

Palate: The palate is soft yet lightly spiced and has layers of flavours from oranges, vanilla, nutmeg and stone fruits. Although the palate is soft, it still packed quite a complex profile.

Finish: Short to medium, with warming spice and herbaceous notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100.

Johnnie Walker "A Song of Fire" (40.2% ABV, NAS, Blend, Scotland, A$69.99)
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Colour: Flame Amber

Nose: Orange, vanilla and black pepper. Very soft and light on the nose. There's a small hint of peat.

Palate: Light and soft. There's tannic when you first taste it which is then followed by vanilla, black pepper spices and a hint of peat. You would think this is the one with the Clyenish malt but no, the primary malt is in fact, Caol Ila.

Finish: Short, with warming fading notes. The spices also disappear quickly .

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 85/100.

At $69.99 a bottle, these new blends are great for those looking to fill Santa's stockings ahead of Christmas. Both Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and A Song of Fire are now available from liquor stores nationwide.

Cheers
Hendy

A big thanks to Diageo and Fuel Communication for providing samples for review.

Experiencing the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Bothy (Tasted #434 - 437)

No strangers to hosting impressive whisky events, Diageo HK exceeded even their own high standards last week with the launch of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Bothy at Test Kitchen in Hong Kong - the global launch of what is to become (over the coming year) an experience whisky fans in a number of countries will get to enjoy.

Non-Scottish readers may be wandering exactly what a "bothy" is, and for that we'll turn to that Oracle of (mostly) truth, Wikipedia:

"A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are to be found in remote mountainous areas of Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland and Wales."

Far from "basic" however, the Johnnie Walker version saw Mr. Noël Berard (Chef de Cuisine at 2 Michelin-starred Écriture Restaurant) and Mr. Nicholas Chew (Executive Chef at BIBO) team up to produce a 5 course tasting menu matched to some of the malt & grain whiskies which make up Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Kicking things off with a delicious cocktail made with Johnnie Walker Gold Label, caramel and bitters (alongside a Foie gras mousse, Huon Valley cherry and royal schrenki caviar amuse bouche), Diageo Marketing Director Drew Mills welcomed us, explained the concept of the Bothy and introduced us to our two chefs.

Upstairs in the intimate 15 seater dining room, we took our seats and within minutes were poured a healthy serve of JW Blue Label, which Drew assured us would remain topped up throughout the lunch, should we wish. 

Drew explained we'd be taking a tour around Scotland, enjoying four drams from distilleries that make up JW Blue Label, and that these were no ordinary bottlings (two of them being from Diageo's "Special Releases" range, and one being a 2016 40year old Special Releases whisky...but at 43 years of age)! With 10 million casks in reserve (worth more than all the gold in the Bank of England's vaults), Drew explained that Diageo had their fair share of quality whisky upon which to draw...

Starting with the islands of the West Coast, our first dram was Talisker 25 Year Old (45.8%), matched with Smoked Scottish langoustine, onion dashi jelly and beetroot feuillantine (by Écriture). Absolutely no word of a lie - this was the best whisky and food pairing I've ever had. The langoustine and Talisker each accentuated the saltiness in the other, but there was a beautiful underlying sweetness from the jelly. This was one of those pairings where everything just worked perfectly, and both food and whisky (whilst excellent on their own) were dramatically improved by each other.

Talisker 25 Year Old (45.8% ABV, 25yo, Skye, £216.58, but not available at time of writing)

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Colour: Golden orange sunset.

Nose: Rich salted caramel and red berries. Aged oak, and more rich fragrant caramel.

Palate: Lots of citrus initially - whole oranges, and even some nectarines. Then creamy toffee apple notes, some subtle underlying salt-laden sea air, caramel chews, BBQ smoke and dried mango pieces.

Finish: Long, sweet with an underlying salty smoke to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  91/100.

Next we moved over to the Highlands - Teaninich specifically, in the form of Teaninich 1999 17yo (55.9% ABV) from Diageo's 2017 Special Releases line-up, paired with Celeriac, sepia ink, Hokkaido oursin/urchin and Lardo di Colonnata (by BIBO). 

Another stunning pairing (quite possibly the second best I've ever had), the whisky and Lardo di Colonnata produced this rich, creamy, vanilla sensation together which was truly delicious.

(Having enjoyed my fair share of whisky lunches and dinners since starting this blog, it was incredible that the first two pairings qualified as the best I'd ever had. Clearly a lot of thought went into this lunch on both the food and whisky side.)

Teaninich 1999 17yo (Special Releases 2017) (55.9% ABV, 17yo, Highlands, £220.83)

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Colour: Light straw.

Nose: Malty, oat cakes. Some subtle pineapple, rockmelon and Malteaser chocolates.

Palate: Big, sweet and fruity - pears and apples predominantly. There's a lot of wax here too - if someone told you it was a Clynelish, you may just believe them.

Finish: Long, with hints of waxy apples and toffee.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  92/100.

For our last savoury course, it was over to Speyside, for a dram of Glen Elgin 18yo 1998 *54.8% ABV), also from Diageo's 2017 Special Releases. Matched with A4 Wagyu, truffle and seaweed compote and horseradish (by Écriture), this was another solid pairing with the whisky seemingly bringing out more earthiness from the truffle, which was otherwise somewhat subtle.

I didn't realise when I first tried the  2017 Special Releases, but this wasn't just an ordinary, higher-ABV 18yo Glen Elgin. It was actually an interesting experiment in...yeast! The 5,352 bottle outturn was a vatting of two whiskies - one an 18yo made with the use of "Pombe" yeast (matured in ex-bodega casks), the other an 18yo made with the more traditional "cerevisiae" yeast (matured in refill European butts). The Pombe yeast is said to give some strong apple notes, and that was certainly the case with this dram.

Glen Elgin 1998 18yo (Special Releases 2017) (54.8% ABV, 18yo, Speyside, £229.12)

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Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Fresh apples, lemon juice. Quite tart.

Palate: Big orchard fruits - pears (stewed) and apples (both fresh and cooked). There's a maltiness, a creaminess, and some honey. Very much a "breakfast" whisky - grains, honey, toast and fruit!

Finish: Huge on the stewed apples, with a slight underlying hint of oak and lingering sweet apple chew lollies at the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  91/100.

Our last whisky saw us heading to the Lowlands, for a 43yo Cambus (distilled in 1975, 51.6% ABV) paired with Chocolate 'Trio' & pistachio nougatine (by BIBO). Now a 43yo single grain whisky might sound pretty special, but this one was extra special for me. 

In 2016 I'd been fortunate enough to try a few of the 2016 Diageo Special Releases (during a visit to Johnnie Walker House in Singapore), and was absolutely floored by the Cambus 40yo, which I'd given 95 points. When I heard about the Bothy, and read the line-up, it appeared we'd be tasting the same whisky (and indeed, the menu suggests so, as does the label on the bottle below).

...but no. And yes. The whisky paired with this course was indeed that whisky, but with another 3 years of age (left in the vat presumably as it wasn't a single cask), and with a 0.9% reduction in ABV. As a whisky geek, this is the sort of stuff I love...especially when it involves a whisky I enjoyed so much the first time. I have to admit, I didn't really try much of the whisky paired with the dessert here. For me, the whisky was the dessert (although having said that, the dessert on its own was absolutely delicious, with three different chocolate cacao percentages all coming together beautifully).

Cambus 1975 43yo (Special Releases 2017) (51.6% ABV, 43yo, Lowlands, not commercially available however the 40yo release from 2016 is £662.50)

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Colour: Honey gold.

Nose: Rich varnish, sweet, fruit. Some of the grape notes I originally found on the 40 were still there, but there was more oak this time alongside them.

Palate: There's the grape notes - grape hard candy, grape Hubba Bubba, a toffee creaminess, with some peaches and cream.

Finish: Long, fruity and creamy. More peach, more grape, and no noticeable oak tannins.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  93/100. I scored this higher in 40yo guise, however this was still a fantastic dram.

Having enjoyed such an incredible meal, there was nothing left to do but savour the remainder of our Johnnie Walker Blue Label downstairs in the comfort of the bar, perusing one of only 8 copies of "Around the World" in existence - a travel guide (of sorts) created by Alexander Walker himself covering all the markets Johnnie Walker was sold in at the time.

An absolutely huge thanks must go to MHDHK, Drew, and the PR team for the invitation to this stunning event. If and when a Bothy pops up in your city, I can highly recommend the experience.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #433: John Walker & Sons "Private Collection" Midnight Blend

The fifth and final release of the Johnnie (or rather, John) Walker & Sons "Private Collection", the prestige series from Johnnie Walker was released in Sydney last week.

The final release, named "Midnight Blend" is set to represent all the different profiles that were explored in the previous four releases - A Unique Smoky Blend (2014), Rare Fruit Character (2015), Fine Honeyed Notes (2016) and Mastery of Oak (2017). Each of the previous "Private Collection" releases explored different aspects of a Johnnie Walker blend, be it maritime and smoke (Unique Smoky), rich, exotic fruits (Rare Fruit Character), honey and vanilla (Fine Honeyed Notes) as well as the various characters that are typically derived from the different oak types that are used in the maturation process (Mastery of Oak).

It was a rather exciting release, as Simon McGoram, Diageo National Whisky Ambassador noted - a "Luxuriously smooth and complex whisky". The four previous releases are completely different liquid and are there to paint a picture of the final release, the Midnight Blend - a whisky that McGoram summed up as one that's greater than sum of its parts.

As part of the launch, Simon was fortunate enough to have secured all the previous bottlings from the Private Collection series so as to give all of us an opportunity to review the entire series before finishing up with the Midnight Blend.

To celebrate the release of the Midnight Blend, a pairing menu was created by Black Bar & Grill Head Chef, Dany Karam in consultation with Simon containing menu items that have been paired against the five individual Private Edition releases.

The results were excellent as we saw the combination of spanner crab with the sweet Fine Honeyed Notes (2016), savoury duck breast with Mastery of Oak (2017), Striploin Angus Beef complemented by A Unique Smoky Blend (2014), a Chocolate & Hazelnut with Rare Fruit Character (2015).

Having first tasted the entire series for the first time - I have to say the 2014 private edition release, the Unique Smoky Blend is unlike any other John/Johnnie Walker blend I have had in the past. It was certainly very unique and I would guess, considered to be one of the smokiest whiskies from the Walker portfolio. I did note whilst trawling through our old posts that Charles Maclean, renowned whisky writer described the 2014 edition as "flawless"

The John Walker "Private Collection" series is considered rare in the grand scheme of the Johnnie Walker universe given the limited bottling that is made available with each release. The first three releases were limited to 8,888 bottles, the Mastery of Oak limited to 5,588 bottles and the last and final release, the Midnight Blend, limited to 3,888 bottles. Do note the prominent use of the number 8 in the total number of available bottles. The number 8, in Chinese culture is the luckiest number as the number carries similar sounds to "wealth" and "prosperous". Multiples of eight are even better with a double 8 meaning double happiness, 888, triple happiness and as you may have guessed, 8,888 means quadruple happiness. Whether or not this is coincidental with the numbering of available bottles or the fact that this week is the Lunar New Year week - the interpretation is for each of us to determine.

One aspect that is different in this final release (as well as with others in the portfolio) is the inclusion of an age statement - 28 years. The Midnight Blend is said to contain rare whiskies aged for a minimum of 28 years.

Whilst there's limited information on the whisky that makes up the blend, Simon McGoram mentioned that this final release contains a large amount of Clynelish, Cambus and Strathmill whiskies. The prominent characters that come through the nose and palate are representative of those distilleries with waxiness that you typically get from Cynelish, toffee and butterscotch from Cambus grain and the sweet fruits and spices that you often get from Strathmill.

What's in a name? The name "Midnight Blend" has been chosen to represent the fact that the flavours lend themselves to be enjoyed after-dinner, or approaching the 'midnight' hour I'd say it's enjoyable any time of the day though given the rarity and price point - though perhaps it's more sensible to enjoy it after dinner or on special occasions.

Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge commented:

“Whiskies aged for 28 years are rare, and very special. In our search to find the flavours and characteristics necessary for a rich, indulgent Scotch like Midnight Blend, we were very lucky to have access to some of the most mature reserves drawn from the four corners of Scotland. Each individual malt and grain used in the final whisky adds layers of flavour to the 28 Year Old Midnight Blend, leaving hints of fruit, sweet and spice and making it a wonderful final addition to the Private Collection.”

John Walker & Sons Private Collection Midnight Blend 700mL (42.8% ABV, 28yo, Blend, Scotland, $1000AUD)
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A very fine and luxurious release to cap off the Private Collection series. The combination of the different facets explored through previous editions is evident in this final edition. There is a balance of sweet and spice, depth and warmth.

Colour: Gold

Nose: The nose is sweet and appealing. There is a mix of vanilla, berries combined with a hint of citrus, malted cereals and a subtle hint of peat smoke.

Palate: The palate is juicy, refreshing. It is round, balanced and lightly spiced with a bit of wax (Clyenish?). Loads of sweet fruit and citrus notes, from creamy vanilla and mango pudding, candied orange, strawberries followed by light spices, cloves, all-spice tannic spice. The malt from the nose also grows more fondly along with creamy syrup and rich toffee.

Finish: The finish is extremely long and warming. The finish is sweet, mixed with candied orange and leaves a lightly wax, subtle peat that slowly fades.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 95/100

Thanks to Leo Burnett Sydney for having us at the launch.

Cheers
Hendy

Johnnie Walker Game of Thrones "White Walker" Hong Kong launch (Tasted #420)

A few weeks ago MHDHK launched Johnnie Walker "White Walker"  in Hong Kong, with an event held in a snow-filled space at "This Town Needs". The whisky, part of Diageo's Game of Thrones collaboration (joining the not-officially-coming-to-Hong-Kong GoT single malt series) is part of a global, limited release and despite what many have guessed, is not simply a re-labelled JW Black Label, but rather an entirely new whisky.

In keeping with the GoT theme, the blend uses whisky largely from the North of Scotland, and contains malts primarily from both Cardhu and Clynelish. Suggested to be served from the freezer, the bottle features the words "Winter is Here" on the side, which appear only when the bottle is chilled. A gimmick? Sure, but also, kinda cool...

After a few refreshing highballs (including a ginger one which paired very nicely with the JW), miniature Glencairns were handed around for a proper tasting of the "White Walker".


Johnnie Walker "White Walker" (41.7% ABV, NAS, Blend, Scotland, $438HKD / £28.19 ex-VAT)

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Colour: Light yellow gold

Nose: Sweet and light. Noticeable ginger, orange, apple and vanilla.

Palate: Vanilla, more apple and ginger, with some oaky vanillin. I'm always sceptical of any spirit that suggests being served from the freezer (given extreme cold is known to "dull" flavours, you have to wonder what they're trying to hide), but that doesn't seem to be the case here - this is a whisky that genuinely changes when chilled, becoming significantly more syrupy, with noticably more ginger.

Finish: Short to medium, with warming ginger spice notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 84/100. Certainly very sippable on its own (especially on a hot day, from the freezer) but very refreshing in a ginger highball, as it was served on arrival.

Thanks to MHDHK for the invitation to the event, and the chance to try this fun new release.

Cheers,

Martin.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition (Tasted #391)

Johnnie Walker has recently released the Australian release of the Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition. For those Johnnie Walker fans out there, the sight of a new release will no doubt garner excitement and interest. Sherry cask matured whiskies are not new within the single malt whisky circles though to see sherry being featured as part of a prominent label might mean that there is perhaps an increasing interest more broadly in the category.

Crafted by Blender Chris Clark, part of the blend in this limited edition bottling is matured in former sherry casks and with increased influence from malts of Blair Athol, Cardhu and Strathmill, the result is surprisingly pleasant and clean with subtle notes of berries, tropical fruits and spices. This release is not one that portrays a typical big cask strength sherry cask whisky but more of a dialled down, subtle, mannered blend that previews aspects of what you would normally expect from a sherry cask whisky combined with the balanced and clean notes of the original Black Label.

Locally, Simon McGoram, Diageo National Whisky Ambassador described this particular edition as one that provides glimpses of fresh and rich fruit character found in the original Black Label with the added elements of freshness, red fruits, figs and creamy vanilla. I have not compared this side by side with the original Black Label though one can still enjoy this particular edition of the Black Label as much as the original Black Label.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $48.90)
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A pleasant and clean release with berries, tropical fruits on the nose and candy, and cinnamon bun on the palate. At 40% ABV, this Sherry Edition certainly makes for an interesting everyday dram.

Colour: Bronze copper

Nose: Fresh and clean, with fresh berries and tropical fruits on top of a vanilla slice sprinkled with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg

Palate: More on the clean, fresh notes with soft, subtle strawberry vanilla candy, easter cinnamon bun that eases into some spiced pepper and drying chalk

Finish: The finish is long, slightly spiced and slowly fades into a drying chalky finish

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

The Black Label Sherry Edition is now available from Dan Murphy's and other selected independent liquor store at an RRP $60.

Cheers
Hendy

Thanks to Liz Hunt of Leo Burnett Sydney for providing us with a sample.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare (Tasted #387)

The house of Johnnie Walker has recently released a limited edition variant of its popular Blue Label; Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare. We had a snippet of this special release earlier with Simon McGoram, Diageo National Whisky Ambassador earlier this month.

The Ghost and Rare is a series of special releases created by Dr Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender using whiskies from "ghost" distilleries that have closed with other malt and grain whiskies. In fact, the Blue Label Ghost & Rare feature the highly treasured Brora malt as well as malt from Pittyvaich and Cambus grain. The Brora malt has remained treasured for its quality and its ability to hold its peat notes with age. Martin and I have tasted various Broras in the past and have always fallen in love with each one. So to have Brora feature in this release, it was rather special.

A total of eight malts and grains make up this release and contrast to the original Blue Label for which input components are never revealed, this release includes confirmation on the components that make up the final blend. Clynelish, Royal Lochnagar, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie and Cameronbridge malt and grains were blended with the three "ghost" components above to make up the final blend.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare (46% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $478.99)
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An interesting variation to the traditional Blue, the richness and earthiness add to the traditional profile which is more commonly known to be light, gentle and fruity. This particular release would certainly appeal to those with curiosity to unpack the 'rare' components that make up this blend or perhaps Brora fans out there that are wanting a different take of the single malt.

Colour: Caramel malt

Nose: Nice and rich, with caramel, nougat and hazelnut mixed. It's actually quite luscious. There are also hints of spiced oak and a level of earthiness. It's very interesting and rich for a blended nose.

Palate: Spiced sweet cinnamon coated apple, earthy with a level of nuttiness, caramel and slightly waxy.

Finish: The finish is long, slightly woody and nutty

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

The Blue Label Ghost & Rare will be available from Dan Murphy's and other selected independent liquor store from 5 March at an RRP $480.

Cheers
Hendy

Thanks to Liz Hunt of Leo Burnett Sydney for having us at the preview event.

The Art of Blending: Launch of Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch: Espresso Roast and Rum Cask Finish (Tasted #381 - 382)

The last couple of years have proved to be quite an exciting time for Johnnie Walker and all its fans with the recent relaunch of their 18yo (with a new name and packaging), 2016's release of the experimental series including the Blenders' Batch "Red Rye Finish", "Select Casks" Rye Cask Finish and the relaunch of the Green Label back into the Australian Market earlier last year. Personally, I found the experimental series to be delightful and interesting, especially in the price range it was set at.

With a desire to keep innovating and to try and appease the ever-evolving global whisky market, Johnnie Walker has now released the second release in the series of limited-edition experimental series with the Blenders' Batch: Espresso Roast and Rum Cask Finish. Similar to initial series, this second release is also targeted at bartenders and mixologists for use in cocktails and other mixes.



The Espresso Roast batch was created by Aimée Gibson, Johnnie Walker Blender using heavily roasted barley matured in a combination of rejuvenated casks and first-fill Bourbon casks. The Rum Cask Finish was created by Blender, Chris Clark using a blend of Speyside and Lowland whiskies finished in a Carribean pot still rum casks. The Rum Cask is said to have been worked on by Chris over the past decade prior to arriving at the final expression. These distillation and finishing techniques are certainly not new though their use in these series does result in quite different profiles.

Inspired by the Espresso Roast release, the launch of the series was held at the newly rebranded Brewtown Cafe, Surry Hills (previously Gnome Cafe). Simon McGoram, Diageo Whisky Ambassador and Coffee Sensory Expert, Ryan Spinoglio joined forces to co-host the evening, combining both of their prowess to introduce the series and in particular the Espresso Roast release.

Both whiskies exhibited subtle notes with the Espresso Roast having a more dominant roast, chocolate characters. Interestingly, I found both to be quite creamy and milky and this bode well with the use of the Espresso Roast release in cocktails. Think Espresso Martini though curated simply with a cold brew and a serve of the Espresso Roast. The result, in my view, was very close to a decent espresso martini.

Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Espresso Roast (43.2% ABV, NAS, Scotland - A$54.99)
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This was my pick of the two new releases and for simplicity sake, you can add cold brew to the mix for a kick-ass yet simple espresso martini. Wouldn't that be awesome to have this summer?

Colour: Golden maple syrup

Nose: The nose hints of dark chocolate bitterness with a hint of smoke, cherry and then some more dark chocolate to appease.

Palate: The whiff of chocolate from the nose translate into a blend of vanilla and chocolate, bitter melon, apple and cherry. The palate is quite balanced though riddled with soft yet enticing notes.

Finish: Subtle, long, with lingering roasted notes, tobacco leaf.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 91/100

Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Rum Cask Finish (40.8% ABV, NAS, Scotland, A$54.99)
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Of the two batch releases, I found the Rum Cask Finish to be a tad too soft and mellow. Structuring a cocktail with the Rum Cask Finish may risk the whisky being drowned out by the other ingredients.

Colour: Light champagne

Nose: The nose has subtle notes of vanilla, clove and a mixture of fruits - coconut, banana and mango. The fruity and spiced notes may have been inherited from the rum casks.

Palate: The palate is soft with some banoffee pie served with cream that then eases into a light clove spice. Lots of sweetness in this though certainly not as complex as other blends.

Finish: Medium to long with that spiced rum finish.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 90/100

Thanks to Liz of Leo Burnett Sydney and Diageo for having us at the launch.

Cheers,
Hendy

Hong Kong Whisky Festival 2017 review

After the success of 2016's inaugural Hong Kong Whisky Festival, InterContinental Grand Stanford held their festival again this year, delivering an even bigger and better festival with even more masterclasses.

Held again over one day, the event brought together big brands and indies alike, and made the most of the (expansive) hotel space, taking over two floors, several function rooms and even a suite!

Arriving an hour or so after opening, I took a walk around to see what was what. The first thing that struck me was, even that early, it was already busy. The second thing that struck me was just how many, varied stands there were. Bars, shops, independent bottlers, major distilleries, major distributors, local distributors, were all well-represented, as were "world whiskies" from all over the globe. In fact, the festival brochure had an excellent article on "New World" whisky (although I might be a little biased, given I wrote it...)

The festival shop saw a big improvement on the prior year, with a lot more space and even more bottles available (including some long gone Indies like this Eiling Lim 27yo Irish).

As is always the case with these festivals, you end up chatting to and sharing a dram with all the wonderful people working there, and before you know it, 3 hours have passed. I'd barely gotten around to half the booths when my first masterclass came up - an Asta Morris class with founder Bert Bruyneel.

Sidenote: As evidence of the quality and quantity of masterclasses on offer throughout the day, I had to decide between this and an Adelphi masterclass, both on at the same time. The good people of Malt Maniacs & Friends suggested I go for the Asta Morris class, and I'm glad I did.

Held in conjunction with Whiskies and More (Asta Morris' HK distributor) and The Fine Spirits Society, the class saw us tasting 6 spirits blind. We knew what the spirits were (amongst them were an 14yo Ardmore, an aged gin, a 13yo Bowmore, a 5yo Chichibu, a 27yo Bunnahabhain and a 32yo 1979 Benriach - a cask which was saved by Bert from blending into Chivas), but not the order, which made for much fun and debate.

I'd heard a bit about this Bert "character" and it was all true. His class was exactly what I look for in a masterclass - great whiskies (tick), educational (tick), full of stories (tick), but most of all, FUN (tick tick). The hour flew by and by the end of it, we all felt like we'd had a heap of fun, enjoying a few casual drams, making new friends and listening to some hilarious stories. 

I guess what I'm saying is, if you get a chance to attend one of Bert's classes, take it!

After Bert's class, it was straight over to another function room for a Hunter Laing masterclass, with Andrew Laing, to explore "Where the flavours come from" with a variety of whiskies of different ages, provenance and cask types. Included in the lineup was a 19yo Longmorn, 8yo Craigellachie (showing some great natural colour due to its aging in a quarter cask), a 6yo Caol Ila and an 8yo Talisker.

After the two classes, it was time for a bit more of a walk around, a few more drams, and a delicious cocktail from Eddie Nara, to prepare myself for...

...a barrel making demonstration, in which I was to construct a whisky barrel with none other than The Balvenie's Head Cooper Ian Macdonald - a man who has been in the business for almost 50 years! Luckily, I'd managed to grab a few tips by watching Mr Nara do the same a few hours earlier.

After managing to bungle my way through making the barrel, I have to say - hats off to people who do this day-in, day-out for a living. It's not easy (even less so after a few drams), but it was a fun and rewarding experience (thanks to Ian for the expert tutoring and assistance)!

By this point, the show was wrapping up, but there was still one masterclass left to attend - this time focusing on some fairly rare (and expensive) blends.

Those blends of course, being four Johnnie Walker "Private Collection" releases, from 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

A 7pm timeslot after a long whisky festival is always going to see a few people worse for wear, but our host Stephen Notman (aka Mr Whisky China) pushed through, talking us through the history of blending and how the Private Collection series "rips up the philosophy of consistency in blending". He wasn't wrong - here were four very different (but all very enjoyable drams).

All were great, but the 2017's waxy apple nose and tropical and vanilla palate won me over as my favourite. A bit of Clynelish in there perhaps?

Between these festivals, the excellent Tiffany's New York Bar, and the many other whisky events/promotions throughout the year, InterContinental Grand Stanford have firmly established themselves as a Hong Kong whisky powerhouse over the past few years, and we have no doubt their upcoming World Whisky Day 2017 celebrations will only help cement that (unfortunately we won't be in HK to enjoy it...)

Cheers,
Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com attended HKWF17 as a guest of InterContinental Grand Stanford.