"Secret Speyside" launch dinner (Hong Kong) [Tasted #552 - 555]

Things have been a little quiet(er) on the Pernod Ricard whisky front in Hong Kong over the past few years, which is a shame as there had been some great releases and even better events from 2015-2018. Thankfully, that all seems to be over now, with an increasing focus on the HK market - a point punctuated by the recent local launch of the "Secret Speyside" range, a "carefully curated selection of 18–30-year-old whiskies from Speyside’s rarest distilleries: the vanished Caperdonich distillery, the pioneering Longmorn distillery, the landmark Glen Keith distillery and the remote Braes of Glenlivet distillery".

To celebrate the series' launch in Hong Kong, an intimate dinner was held at the recently-opened Ami / Woodear restaurant & bar in Landmark (who, sidenote, this blog was very happy to be able to convince to offer their amazing whisky selection by the half-dram recently). Hosted by Zachary Yu, the dinner paired Ami's modern French cuisine with four whiskies from the new range:

• Longmorn 18 Years Old
• Glen Keith 21 Years Old
• Caperdonich 21 Years Old (Peated)
• Caperdonich 25 Years Old (Peated)

Aside from Longmorn, I'd only tasted the other distilleries as Indie Bottlings, so was keen to see how they fared as OBs (and doing so alongside four courses of Ami Executive Chef's Nicholas Boutin "fine bistronomie" cuisine was certainly a nice way to do it).

Zachary introduced the range, explaining it as a 15 bottle collection in total (each individually numbered and bottled at ABVs ranging from 43% to cask strength, with most in the 48% range), covering the four distilleries to show different sides of Scotland's Speyside region - from the Glen Keith's balanced sweet fruitiness, to the Longmorn's smooth toffee creaminess, to the Caperdonich's complex peat smoke.

With the whiskies introduced (and welcome Longmorn 18 Highballs consumed), it was time to dive in and try each whisky...

Secret Speyside Longmorn 18 Year Old (48% ABV, 18 Years Old, Speyside Scotland, $1,280HKD, £70.38 )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Fresh orchard fruit, most notably peaches.

Palate: Citrus zest and slightly earthy stone fruits. Orange cake topped with orange rind. A lesson in citrus - and lovely for it.

Finish: Long, oaked and sweet.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. Paired with Chutoro tuna, egg & heirlom tomato brought out some sweeter notes in the whisky - quite a good pairing overall.

Secret Speyside Glen Keith 21 Year Old (43% ABV, 21 Years Old, Speyside Scotland, $1,480HKD, £133.33 )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Vibrant pear & apple notes (green apples). Fresh, slightly floral. After time, an almond florentine nuttiness emerges to replace the fruitiness.

Palate: Quite complex - the apple notes have become richer, red apples, there's a slight saline note and noticeable viscosity. After time, aged pineapple rings emerge.

Finish: Long, smoked apple tart, with a cashew & almond nuttiness towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. With Langoustine, seaweed & duck foie gras the whisky's tropical/pineapple notes were ramped up, and chocolate orange notes emerged.

 

Secret Speyside Caperdonich 21 Year Old Peated (48% ABV, 21 Years Old, Speyside Scotland, $2,838HKD, £200)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Noticeable fruity peat smoke. Smoked cherry pie. With time, strong notes of pineapple juice (just like I drank as a kid). 

Palate: Initially a meaty smoke, then cherry, strawberry notes emerge but the smoke remains underneath. Some orange rind comes out towards the end.

Finish: Long, berry smoke. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Wagyu beef cheeks, apple & sea urchin sauce complemented this nicely, with neither whisky nor dish significantly changing the other.

Secret Speyside Caperdonich 25 Year Old Peated (53% ABV, 25 Years Old, Speyside Scotland, $5,898HKD, £404.17)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Beautifully floral, fragrant, subtle fruit smoke. With water, slight salinity.

Palate: The peat smoke is more noticeable than on the nose, but still soft and subtle. Apple, pear & peach comes through, and with water, some grape notes.

Finish: Long, savoury with subtle residual smoke. With water, the peat smoke is a little stronger.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. All up, an incredibly elegant dram. Whilst it paired well with the Guinea fowl & octopus dish, this is a dram to enjoy on its own, with/without a few drops of water as you prefer.

 

It's wonderful to see Pernod Ricard's single malts "back" in a big way in Hong Kong, and we can't wait to try the rest of the "Secret Speyside" range. If these four are anything to go by, there's a great deal of variety (and deliciousness) to enjoy - which is pretty great considering they're all from the same ubiquitous region of Scotland.

A big thanks to Pernod Richard Hong Kong, Asian Vibe & AMI/Woodear for the invitation & wonderful dinner.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #393: The Glenlivet Code

The Glenlivet Code has launched in Hong Kong (and Australia), following The Glenlivet Alpha and The Glenlivet Cipher. What's with the funny names, you might ask?

Well...back in 2013 Glenlivet released Alpha, a mysterious Glenlivet with barely any details provided (no information on age, cask types etc..) . Next came Cipher, similarly with no details or tasting notes. Both came in matte black bottles and invited people to guess the production, tasting notes and so on before details were finally revealed.

For 2018, the distillery are back at it with a third release - "Code". Similar to Alpha and Cipher, Code invites you to "test your senses" with a online game in which you identify certain aromas and tastes within the whisky, and then learn how close you are to the "actual tasting notes", for example:

The "actual" (i.e. distillery official) tasting notes will be released at the end of 2018, but as nosing and tasting is such a subjective thing, here's hoping they also release the details on the whisky's make-up (age, cask type(s), and any other unique details), as that's what whisky fans will really want to know.

Until then, here are my thoughts and guesses..

The Glenlivet Code (48% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $1,250HKD / $210AUD)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Light orange-gold

Nose: Youthful, tropical notes. Pineapple chunks in milk chocolate. Raspberries, paw-paw, with a solid dusting of coconut over the top. Then some peach.

Palate: More mature fruits - ripe mago and paw-paw, with cinnamon, lots of milk chocolate, hazelnuts and a fair amount of oak (1st fill?).

Finish: Medium to long sweetly fruit-spiced, cocnut, raspberry jam.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. My guess (probably way off): ~17yo with 1st Fill ex-Bourbon and ex-Chardonnay casks.

Many thanks to Pernod Ricard HK and DNA for the samples of this interesting new dram. The Glenlivet Code is available in HK for $1,250HKD and in Australia $210AUD.

Cheers,
Martin.

Comparison: Chivas Brothers' Royal Salute 21yo "Polo Collection" and Royal Salute 21yo (Tasted #376 - 377)

Back in 2008 when I was just starting to get "into" whisky, I picked up a Royal Salute 21yo ceramic flaggon during one of my work trips. I didn't know a whole lot about it (other than it was a 21yo blend), but it was a purchase I was happy with - one of my first "better" whiskies, and the (empty) bottle still adorns a shelf back in Sydney to this day.

The Royal Salute has continued to be a staple of the Chivas Brothers portfolio (note it's not a "Chivas Regal", but a separate brand owned by Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard), and over the years various limited edition variants have been released.

One such variant is the new "Polo Collection" (aka "Polo Edition") 21yo, released originally in Singapore travel retail, and (as of September 2017) world-wide. Marketed as a "lighter, more delicately flavoured" expression to be enjoyed during the day, it comes in an eye-catching turquoise porcelain flaggon, with distinctive Polo markings to celebrate the brand's long-standing association with the sport of Polo (the horse kind, not the water kind).

A day-drinking whisky? What's not to love about that? A good mate from Pernod Ricard was kind enough to give me a sample of the new expression, along with a regular Royal Salute to allow a comparison - see below for my thoughts.

Royal Salute 21yo "Polo Collection" (40% ABV, 21yo, Blend, Scotland, $194SGD)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Deep orange gold.

Nose: Light and fruity - you can see where the "daytime" whisky tag comes from. Tropical fruits - pears at first, then some mango, with banana undertones. Some lychee too.

Palate: Light, but flavoursome - lychee and lemon predominantly, then salted / dried mango slices.

Finish: Long, slightly oaked and with residual hints of toffee / burnt sugar.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  89/100. Definitely a summer, "day drinking" whisky, and an enjoyable one at that.

It'd been a few years since I'd had the "regular" Royal Salute 21yo, so it was nice to be able to compare the two back to back...


Royal Salute 21yo (40% ABV, 21yo, Blend, Scotland, $175.99AUD / $1,268HKD / £95.64ex-VAT)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Deep orange gold. I really couldn't differentiate between the two.

Nose: There's some fruit like on the Polo Edition, but it's more citrus, and in the background, as toffee, caramel and milk chocolate take the forefront. Eventually some cherries and stewed apple slices emerge.

Palate: Caramel / chocolate chews, toffee, apple tart, oak with occasional wisps of smoke.

Finish: Long, slightly smokey with the apple tart notes carrying through to the end.

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


For me, the regular Royal Salute *just* wins this comparison, but it's close, and really, each whisky suits a different time and place:

• Daytime in the middle of summer, outdoors? The Polo Collection. 
• Nighttime, relaxing after a nice meal? The regular edition. 

Let's call it's (Polo) horses for courses.

Thanks to Muzz and Pernod Ricard Hong Kong for the samples.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #341 - 342: Longmorn 16yo (2016 release) and Scapa Glansa

Two new single malts have launched in Hong Kong recently - Longmorn's new 16yo and Scapa's new NAS "Glansa". The latter I found a truly fascinating whisky which I want to tell you all about, but first the Longmorn...

See more from TimeforWhisky.com on Instagram

It's fair to say that between Longmorn's distillery bottlings (like their previous 16yo) and their independent bottlings, the distillery has gathered quite a loyal fan base over the years. So understandably, some of those fans were a little put out when the new range was announced last year, and the price of the new 16yo jumped from ~£80 to ~£150 ($189USD / $1,580HKD).

The new 16yo was joined by an NAS (£45 rrp) and a 23yo ($1,087USD rrp), all of which featured new packaging and a re-positioning to show off the "luxury" side of the brand. Comparisons with Mortlach were inevitably made.

See more from TimeforWhisky.com on Instagram

To be fair, the new 16yo and 23yo are both non chill-filtered, bottled at a higher-than-usual 48% (as was the old 16yo), and the new packaging is indeed very nice - the leatherette base in particular is a unique touch.

Ultimately though, it all comes down to taste and value for me. Forget what the old version cost, forget what other whiskies cost - simply put, is it a good whisky, and is it worth the asking price? Only one way to find out...

Longmorn 16yo (2016 release) (48% ABV, 16yo, Speyside, Scotland, $1,580HKD / AU pricing not available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Bright sunny gold.

Nose: Apricots and raisins. Slightly floral, vanilla, pears. With some air comes a perfumed sweetness, and some creme brûlée.

Palate: Rich, zesty and buttery. Much sweeter than the nose hints at. Apple Tarte Tatin, and lots of pear. There are noticeable sherry notes, and they're all clean - no sulphur here!

Finish: Quite long, fruity and sweet. Hints of fruit tingles towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. A well-made, smooth and elegant speyside dram, without a doubt. There are a lot of characteristic Speyside notes here, and the cask selection has clearly been well thought out. For me though, for $1,580HKD / $189USD , I'm looking for something a little more. Maybe that's just my years of drinking weird and wonderful cask strength / single cask whiskies talking. This is a good whisky, and the asking price is not unreasonable. Note: Aussie fans of the previous 16yo can still find it at Dan Murphys for $113AUD.

Now, onto the Scapa Glansa - Scapa's first foray into peated whiskies. The Glansa new make spirit itself wasn't peated, rather the whisky has been finished in casks that previously held peated whisky (similar to expressions released by Balvenie and many others in the past).

It's not being pitched as a high-end malt in the same way Longmorn is, but it costs a very reasonable $598HKD / £40.95 rrp. I say "very reasonable", because I really loved this whisky! Sure, it's not the most complex malt in the world, and I'd like it to be at a higher strength than 40%, but for me, it has these notes that are eminently reminiscent of old bottles of Bowmore (to a small degree) like this beautiful 15yo bottled in the 1980s).

See more from TimeforWhisky.com on Instagram

That might seem like a weird thing to say, but I've revisited it several times now, and I still get these slightly perfumed, earthy, "funky" subtle notes of smoke that I find very prominent on older Bowmore bottles...and that I really enjoy! I wonder if the peated casks used for finishing came from Bowmore...?

Scapa "The Orcadian" Glansa (40% ABV, NAS, Orkney, Scotland, $598HKD / £37.46 / AU pricing not available)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colour: Toffee gold.

Nose: Earthy funk, with a hint of perfume. JUST like an old school Bowmore (for me, that's a very, very good thing)! Sour gummy worms, earthy burnt toffee and a little tropical fruit.

Palate: Floral and perfumed, with nectarines, apples and peaches. There are herbal notes, and a slight brininess. Put together those notes might not sound too appealing, but they come together brilliantly. I just wanted to keep going back for more. If I have only one complaint about the palate, it does feel a little thin - I'd love to see this at 46%.

Finish: Short to Medium in length, with a subtle, earthy, vegetative (not coastal) smoke.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  92/100. Just a really, really lovely drinkable dram. It can be a little "thin" on the palate, and it's not super complex, but I'll happily drink this on a regular basis (and in fact, I have been).

A big thanks must go to Pernod Ricard HK and Mazarine for providing the bottles for review.

Cheers,
Martin.

Chivas Regal Ultis Sydney Launch (Tasted #329)

Walking into Palmer & Co, Merivale's renowned small bar tucked away in one of Sydney’s oldest lanes, one could easily mistake the bar for something more akin to the "House of Chivas Regal". Plastered across the room were Chivas Regal bottles, Chivas Regal mementos and five special Chivas stations. What was about to take place was the special launch of Chivas Regal Ultis, Chivas Regal’s first blended malt expression - though certainly not the first in the industry, with Johnnie Walker Green, Monkey Shoulder and various Compass Box expressions having already represented the segment for some time.

The launch celebration was rather special as not only was the occasion to celebrate the new Ultis expression, but also to celebrate Chris Evans (better known as Captain America) as the new Asia Pacific Ambassador for Chivas Regal, and Michael Klim as the Australian Chivas Regal Ambassador. Both Chris and Michael co-starred in Chivas Regal’s "Win the Right Way campaign" which launched in 2014 to help recognise and advocate for the power of shared success - or simply the message that real success is not measured by a one's wealth alone, but by how many lives one has enriched.

The name Ultis, derived from ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Fortis' (Latin for ‘strength’) was bestowed upon the new blended malt expression, which sees five Speyside malts from Chivas Brothers’ portfolio (Tormore, Longmorn, Strathisla, Allt A’Bhainne and Braeval) selected to form the whisky. The malts were specially selected by Chivas' blending team as a tribute to the work of the five generations of Masters Blenders that have worked on the Chivas brand and its distinct style since 1909. As Chris Evans highlighted on the day, Ultis is simply a "Whisky with people at its heart!”

What I truly loved at the launch were the five Chivas stations with each station representing the individual malts that help form Ultis, along with different sensory experiences that all related to the individual malt. The deliciously fruity and sweet Longmorn was well represented with pears, vanilla pods, honeycomb and milk chocolates whilst over at the Straithisla station we saw stone fruits and nuts visually describing the nutty nature of Chivas’ foundation malt.

Speaking to a few bloggers and Pernod Ricard representatives at the event, we discussed the on-going challenge that the whisky industry has with transparency. This is a topic that is at the heart of Compass Box's continued efforts to challenge the status quo by disclosing additional detail on the composition of their blended malts. The Ultis launch saw a move to do something similar by exposing the five individual malts and allowing an appreciation of the five individual malts in addition to the final blended expression. Although the percentage composition of the five malts was not disclosed, it is perhaps a step in the right direction. Having come onto my whisky journey only a few years ago, I am certainly an advocate for such transparency as it allows a deepening of my appreciation of the final expression.

Check out more photos from the launch event at our Facebook page.

Chivas Regal Ultis (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, AUD$198.90 / ~ AUD$265 for 1L Travel Retail, from December)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ultis is a delicious and balanced blended malt and having tasted some of the individual malts at the launch, the final expression clearly reflects different characteristics from the contributing single malts. Time and place? A comfy lounge with few good mates celebrating a momentous occasion.

Colour: Deep, dark caramel.

Nose: The nose is beautiful and loaded with sweet and fruity notes. There are hints of apple, apricot, toffee fudge, vanilla, burnt orange and cinnamon.

Palate: The palate is soft and mellow to start before opening up notes of apple, toffee followed by warming burst of spices; cardamon, cloves and black pepper.

Finish: A warming medium sweet and velvety finish.

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

Chivas Regal Ultis 700ml will be available from November through selected retailers and from December at Duty Free retailers in a Travellers' Exclusive 1 Litre bottling.

Cheers,
Hendy.

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Pernod Ricard and Eva McKenzie of One Green Bean for the invite to the launch of the Chivas Regal Ultis.

Tasted #260 - #263: Chivas Regal "The Icon" (and Strathisla, Glen Keith and Longmorn single casks)

Back in December last year we attended the Hong Kong launch of Chivas Regal "The Icon", which launched in Australia and Hong Kong last year and is shortly to launch in the UK.

The launch event was incredible, but the real treat came after lunch, when ourselves and 7 lucky other individuals were treated to a tasting of The Icon with Master Blender Colin Scott. Held in one of Foxglove's many stunning private rooms, the tasting was opened by Stephen Notman (IWSC judge and founder of Whisky Live Shanghai / Taipei and "Whisky L") who took us back 100 years, describing the origins of Scotch whisky as we know it (and the 3 year minimum aging rule set by the Immature Spirits Act), the rise of Scotch throughout the 1900s, and the more recent rise of "ultra premium blends".

Colin then took the stage, to talk us through the origins of "The Icon" (the idea of which was first hatched in 2014, designed to feature "nuggets" of mothballed / closed distilleries), an overview of Chivas Brothers' immense selection of casks, which total over 6 million, and left us with a quote that, whilst simple, we thought neatly summed up the difference in character between blends and single malts:

"A blend is looking at a person, a single malt is looking at a distillery"

Simple, but true.

It was then time to dive into our tasting of "The Icon", but not before the rare opportunity to taste three unique single cask expressions of Strathisla, Glen Keith and Longmorn - malt whiskies which all help to make up Chivas Regal blends.

Glen Keith 1990 single cask - 1st fill ex-Bourbon barrel (40% ABV, 26yo, Speyside, Scotland, not commercially available)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Bright yellow gold.
Nose: A real "summertime whisky". Passionfruit, vanilla cream. Lots of peaches, some strawberry, and even some pine needles.
Palate: Oranges, nuttiness (peanuts). Slight hint of smoke. More peaches. Orange taffy. Very smooth and easy drinking (being cut to 40% no doubt helps).
Finish: Long, whole oranges, with hints of asparagus at the very end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A fairly complex yet easy drinking, light whisky.

Longmorn 1987 - 2nd fill ex-Oloroso Sherry butt (40% ABV, 29yo, Speyside, Scotland, not commercially available)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Copper.
Nose: There are plenty of traditional sherry notes here - rich christmas pudding, cherries, raisins, but there's a freshness too. Fresh laundry(!), with some strawberry hubba bubba.
Palate: Honey, noticeable oak, spice, cinnamon, Sriracha sauce. A few drops of water adds a slightly fruitier, strawberry note.
Finish: Earthy and slightly metallic.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. Nice but in comparison to the amazing 20-30 year old Oloroso-matured whiskies we've tried before, it didn't quite reach the same lofty heights.

Strathisla 1980 - 3rd fill American Oak hogshead (40% ABV, 36yo, Speyside, Scotland, not commercially available)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Orange gold-copper.
Nose: Citrus zest - orange peel, and almonds.
Palate: Banana, toffee, caramel and passionfruit.
Finish: Long, tropical, creamy. Passionfruit and whipped cream.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. A real dessert whisky.

Chivas Regal "The Icon" (43% ABV, NAS, Blend, Scotland, $4,699AUD / $28,800HKD / £2000GBP)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Golden-copper.
Nose: Stewed pairs, toffee, oranges. Terry's Chocolate orange (loads of it). A honey sweetness.
Palate: Quite sweet, velvety, creamy. Smooth swiss milk chocolate, with a slight nuttiness. A hint of confectionary too - boiled lollies, Allen's Fantales.
Finish: Long and sweet, sherberty, with residual hints of milk chocolate.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Not quite what I'd expected at first - much sweeter. There's complexity here, sure, and it's an extremely enjoyable dram, but out of this lineup, I'd take another glass of that Strathisla first. I'd love to try the The Icon at a higher ABV though, perhaps 46 or 48%.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #239: J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel

We've covered many Scottish, Japanese, Irish and American bourbon whiskies on this blog, though we've yet to cover many Canadian whiskies. Having only tasted (and enjoyed) the Canadian Club 12 year old a few months ago at the Whisky Rumble, I was curious when I heard that another Canadian whisky; J.P. Wiser's, was entering the local Australian market for the first time. J.P. Wiser's; Canada's oldest continuously produced Canadian whisky will join Pernod Ricard's ever expanding portfolio here in Australia - the move appearing to signal the increasing focus for Canadian distilleries on the local market and abroad, riding the global wave of whisky appreciation.

I was sent a sample of J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel from CavCon for tasting - a blended rye whisky matured between five and eight years in three different barrels and vatted together. The Triple Barrel uses virgin American oak barrels, ex-Bourbon barrels and also ex-Canadian whisky barrels. 

JP Wiser's Triple Barrel (40% ABV, NAS, Ontario, Canada, $40AUD)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel packed beautiful characters on the nose though the palate was slightly disappointing as it was almost too gentle, too refined and light on characters, perhaps a characteristic of its triple barrel maturation approach. The Triple Barrel though make a good mixer given the inherent 'rye' spices that you get on the palate and finish.

Colour: Chinese tea

Nose: Layers of buttery scones, toasted fruit bread, toffee apple, floral. The nose is great.

Palate: Soft, almost too gentle, very light macadamia notes and some light (rye) peppery spices. There are also vanilla, caramel and peppermint notes. The notes on the palate did not line up with the notes I got on the nose, the characters I picked up on the nose were certainly more exciting than what I tasted on the palate.

Finish: The finish is short to medium with lingering dried (rye) spices.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100.

In addition to the Triple Barrel, J.P. Wiser's is also releasing the award winning 18 year old into the local Australian market. All the Wiser's are now available Australia wide.

Cheers,
Hendy.

Chivas Regal "The Icon" Hong Kong Launch - Lunch at the House of Chivas (Tasted #228)

We attend a lot of whisky events here at TimeforWhisky - a lot of really enjoyable whisky events. Between the events Hendy attends in Australia, and the ones Steph and I attend in Asia, we've probably covered 50+ events this year alone, and all of them have been great.

...but every now and then, an event comes along that sets a new standard, and manages to blow us away (in Sydney, Ardbeg Day sits in that category every year, as did this year's "Great Whisky Rumble"). In Hong Kong, that event for 2015 was clearly Chivas Regal's "The Icon" launch - at "The House of Chivas", held this week.

Actually, calling it an "event" doesn't really do it justice. Taking over Hong Kong's newest bar Foxglove, "The House of Chivas" spanned 5 days, 20 events, and saw a mix of media, industry folk, VIPs and others get together to enjoy lunches, dinners, a cocktail competition, social ventures, blending sessions, tastings, parties and of course plenty of Chivas Regal, including the incredibly rare "The Icon" (which we mentioned last month and which Hendy tasted recently at the Australian launch).

We attended a lunch (actually two - greedy, we know) and blending and tasting session with none other than Chivas Regal's Master Blender, Colin Scott. We'll cover the blending session in another post, and focus on the lunch / launch here, which also saw us revisit the fantastic Chivas Regal 25 year old.

From the moment we stepped into Foxglove, it was clear Stir PR and Pernod Ricard had left no stone unturned turning the entire venue into "The House of Chivas". Upon entering, we were first welcomed with a personalised key, and asked to hold onto it until the time came, then ushered into a hallway where our Tuxedo-wearing host explained a little about "The Icon" and the history of Chivas Regal, before a hidden door opened to reveal the "Heritage Room".

The "Heritage Room" (a library-like room filled with books, whisky and vintage cocktail equipment) contained a brief history of Chivas Regal, including bottles from the 20s, 40s, 70s, 2000s and today - the full history of Chivas Regal. We clearly must have looked thirsty, because before we knew it, we were offered our choice of welcome cocktail. Opting for the Chivas and Aperol-based choice, we found it the perfect antidote to the uncharacteristically humid winter's day outside.

After finishing our cocktail (and enjoying a brief chat with Colin), we were taken to the bar, shown our seats, and presented with a choice of three ingredients - cranberry, ginger or passionfruit. Opting for cranberry (with good friend of TimeforWhisky Eddie opting for passionfruit), we then watched as Chivas Regal's global brand ambassador Max Warner whipped up two stunning drinks, and served them alongside two large mystery boxes.

This was where the keys came into play - opening our boxes revealed two sensory items (for nosing), and two canapés - one sweet and one savoury. Certainly an interesting (and elaborate) take on the welcome cocktails and canapés!

After finishing our cocktails, it was off to yet another room (by this point we're starting to get a taste of Foxglove's huge-by-Hong Kong-standards 4,300sq ft) - the "Icon Room".

As the name might suggest, the "Icon Room" was where we got to see the Icon up close and personal, and watch a brief video explaining the background and philosophy, which Colin later elaborated on. A lot of ultra premium whiskies carry incredibly intricate and detailed bottles and packaging, and "The Icon" was no different - with a handblown crystal decanter (by the UK's Dartington Crystal), and an impressively detailed leather case. Of course it's all about the liquid inside, and Colin explained more about that over lunch.

After our tour, it was time to visit the dining room and take our seats for lunch. At each of the forty places was a trio of Chivas Regals (Brothers' Blend, Extra and Chivas Regal 18), and our menu. Rather than a traditional pairing menu, guests were invited to sample each whisky with each course and choose what worked for them (a trend we're seeing more and more these days - and one we enjoy).

Pernod Ricard Sales & Marketing Manager Murray Lang welcomed guests, before handing over to Colin, who talked us through a brief history of Chivas Regal - starting with the Chivas Regal 25 (which was introduced in 1909, disappeared during prohibition and didn't re-emerge until Colin brought it back in 2007), and introducing The Icon - likening it to Hong Kong ("an iconic city"), and explaining the increasing thirst for ultra-premium blends in Hong Kong and the broader Asia Pacific.

We learn from Colin that "The Icon" is not a "Limited Edition", but a "Limited Release", with only 1500 bottles released in 2015 (10 destined for HK), and 1800 to be released in 2016. Colin explained that the philosophy behind "The Icon" was to include "nuggets of lost distilleries" - little flavour nuggets from distillers no longer in operation - whilst staying true to the Chivas Regal style. Whilst those nuggets will differ from year to year, the overall style and profile will stay the same. We'd love to know a little more about the composition of the whisky (i.e. the oldest whisky, the youngest whisky, which closed distilleries were included etc...) but the focus with The Icon seems to be on the flavour as a whole, rather than the individual whiskies that make up the blend (fair enough). We did get a little more insight later in our blending session.

Lunch consisted of two courses followed by a tray of stunning petit fours. We found the first course (Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon Tartare, Crisp Toast and Cauliflower Cream) paired best with the Brothers' Blend - the smooth confectionary notes of the whisky blending well with the salmon's saltiness and the cream's tartness.

The second course (Seared Wagyu sirloin, glazed baby carrots on potato quenelle and sautéed French beans) matched the heavily-sherried Extra brilliantly (though also paired well with the 18).

After finishing our courses, the lights dimmed and the distinct sound of a sole violin could be heard, getting louder. The curtains opened and a violinist entered, followed by waiters carrying trays of domes, under each, a Riedel Vinum whisky glass glass. Hmm, what was this?

Colin then got up to introduce it as the Chivas Regal 25 year old, and explained that whilst there are no records of the original composition from 1909, it was known to contain Strathisla at its heart, just as the current release does today.

Chivas Regal 25 (40% ABV, 25yo, Blend, Scotland, $2,980HKD / $379.90AUD / £165.79)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour: Golden Orange
Nose: Peaches and fresh summer fruit salad (I have to say though - I'm not a big fan of the Riedel Vinum whisky glass for nosing).
Palate: Huge (considering we're only talking 40% ABV) but very smooth. Almonds, marzipan. Cadbury dairy milk, caramel. Hazelnuts! Definitely a dessert whisky.
Finish: Long with a smooth milk chocolate (not dark chocolate) hint.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100, and very enjoyable with nutty milk chocolates (which there just so happened to be several of in front of us!)

After several hours enjoying brilliant cocktails, food, whiskies and company, it was time for a few of us to join Colin in the "Icon Room" for an intimate blending session and, most importantly, a tasting of "The Icon" itself - but we'll save that for another post in a few days.

TimeforWhisky would like to say a tremendous thanks to Pernod Ricard Hong Kong and Stir PR Hong Kong for the invitations to all the wonderful events at the "House of Chivas".

Cheers,

Martin.

Australian launch of Chivas Regal "The Icon" with Colin Scott and the Art of Blending (Tasted #227)

The launch of Chivas Regal "The Icon" in the Australian market follows the launch of the Chivas "Extra", this time last year. Despite belonging to the same Chivas family, these two expressions are markedly different, with The Icon being an exclusive travel retail bottling targeted at the ultra-premium end of the market, contrasting with the Extra which is now available across bars and liquor retailers nationally. The difference between the two expressions does not instantly mean a difference in quality - in fact I am a fan of the Extra with its inherent richness and depth derived from a portion of Oloroso sherry cask matured whiskies.

The Icon launch was held at the Ivy Penthouse, an exquisite establishment overlooking Ivy Pool Club, and featuring a spa on the balcony (though the spa did not feature as part of the launch). The venue may well have been selected by the folks at Pernod Ricard as a a suitable match for the perceived exquisiteness of The Icon. As Colin Scott, the Chivas Regal Master Blender noted at the launch, The Icon shows of Chivas' past to resemble an Icon of the future. Clichéd as it may sound, The Icon does inherently carry some unique 'iconic' features which may (or may not) explain its place at the premium end of the market, including:

• The blend of whiskies, which feature rare, extremely well-aged whiskies from mothballed distilleries (though Colin was careful to not reveal the name of those distilleries)
• The whisky itself is housed in a specially hand-blown crystal decanter crafted by the guys at Dartington Crystal in Devon, United Kingdom. 
• A signature "luckenbooth" symbol stopper which represents the traditional Celtic symbol of love - featured as a seal for the bottle.

 

Before presenting The Icon for tasting, Colin suggested a brief whisky blending masterclass to explain the blending process and exemplify the variation in notes that can be derived from different blends. Colin spoke to the beauty of blending and how having a large amount of different whiskies and flavour notes can be advantageous and quite a blessing to blenders. Having been a fan of single malt and extremities from one single malt to another over the years, I was intrigued at the idea.

Two whiskies were presented for blending. The first whisky presented was an aged Strathisla, the core malt in any Chivas blend. The particular whisky presented was matured in ex-oloroso sherry casks for over 25 years. It carried a gold appearance and was fruity and sweet on the nose, with fruit cake, honey, raisins and sticky date notes all around. The palate of this particular whisky was soft - apple and dried spices were prominent with some meringue and chilli chocolate notes. It finished long and gentle with a hint of lingering peppermint.

The second whisky, a blended grain, matured in an ex-Bourbon barrel provided typical ex-Bourbon matured Scotch notes including honey and orange/citrus. Grain whisky plays a pivotal role in the composition of blends, often used as a base. This particular grain whisky was quite volatile on the palate, there were Christmas cake, clove, black pepper and cherry notes. The finish was soft and peppery though rather short.

Mixing the Strathisla with the grain whisky, various notes from both whiskies amalgamated with the blend becoming less volatile and the raisins and fruitcake notes from the Strathisla becoming more dominant. Depending on the ratio of Strathisla and the grain, we could balance between the dominant notes of the ex-oloroso and the dominant notes of the ex-bourbon. It was certainly an interesting experiment and adding a splash of water further transformed the blend.

The art of blending is no easy feat and Master Blenders can spend hours on end experimenting with different permutations of anywhere between two to over fifty different whiskies to try and maintain consistency with their blended whiskies.

Following our brief masterclass on the art of blending, it was onto the main highlight, The Icon. The Icon encompasses "nuggets of flavours from lost distilleries", Colin described as he passed the remarkably heavy and dense green-hued crystal decanter around the room.

Colin explained how, each year, only a limited number of bottles will be released to the market, potentially making it a limited edition, collectors item for whisky fans (though that is in contrast to the beliefs of many that whisky should be enjoyed rather than collected). Only 1,500 bottles will be released globally this year with an increase to around 1,800 bottles in 2016 and in 2017. 

Despite the total global allocation, Australia will only receive 30 bottles for its duty free market. With the small number of international airports and duty free stores across those airports, and the significant price point ($4,699AUD), the allocation may well be appropriate - clearly The Icon sits deep into the high ultra-premium whisky end of the market.

So how do all the unique features and exclusivity of the Icon stack up with the whisky that it represents?


Chivas Regal Icon (40% ABV, NAS, Scotland, $4,699AUD)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A premium limited edition blended whisky that features some of the rarest, oldest whiskies from mothballed distilleries in its blend. Collect it or drink it, personally, The Icon is an enjoyable whisky and presents a level of complexity on the nose and palate. 

Colour: Copper

Nose: The nose is rich and fruity; oranges, honey syrup are prominent during the initial whiff followed by a layer of spice, perhaps cloves. The nose then mellows into a more grassier note

Palate: The palate is soft, gentle almost creamy. The orange citrus appeared on the palate as it did on the nose, peach, vanilla cake and (gummy bears) notes followed. There's a hint of peat on the finish.

Finish: The finish is rather sweet initially before presenting a long lingering, white pepper spices

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

Chivas Regal The Icon is an ultra-premium travel retail offering and one that has been crafted with a mixture of new and old. Overall, The Icon is a complex blend and showcases the output of the art of blending, especially the art of blending with old whiskies from mothballed distilleries. Look out for The Icon next time you pass through duty free, and take the time to appreciate the finer details The Icon displays.

Cheers,
Hendy.

Time for Whisky would like to thank Pernod Ricard Australia and Cav Con for having us as part of the Chivas Regal 'The Icon' launch.