"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 )
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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 )
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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)
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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)
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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.

The Glenlivet pairing dinner at Le Méridien Cyberport Hong Kong

Steph and I had barely been back in Hong Kong a few days (after a great trip to Sydney) when an invite arrived for a whisky dinner with The Glenlivet, to be held at Le Méridien Cyberport. It'd been a few years since the last Glenlivet dinner we attended, and although Steph had plans,  my fondness for The Glenlivet (and you know, eating..) meant I wasn't about to say no. So on a Friday night recently, myself and good mate Eddie Nara jumped in a cab and headed towards "Sou ma gong" (Cyberport).

Upon arrival we were greeted by Darren Hosie (Regional Mentoring Manager for Chivas Bros and good friend of TimeforWhisky) and handed a cocktail made with Chivas and...Dragonfruit?! Different, but it worked perfectly as a refreshing antidote to the heat outside.

Taking our seats shortly after, the hotel's GM gave a brief introduction and explained how the hotel has run successful wine dinners in the past, but was looking to expand into whisky, hence the five malts laid out in front of us.

With guests ranging from whisky novices to enthusiasts (and one CEO of an Australian distillery...) Darren gave a brief introduction into how to taste / appreciate whisky, before we jumped into the first dram - The Glenlivet 12 Excellence. We first tasted the Excellence earlier this year with Charlie Maclean, and enjoyed the sherry matured notes that aren't present in the regular 12yo (the "Excellence" is designed for Asian palates and distribution is limited to only certain countries in Asia).

With hints of chocolate, orange, paprika and cinnamon, it's noticeably different to the regular 12yo, and when paired with Parma ham and (vodka-infused) melon balls, proved a great way to kick things off.

You'll have to forgive the references to "wine servings"...

Next came Steamed Foie Gras with Banana Chutney paired with The Glenlivet Nadurra. Whilst not the most visually-appealing dish, it was spot on in terms of flavours, and matched better than I'd expected with a cask strength whisky like the Nadurra.

Gazpacho on a heavenly-cloudy peach malange was next, paired with The Glenlivet 18. Given the spiciness of the dish, at first I thought this might have paired better with the Nadurra....but that just goes to show you why I'm not a chef (or food pairing expert). This was a fantastic pairing, with the spiciness of the dish picking up the some of the cloves and asian spices in the 18yo, and adding an overall Demerara-like sweetness. 

Next came Roasted beef fillet topped with Hazelnut, seasonable vegetables and orange gravy, paired with The Glenlivet XXV (25yo). A subtle / nuanced dram with a simple dish like a well cooked piece of beef was a smart option, and again these two complimented each other well.

Desserts often provide an opportunity for great whisky pairings, and this was no exception, with Whisky chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream playing nicely off the sweeter, apple-like notes in the Limousin-aged The Glenlivet 15yo French Oak, even adding some hints of cinnamon that weren't obvious in either the dish or the whisky on their own.

In addition to the whisky and food pairings being a big success, the event also struck that perfect balance by being informative without going over guests' heads (or worse, putting them to sleep). With each course Darren gave a brief intro, explained a little about the whisky and thought process behind the pairing, and that was it. Guests seemed to appreciate the introduction, but also the chance to form their own thoughts on each pairing.

With the courses finished (and an extra dram or two of the XXV to wrap things up) it was time to call it a night. I'd have to say as the first Le Méridien Cyberport whisky pairing dinner it was a big success, and I look forward to seeing them run others in the future. Whilst I'd kindly been given a ticket courtesy of Pernod Ricard, at $888/head the dinner was great value - especially when you consider you'd almost pay that for a single dram of XXV in some Hong Kong bars!

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Darren, Pernod Ricard HK and Le Méridien Cyberport for the invite.

Cheers,
Martin.

The Glenlivet "Exclusive Whisky Party" (Hong Kong)

Pernod Ricard Hong Kong, in conjunction with the new Whisky Magazine Hong Kong & Macau (which you'll be hearing more about shortly) recently held an "Exclusive Whisky Party" at the recently-opened Seafood Room in Causeway Bay, with stunning views out over Hong Kong harbour.

Despite the name, the party was probably the busiest and most well-attended Hong Kong whisky Party we've attended (and we've been to plenty), with crowds filling almost every inch of Seafood Room's humungous 10,000 combined sq ft space. In one way though, the party was "exclusive", with guests being the first in Hong Kong to try the latest single cask offering - the 52.5% 16 year old "Bletherman". 

Unfortunately we couldn't make the earlier tasting session, and were only able to try it from a tumbler so we don't have detailed tasting notes, but what we did taste we liked - an incredibly rich dram, sherried but not overly so, with a delicious vanilla creaminess. Limited to 570 bottles, we suspect quite a few were gone by the end of the night.

With so many guests, you'd hope there'd be enough to keep everyone entertained...and the organisers didn't disappoint, with cocktails, cigars, a rooftop band performance, food stations (including some fantastic Jamón, but surprisingly little seafood), a choice of The Glenlivet drams (12, 15, 18, Single Cask "Bletherman" and Guardian's Chapter, which we helped select way back in 2013) and a whisky and tea pairing station, not to mention a photo station (where guests could have their photo taken and receive it instantly via e-mail and a few minutes later in printed form).

The highlight though was the game table, where guests tasted whiskies and nosed scents, and used tokens to guess the whisky / flavour. Winners at the end of the night walked away with a bottle of Glenlivet 12 Excellence and the Guardian's Chapter.

With the whisky flowing and everyone seemingly having a great time, the only downside of the night was when reality struck and we realised we had work the next morning...

Oh well, one more "Bletherman" for the road... (when it's gone, it's gone, right?)

Cheers,

Martin.

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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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.

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)
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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.