This week in whisk(e)y #20 - Teeling Whiskey, Boilermaker House, a newway to try Whisky in Australia, Ardbeg Space Aged Tour and TheGlenlivet Founder's Reserve

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice.

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week or so (including other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph, Hendy & or I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

Teeling Whiskey Distillery officially opens its doors
We've talked about Teeling Whiskey a bit on this site in the past, and found it to be extraordinarily good value, and a perfect example of a "new age" of Irish whiskey distillers (although the company is also selling aged expressions from a previous era of the distillery).

To firmly establish themselves as a distillery that's in it for the long haul, TWC have recently opened a brand new distillery - the first in the city of Dublin for 125 years.

Quoting the press release:

"The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) today officially opened its brand new distillery and visitor centre in The Liberties, Dublin. The €10 million distillery is the first in Dublin in over 125 years and the only fully operational distillery in the city at present.

As well as fully functioning distillery, there is a state-of-the-art visitor centre which will host whiskey tasting tours, a café, a bar, a private event space for hire and a gift shop. The visitor centre will officially start taking paying visitors from Saturday, 13th June and will be open from 9.30am - 5.30pm 7 days a week. 

Founded by Jack Teeling in 2012, TWC was set up to revive his family-old trademark of Irish whiskey and bring distilling back to Dublin, where Walter Teeling had a distillery on Marrowbone Lane in the 18th century.  The Teeling Whiskey Company is run by Jack together with his brother Stephen.

The opening of this new distillery means that TWC has complete control of all aspects of its whiskey production, from grain to bottle, so that it can truly lead the category in terms of innovation and build on the company’s ever growing reputation of producing some of the world’s best whiskeys. Most recently, Teeling Single Malt was named ‘World’s Best’ at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards and Teeing Small Batch was awarded ‘Best Blended Irish Whiskey’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Irish whiskey is currently experiencing a surge in popularity both at home and abroad and is the fastest growing spirits category in the world. According to an IWSR/Just drinks report*, Irish whiskey is expected to grow by +60% between 2014 and 2019 and it is estimated that 96m bottles of Irish whiskey will be sold globally by 2016.

Jack Teeling, founder and managing director of the Teeling Whiskey Company commented: “Today is a momentous day in the history of our company and something we have been working towards for the last three years. We are delighted to officially open our brand new distillery and bring back the tradition of distilling to Dublin.  We are also looking forward to opening our doors to our first official visitors this weekend and we’re confident that our distillery will become a must-visit destination for tourists to Dublin from all over the world."

For more on the Teeling Whiskey Company and its award winning Irish Whiskeys, visit www.TeelingWhiskey.com"

Boilermaker House opens in Melbourne
We've always been big fans of Sydney's Eau de Vie bar, their sister bar in Melbourne, and in fact most of what Sven Almenning and his team have come up with over the years (including their partnership with Bakery Hill,  their pre-batched cocktails and their own Smoked Bacon Bourbon). So although we haven't been yet, we have no doubt that the latest venture, Boilermaker House in Melbourne's CBD, will be a huge success. With almost 700 whiskies, 12 craft beers on tap and good as well, how could it not be?
As the bar claims....

"Boilermaker House is a whisky and craft beer venue that serves up Eau de Vie standard cocktails, dinner until late and also boasts a meat and cheese bar, all of which are open to 3am every day. WIN!

We have close to 700 whiskies from all over the world on the back bar, 12 craft beers on tap, and another 30 odd in the fridge. And with over 40 varieties of cured meat & cheese, the combinations are endless.

We're open 7days from 5pm, and Thursday to Sunday you can also check us out for lunch from midday."

Boilermaker House is open now and can be found at 209 Lonsdale St, Melbourne.



TheWhiskyOrder.com.au - a new way to try whisky in Australia
Whilst we're not affiliated with this business, nor do we have any commercial interests in the Australian (or HK) whisky scene whatsoever, we do appreciate new or different approaches to whisky appreciation, and one such recent example from Australia is TheWhiskyOrder.com.au, who are offering subscription-based taster packs to open Aussies to new and interesting whisky expressions they otherwise might not get to try.In Steve (the founder's) own words:

The Whisky Order is a whisky sample subscription box that sends out 4-5 unique samples each month. Each month is themed (e.g.; world whisk(e)y, peaty monsters, sherry bomb) and a range of whisky is chosen to give each subscriber an overview of the taste spectrum.

I get a nice tasting mat made each month and try to include as much as possible in the little parcels of whisky goodness. For example last month I worked with Mornington Peninsula chocolates to do a taste paring with some nice chocolates that were included for each subscriber.

www.thewhiskyorder.com.au is the address and they ship Australia-wide.

Ardbeg Space Aged Tour
The Ardbeg team have done it again in pushing the innovation boundaries. A slightly different twist this time around with the preview of a space-aged whisky. Supposedly, after NASA heard about Ardbeg's Supernova, they sent a note to Ardbeg to see if aging whisky in space is an idea worth exploring.

So why send a whisky to space? Apparently to study the effects of maturation in zero gravity.. and also to celebrate the fact that Ardbeg can! David White, International Director of Ardbeg & Glenmorangie explained that the maturation experiment also allowed the study of zero-gravity on whisky terpenes. Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks, who led the research explains:

“Ardbeg is known for taking risks in its development of some of the most coveted whiskies in the world, so it is fitting that it is the first Distillery ever to go into space. We are now close to finding answers to something previously unknown which is truly exciting. We hope to shine new light on the effect of gravity on the maturation process and are very excited to bring the Ardbeg Space Aged Tour to Australia, as one of only ten countries around the world”

The vial of Ardbeg has made its way to space from Kazakhstan, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) from 2011 through to 12th September 2014, spending roughly 3 years in zero-gravity orbit.

Quite a young whisky indeed spending with only a mere three years in zero-gravity maturation though this youngster will be one of the most (if not the most) expensive Ardbeg at €10,000 just for the vial (and that's only for the starting bid for the auction of this space aged vial).

This vial, along with its unique, floating ‘zero-gravity’ display case will be exhibited at Dan Murphy’s, Double Bay NSW through to 16th July 2015. 

The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve

The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve has arrived in Australia and will set to replace the ever-popular and classic Glenlivet 12yo.

Hendy was fortunate enough to attend the launch of this new expression and he will be posting up his thoughts on the Founder's Reserve in the next few weeks. Until then, here's a bit of info on the new expression:

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve launched in Australia on 1 July 2015, and will become the new, permanent benchmark expression in the brand’s core range.  It has been created as the ultimate tribute to founder George Smith’s original vision to craft the definitive, smooth single malt whisky. The announcement has come in the wake of an unparalleled year of growth for the brand, with new expressions and continued innovation underpinning its success. According to Anne Martin, Marketing Director for Pernod Ricard Australia, “Founder’s Reserve brings to life the heart and soul of The Glenlivet. We are very proud to introduce this new expression during what has been an incredible twelve months for the brand, which will enable us to meet increased demand for super-premium spirits with something unique to offer. The Glenlivet has the largest share of the Australian Single Malt Market, at 26 per cent*.” With Founder’s Reserve, The Glenlivet house style is skilfully complemented with a creaminess and sweetness from the addition of First Fill American oak casks, resulting in a malt of exceptional smoothness; the very quality for which George Smith’s The Glenlivet was widely admired and appreciated in his day. 

The introduction of Founder’s Reserve follows on from the recent historic release of The Glenlivet Winchester Collection, the world’s first collection of 50 Year Old single malt Scotch whiskies. Launched in Australia in October 2014, the collection is anticipated to become one of the most sought after and priceless whisky collections in the world and epitomises the brand’s commitment to innovation in crafted Scotch whisky. 

This newly launched Glenlivet Founder's Resrve will be available in Australia starting from this month, for A$64.99.

Until next time...

Cheers,

Martin & Hendy. 

Tasted #195: Four Roses Single Barrel 100 Proof (#101drams)

Time to get stuck back into the #101drams list, and why not kick things off after a few months' break with something American?

I first heard about Four Roses when reading the recipe for a Benton's Old Fashioned at PDT New York, and after trying it in the cocktail, wanted to try the various Four Roses releases on their own. It's a pretty ubiquitous Bourbon in the states, but not as common in Australia, and even less so in Hong Kong.

This is their single barrel 100 proof release, tasted by way of a sample bottle from Master of Malt.


Four Roses Single Barrel 100 Proof (50% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, $110AUD / £39.70)
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Colour: Orange gold

Nose: Marmalade, creamed honey with a huge backbone of spice.

Palate: Buttery, but surprisingly light for it's 50% ABV (100 proof). 100 proof isn't huge (not when compared with the likes of some SMWS releases or a Heartwood), but this drank more like a light 40% ABV whisky. At first anyway. With a bit of air it opened up, and big spicy notes (I guessed a high rye content, and Google later told me this Bourbon has one of the highest rye contents of any Bourbon on the market, at 35%). Butter menthols and Werther's Originals round out a tasty, if only slightly lacking palate.

Finish: Oak and a slight bitterness, with toffee notes through to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Very sippable, though I expected slightly more "oomph", and a bit more complexity on the palate.

Cheers,
Martin.

The Balvenie Craft Fair & Winter Picnic

The (now annual) Balvenie Craft Fair has come early this year. For this year's Craft Fair, The Balvenie has partnered with one of the most elegant and majestic Victorian city arcades in Sydney, The Strand Arcade. The partnering has revealed an interesting parallel between the two great icons. Both The Balvenie (distillery) and The Strand Arcade were founded in 1891 and were both completed in 1892. Coincidence, I certainly believe so.

Titled "The Balvenie Craft Fair & Winter Picnic", this year's craft fair will not only showcase the classic Balvenie whisky core expressions with different artisan craft products (similar to last year's craft fair) but also artisan food products from the resident stores at the Strand Arcade. The food products that are being showcased over the next few days include olive oil (by Pendolino), mulled wine (by Gewürzhaus) to the freshly roasted cashews (by The Nut Shop).

 

With The Balvenie (William Grant & Sons - WG&S) being the sponsor, the brand will open up a Balvenie 'pop-up' bar in front of the Strand Hatters, near the George Street entrance of the arcade and also host a series of The Balvenie masterclasses throughout the next three days (Friday 26 June through to Sunday 28 June) every hour, by the hour.

The bar and the masterclasses will be hosted by the awesome duo whisky specialists from WG&S, Laura Hay and Richard Blanchard. Richard, being the bar/cocktail specialist, will most likely man The Balvenie pop-up bar, serving up sample of the Balvenie 12 YO DoubleWood to those passing through The Strand Arcade whilst Laura, with the masterclasses, will be educating individuals on the history of The Balvenie and the artisan pairing with The Balvenie classic core expressions, including:

• The Balvenie 12 YO DoubleWood;
• The Balvenie 14 YO Caribbean Cask; and
• The Balvenie 17 YO DoubleWood

I have had the opportunity to preview The Balvenie Craft Fair & Winter Picnic as well as The Balvenie Masterclass tonight and I have to say that both, the craft fair and the masterclass, showcased what the Strand Arcade has to offer from an artisan craft and food perspective and also The Balvenie core expressions, which we all love here at Time for Whisky. 

I for one, have been visiting Gumption, a resident artisan coffee store at the Strand Arcade over the years. Gumption have consistently delivered excellent coffee using beans from Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville and at the fair, Gumption will host a bean bar to provide people with the opportunity to sample their different coffee expressions.

The Balvenie Masterclass being previewed tonight was hosted by the lovely Laura Hay, WG&S Whisky Specialist. Laura was given the opportunity to pair up the Balvenie 12YO, 14YO (Caribbean Cask) and the 17YO with the different artisan food products from a number of stores at The Strand, food products that complemented the three Balvenie expressions nicely.

To symbolise and celebrate the craft fair, Laura also spoke about the little ant figurine she is holding in the photo above. Named after the Master Coppersmith at the Balvenie Distillery, Denis McBain, the ant figurine represented the crafty nature of ants and Denis had been chosen given his creative, refined and talented skill in maintaining the giant copper pot stills for over fifty years at The Balvenie distillery.

The Balvenie 12YO DoubleWood had been paired with a couple of candied macadamia nuts from The Nut Shop. The candied macadamia nuts added a layer of caramelisation and vanilla to the palate of the 12YO and transformed the pairing into a beautiful creme brûlée on the finish -- it was an interesting pairing to the 12YO. Laura had also elaborated on the history of the Nut Shop, having been open for more than 75 years, the Nut Shop is one of the oldest store at the Strand Arcade and had previously prepared and roasted various nuts on-site, though the preparation and roasting have now been moved to Waterloo in the East. Below is a photo of Daniel, the grandson of the founder of the Nut Shop with his son and daughter at the pop-up version of the Nut Shop.

Laura then described how she had paired the Balvenie 14YO Caribbean Cask with a slice of creme brûlée from the Sweet Infinity patisserie at The Strand and having experienced the creme brûlée note from the last tasting, it made the transition from the 12YO to the 14YO quite nice. The pairing of the creme brûlée with the 14YO Caribbean Cask had managed to bring out the rum notes and also a hint of cinnamon. The 14YO on its own, is quite remarkable and the creme brûlée simply elevated the notes on the palate.

The last pairing in the masterclass was the pairing of the excellent Balvenie 17YO DoubleWood with the equally excellent Haigh's chocolate (52% cocoa) frog. Why the frog you ask? Haigh’s Chocolates have supported a number of research projects to protect Australia’s endangered frog species and their fragile environment and as such, represented Haigh's value. The 52% cocoa was chosen by Laura as Laura felt that the chocolate balanced well with the 17YO which, on its own, is quite an elegant Balvenie expression with lots of toffee and vanilla notes to complement the chocolate.  

 

The Balvenie Craft Fair & Winter Picnic festival is definitely worth checking out over the next three days (see the festival hours here) and The Balvenie Masterclass will also be running throughout the festival hours, and can be booked via Eventbrite (tickets are $15 per person and proceeds will be donated to the charity Soldier On).

- Hendy.

Distilery Tour #5 and Bar Review #16: Archie Rose Distilling Company (Sydney, Australia) (Tasted #193-194)

If you fancy yourself a fan of whisky, especially "world whisky", you'll no doubt know that Australian whisky has been exploding in popularity of late (and with good reason - for the most part, it's bloody good stuff).

Despite the fact that many people automatically associate "Australian whisky" with "Tasmanian whisky", there are a number of quality whiskies (or soon-to-be whiskies) being produced in other states, including Victoria (New World Whisky Distillery, Bakery Hill), Western Australia (Great Southern Distilling Co) and now right in the heart of Sydney, New South Wales, with the recent opening of Archie Rose Distilling Co.

When I first heard about Archie Rose, I've got to admit I was more than a little excited. A new whisky distillery, right in my home city of Sydney, with Dave Withers (formerly of The Oak Barrel and one of the most knowledgable whisky folk I know) at the helm of production? How could we Sydney whisky fans not be excited?!

The excitement grew when I started seeing pictures and hearing more about the distillery, including the amazing bar, the tours, and the spirits being produced.

Fast forward to Easter time, when Steph and I were back in Sydney and the aforementioned Dave was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give us an in-depth tour and tasting of the spirits being produced. It was my fourth distillery tour in 5 months, across 3 different countries (none of them Scotland, although that's happening next month)...and easily the one I was most looking forward to.

Archie Rose is located in Rosebery, in the same former industrial complex as Kitchen by Mike and Black Star Pastry. The impressive space is conveniently split into two by a walkway - on one side, the production and cask storage, on the other, the (hugely impressive) bar, designed by the same team behind The Grounds of Alexandria (where we attended the Tullamore D.E.W tasting last year).

We (wisely) started our tour on the production side, where Dave talked us through a number of interesting points about the distillery, including:

• The two different maltings currently used - malted barley and malted rye
• The equipment - including the hopper which takes a 600kg mash, is hand spun and is a "pain" when working the rye
• The mash tun and stills, created by Peter Bailly of Tasmania (who also produced Old Hobart Distillery's stills)
• The Italian-made fermenters, with water jacketing to control temperature
• The two main stills (the steam-heated wash still - the largest in Australia at 3,600L, and the spirit still at 1,700L),
• The smaller (300L) gin still - a modified Carter-head still through which 14 botanicals impart the gin's flavour, including Lemon myrtle, blood lime, juniper, angelia root, ginger and orange.
• The use of "Loch Rosebery" water - aka Sydney town water (although Sydney town water that's been twice carbon-filtered and passed through a UV filter, mind you.)

The new make spirit comes off the stills at 70% ABV, and is described as robust due to the short, squat stills and narrow necks. Dave (who it has to be said, has a fantastic palate / nose) describes the foreshots as having notes of "permanent markets", the hearts as "honey" and the tails as "lamb fat". Very distinctive then!

Interestingly, the (white) rye currently being sold isn't exactly the same new make as goes into the barrels for aging - it's a spirit made specifically to be enjoyed unaged, by ensuring a lower temperature towards the end of fermentation. For the spirit that is aged though, Archie Rose vat 4-5 barrels' worth at a time, and use virgin oak for the rye (and a future bourbon release), and Buffalo Trace barrels (re-charred in Tasmania) for others.

Steph and I were fortunate enough to taste Archie Rose's Rye that had been aged for a whole 1 day. Whilst not a whisky, and only at 27% ABV, it was an interesting insight into what the future might hold...


Archie Rose 1 day old Rye (27% ABV, 1 day old, Sydney, Australia)
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Colour: More than you'd think for one day old (I guess the virgin oak helps). Pale straw.
Nose: Banoffee pie with thick rich caramel.
Palate: More Banoffee pie / banana notes. Sweet.
Finish: Short as you might expect, with some toffee and caramel notes at the end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. Not overly complex (c'mon, it's a new born and only 27% ABV), but incredibly smooth, absolutely no harshness whatsoever, and with the potential to turn into a robust, complex and fantastic whisky. If it's this good after 1 day, I can't wait to try it with a few years under its belt.

Dave went on to explain that, under current legislation in New South Wales, a distiller can't apply for a licence until the entire operation is pretty much ready to go. Building acquired and equipment purchased and installed. That's a pretty significant outlay for someone to make with no guarantee of a licence! Luckily, there were no such concerns with Archie Rose. For what it's worth, in our opinion a destination like this can only be a good thing for Sydney - not just to put NSW back on the "Aussie Whisky" map, but from a City of Sydney tourism perspective too.

Archie Rose run tours where they open the distillery to the public, allow visitors to see the production and even taste some of the product, during and after production. At $10AUD (tour) or $20 (tour + tasting), it's pretty good value. Details here.

With our tour over, it was onto the bar....

...and what a stunning bar it was. With a copper bar and booths that look like large wooden mashtuns, the spirits theme clearly runs right throughout the venue (and just in case you forgot where you where, there are barrels stacked 4 high and 12 wide right above said booths).

With a large education / function space upstairs, expert mixologists mixing cocktails from 12pm to 10pm 7 days/week, and an incredible spirits selection (don't fancy an Archie Rose white rye, gin or vodka? How does a Pappy van Winkle 23 grab you? Or a Smith's Angaston 14yo?), the bar is the sort of venue you could happily call your local (and from what we saw, it seems many already are).

Given we were inside a distillery though, it would have been rude not to try the line-up (Vodka, Gin and White Rye). All were smooth, very sippable and impeccably made, but this is a whisky blog after all, and so we'll focus on the White Rye here.

Archie Rose White Rye (40% ABV, unaged, Sydney, Australia)
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Colour: As naked (clear) as the day it was born.
Nose: White chocolate.
Palate: Rich, thick, chewy. Chocolate and hazelnuts, with some meatiness. Robust and complex for an unaged spirit.
Finish: Some slight vegetal notes (asparagus?!), more hazelnuts and a short to medium length.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. There are new makes I can't stand, and others I could happily sip neat. This definitely falls into the latter category.

If you're a whisky fan living in Sydney (and even if you're not a whisky fan), we highly recommend dropping by Archie Rose at least for a drink, if not for a tour. Judging by the number of (non-whisky fanatic) friends I've seen having a great time here on Facebook, Archie Rose are onto an absolute winner here, and we can't wait to see what goodies they produce in the coming years.

All the best fellas.

Time for Whisky would like to thank Archie Rose (and especially Dave Withers) for taking the time to give us an in-depth tour and tasting. 

Cheers,
Martin.

PR #28: Hibiki Japanese Harmony launches in Australia and "The House of Suntory" exclusive takeovers return

Hibiki Japanese Harmony launches in Australia

At Time for Whisky we're big fans of Japan, the Japanese whisky/bar scene and Japanese whisky in general, and right up there amongst our favourite whiskies are those by Suntory - not only their excellent single malts, but also their famous blend Hibiki.

Last year Suntory launched the NAS Yamazaki and Hakushu "Distiller's Reserve" (along with the official launch of the rest of the range, Hibiki 12 and 17 included), and this year it's Hibiki's turn for a NAS (No Age Statement) release, with the "Japanese Harmony" just having been launched in Australia.

With Hendy having attended the Sydney launch last night, and myself having attended a tasting in Tokyo with Suntory's Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo last month, we'll have our own thoughts up on the Japanese Harmony soon. Until then, here's the press release...

23 June 2015 – Japanese whisky lovers will be delighted with the launch of Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky, the latest masterpiece from the award-winning House of Suntory, available in the Australian market from June 2015. 

Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a meticulous and refined blend that offers a symphony of more than 12 malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries, developed by third-generation Master Blender Shingo Torii and fourth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. 

The entrepreneurial spirit and discerning palate of Shinjiro Torii, founder of Suntory and Japanese Whisky, gave rise to the creation of Hibiki in 1989 to commemorate the 90 year anniversary of Suntory. Distilled with the purest waters and the most refined techniques, it is no surprise that the oriental nuances and complex, distinct character of Suntory’s whisky is the drink of choice for whisky connoisseurs the world over. 

Hibiki Japanese Harmony, thoughtfully presented in the classic 24-faceted glass bottle symbolizing the 24 seasons of the old Japanese lunar calendar, pays tribute to the original Hibiki blend. 

Fukuyo meticulously used the exact malt and grain whiskies that went into the first Hibiki blend; American White Oak malt whiskies form a solid base, which are accentuated by the rare Mizunara (Japanese oak) and Sherry malt whiskies. 

These exceptional malt whiskies are the backbone of the award-winning Hibiki range – Hibiki 17yrs, 21yrs, 30yrs and now, Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Grain whiskies from Suntory’s Chita distillery act as the “dashi” or broth, to complete the personality of the malt whiskies and enhance the overall harmony of flavour of Hibiki. 

The newest member of the House of Suntory is extremely versatile, recommended to be enjoyed neat, blended with water, mixed as a cocktail, or served with a hand-carved ice ball for the ultimate Japanese whisky experience, and enhances any dining experience. 

Whilst I love the Hibiki 17, anyone with a passing interest in whisky would have to recognise the constrained supply of aged malts (impacting whisky producing nations all over the world), and the related increasing prices (or in the case of Nikka - entire deletion of age statement malts!), so it's good to see Suntory responding by ensuring we can continue to enjoy Hibiki well into the future. It's also pleasing to see they've kept the stunning Hibiki bottle design for "Japanese Harmony"!

Hibiki "Japanese Harmony" retails in Australia for $95AUD.



The House of Suntory Exclusive Takeover Returns

As if the launch of a new Hibiki wasn't enough, Suntory are bringing back their "House of Suntory" bar takeovers in 2015, giving whisky fans in both Sydney and Melbourne a chance to enjoy the range in

22 June 2015 – Suntory, the pioneer of Japanese whisky, once again invites Australia into The House of Suntory Exclusive Takeover this winter. Following huge success in 2014, the sophisticated pop up will also celebrate the introduction of The House of Suntory’s newest member, Hibiki Japanese Harmony.

The award winning distiller welcomes consumers into The House of Suntory to discover the art of Japanese whisky and experience an evening of utmost omotenashi; the Japanese spirit of hospitality. A specially designed three and six course paired menu created exclusively for the pop up will explore the marriage between Japanese whisky and cuisine, including bespoke Suntory Whisky cocktails and izakaya style bar food.

Launched last year to celebrate an expanded portfolio of luxury whiskies, the one-night-only event sold out at venues across Australia. To welcome Hibiki Japanese Harmony, The House of Suntory will this year run on each Wednesday of July and August, first at Melbourne’s award-winning Japanese bar and dining room, Hihou, in July before arriving in Sydney at the new Japanese small bar, Tokyo Bird, in August. 

“We have expanded The House of Suntory Takeover series to allow even more Australians to be acquainted with Suntory Whisky. In line with true Japanese hospitality, we want everyone to enjoy the subtle complexity of Suntory Whisky and experience the range in the style its founder, Shinjiro Torii intended it to be consumed; alongside beautiful Japanese cuisine,” said Narelle McDonald, Beam Suntory Australia Group Marketing Manager.

“We are excited to welcome a new whisky masterpiece to this year’s events, Hibiki Japanese Harmony. It’s a harmonious blend reflecting the craftsmanship and delicate nature of the Japanese. With its honey like sweetness, it is perfectly paired with complex flavours and desserts. The full Suntory Whisky portfolio will also be available The House of Suntory, including the gently smoky Hakushu and our flagship single malt, Yamazaki. Consumers who attended last year will also welcome the return of the highball - whisky mixed with soda, ice and a mint or lemon garnish - which has been incredibly popular.” said McDonald.

The House of Suntory Exclusive Takeover returns as consumers interest in Japanese whisky continues to rise. An increasing desire for luxury experiences and experiential drink offerings has amplified the popularity of Japanese whisky with Australian consumers. Last year also marked the first time a Japanese whisky was awarded the Whisky Bible’s whisky of the year, with Suntory Whisky’s Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 being awarded top honour.

The House of Suntory will launch at Hihou on Wednesday 1 July and will take over the venue each Wednesday evening during July. Consumers can celebrate the arrival of the new Hibiki Japanese Harmony and enjoy on a hand-carved ice sphere. Prices are $55 per person for a 3 course tasting menu, while a 6 course dinner will cost $120 per person. Suntory Whisky drinks with matching bar snacks will also be available daily throughout the month of July.

Tokyo Bird owners Tina and Jason are good friends of this blog, and have quickly established themselves as the place to go in Sydney for authentic Japanese whisky, cocktails and yakitori. We have no doubt these events will be well worth the (quite reasonable) prices.

Cheers,

Martin.

Ardbeg Day 2015 Sydney review (Tasted #192)

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Ardbeg Distillery in 1815. Over the years (but particularly since its revival by Glenmorangie in 1997) Ardbeg has undoubtedly become a household name amongst whisky drinkers, aficionados and lovers alike. In fact, through the global Ardbeg Committee program, Ardbeg has gathered quite a large stronghold globally, in excess of 100,000 Ardbeg fans alike - or as they are better known, Ardbeggians!

To celebrate this 200th anniversary, Ardbeg first announced the date for the Ardbeg Day back in February 2015, then it launched ARTbeg in May, an interactive art exhibition showcasing Ardbeg’s past, present and future. In early May, Ardbeg Day 2015 was finally unveiled with the notion that we ought to look forward rather than look back, 'to look forward to the next 200 years.' 

 

Ardbeg Day 2015, or rather Ardbeg Day 2215 was held at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, a futuristic designed cruise terminal. I have personally never been to this side of Rozelle, away from the bustling Darling Street. The White Bay Cruise Terminal is rather secluded along the south-eastern fringe of Rozelle and lines the narrow White Bay. It was here, in this futuristic, spacious terminal that we and hundreds of Ardbeggians alike gathered to kick off the Ardbeg Day 2015 celebration.

Given the futuristic theme, upon walking in, you are greeted by hostesses donning futuristic hair and make-up, resembling figures that may have travelled from a time in the distant future. Inside the terminal segways, hoverboards, futuristic giant Ardbeg light helium balloons and robo-Shorties were scattered throughout, oh and there’s the DeLorean — having travelled from 1985, then to 1885 then to 2015 (and finally to 2215, arriving at the Ardbeg Day celebration). Ardbeggians were allowed access to the DeLorean where they were able to put on super slick sunnies and have their photos taken using an old school polaroid camera.

Then there were these cake pops, arriving on a decadent lush forest clad wooden block - something that may perhaps have been brought out by Heston Blumenthal out of his Heston's Feasts show. Luscious, exciting, delicious and futuristic.

At the corner of the room was also a table of produce and a large platter of Mushroom gnocchi to complement the canapés being served.

  

I arrived late to the day and missed out on the official launch of the Ardbeg Perpetuum by Andrew Derbridge of the SMWS, though Garth, LVMH Ambassador was kind enough to source me a serve of the Perpetuum - tasting notes below. On first taste, the Perpetuum is lighter and more delicate than the other Ardbeg expressions - though still retaining the Ardbeg smoke.

These are Ardbeg Haars, or the Ardbeg vaporisers. These Haars were out to play on the day. Manned by the man in a lab coat, they looked quite scientific and rather cool. I missed trying out the Haar at the Whisky Show in May and I was looking forward to trying them out when I saw them. The Ardbeg Haar makes use of the Ardbeg 10 year old and converts the liquid Ardbeg into its vapour form. A straw is given to you through which you inhale the sweet, glorious Ardbeg 10 year old vapour just like a cigarette. Sweet, glorious and peat filled vapour. I have to say, the Ardbeg 10 year old vapour is a lot better than the Ardbeg 10 year old in its liquid form.

Following all the inhaling, photo-taking and dramming, the Ardbeg Day celebration came to a close at the Terminal. We were informed that another celebration was kicking off at one of the Ardbeg embassies, the Stitch Bar in the Sydney CBD. A shuttle bus couriered us Ardbeggians that decided to kick-on straight to Stitch Bar.

Stitch Bar, as one of the Ardbeg embassies, also donned Ardbeg Day gear from the neon-lit Ardbeg Day sign, to all the bar-staff wearing Ardbeg Day t-shirt and also making another appearance - the Ardbeg Haar.

The Haar was still being prepared when the crowd arrived though was in full swing later that night and became quite a spectacle with the crowd.

 

Similar to last year and the year before, Ardbeg Jeroboam (4.5L) bottles were visible throughout the day and with the Perpetuum, it was no different. The Perpetuum Jeroboam was present at Stitch Bar, providing us all with additional tasting opportunities of the Perpetuum.

So what is the Perpetuum like?

Ardbeg Perpetuum (47.4% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, $169AUD)

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A nice, balanced and gentle Ardbeg, wait -- did someone say gentle?! A nice dram to have on a mild winter night when you crave an Ardbeg though prefer, perhaps, a Speyside on the palate. Nevertheless, the Ardbeg smoke lingers throughout.

Colour: Light brass

Nose: There's that wet moss and damp grass that builds up to hints of iodine, sea salt and oh, the light  gentle peat comes through (quite surprising for an Ardbeg).

Palate: The palate is wet and mouth coating, translating the wet moss from the nose to the palate. There's dark bitter chocolate, seaweed, brine, a touch of vanilla and builds onto gingerbread crumbs.

Finish: The finish is medium long, mouth-coating and fresh. The finish leaves you with light spices and also leaves you salivating for more.

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

Continuing the Ardbeg Day celebration, I took on the opportunity to savour other Ardbeg expressions at the bar, from Uigedail to Corryvreckan. The night lingered and the Ardbeg adventure continued. Ardbeg Day 2015 was a fun day, similar to the fun we had last year and the year before. 

Over the past two hundred years, Ardbeg has become quite a revered name globally in the whisky industry and its various releases are innovative and tantalising, especially recently with Auriverdes, Supernova and this year's Perpetuum. As Ardbeg has noted, we all ought to look forward rather than backward and if the future is anything like the past 200 years, the next 200 years will undoubtedly be more fun and exciting - so here's to the next 200 years!

If you missed this year's celebration, you can always join in on the fun at next year's Ardbeg Day. Make sure you sign up to the global Ardbeg Committee to be updated with new releases, events and more.

Happy Ardbeg Day 2015!

Cheers
Hendy

'Ladies who Whisky' launch at Hullett House

We’ve been fans of Hullett House’s Whisky@Stables bar since it opened in 2014 - for the whisky selection and theme that seamlessly ties the menu, décor and drink to produce a relaxed space to enjoy a dram or few. What’s new and interesting is a new series of tasting evenings called ‘Ladies who whisky’ (which we originally mentioned back in May) that aims to celebrate whisky with the fairer sex. As a "lady who whiskies", I went along to the sample night / launch to check out what this event was all about.

The sample class was run by John of the Aroma Academy, our kilt-wearing friend who enjoys a variety of whisky-based roles here in HK as an Aroma Academy presenter, distributor of Hepburn's Choice, and Asia Pacific importer of Glencairn glasses. The intimate space of the Whisky@Stables bar was full of a diverse selection of women from different careers, backgrounds and experiences with whisky - and a fair few men came along for the ride too. The majority of attendees admitted that they were new to the world of whisky, so they were in the right place.

John talked the group through whisky vocabulary, how to recognise aromas, what aromas may be detected in whisky, and how our past experiences with smells influence what we now pick up. We were given various oils to smell and guess the scent, and then as a group matched scent profiles to a whisky. On the whole it was a lot of fun with great company, delicious canapés and a tasty dram to finish on.

The future sessions run fortnightly throughout throughout June, July and August and contain some interesting pairings, such as whisky and cheese, whisky and fashion, whisky and caviar and even and whisky and lipstick! See this link for more information.

- Steph.