Teeling Whiskey launches in Hong Kong

A wonderful thing happened in Hong Kong in late 2015 - something sure to excite many whisky (or more appropriately, whiskey) drinkers. Teeling Whiskey found a distributor, in Summergate Fine Wines & Spirits, making the core range officially available in Hong Kong.

We've written on many occasions about our love of Teeling Whiskey, which stems from a handful of reasons:

• It's interesting - such unique cask finishes and maturation techniques are not often seen in such an accessible lineup of whiskies
• It's excellent value - especially when you consider even the cheapest releases are NCF and bottled at 46% ABV.
• It's brought excitement to Irish Whiskey as a category (and, it seems, kicked off something of an Irish Whiskey revival)
• ...and most importantly, it's just really good whisky. From the very drinkable "Small Batch" to the brilliant 21yo, and 21-23yo single casks bottled for the Japanese market (do yourself a favour and try one if you ever get the chance - we've tried a few and they've all been incredible).

We shared a few bottles (kindly provided by Teeling in Australia) with a group of Hong Kong whisky fans over the past 12 months, and reports were all very positive, so we're excited to see it now readily available throughout Hong Kong.

To celebrate the launch, Teeling's Asia Pacific brand ambassador Martin Lynch visited Hong Kong, for a lunch (held at one of our favourite bars - The Envoy) followed by a tasting with the Consul General of Ireland to Hong Kong & Macau - the very hospitable Peter Ryan.

The events introduced a group of Hong Kongers (including a few Irish ex-pats) to the core lineup - the Small Batch (tasting notes here), Single Grain (tasting notes here) and Single Malt (tasting notes here). At $380HKD, $630HKD and $750HKD respectively (retail prices), the range is very competitively priced (especially when you consider Hong Kong's 100% tax).

At the Consulate General event, Martin talked us through Teeling's history, philosophy, and took us on a a guided tasting, while Peter explained the importance of Irish Whiskey as a category, and introduced us to the new Irish Whiskey Society of Hong Kong.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed a few more drams, nibbled on some excellent Irish produce (cheese, beef, salmon and "Tayto" crisps), and enjoyed a few craft Irish beers, while the braver amongst us sampled the corn and malt-based, unaged, 61.5% ABV "Poitin" (not yet available in Hong Kong). For what you could almost consider to be akin to an unaged, high-proof Bourbon, it was quite smooth and enjoyable.

We're glad to see Teeling has officially made its way to Hong Kong, and can't wait to see what other releases Summergate have in store for us.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #259: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (aka "that" Jim Murray Whisky)

As a rule, I've never put much value in whisky scores given by a single whisky reviewer (yes I'm aware of the irony - bear with me). These days some people seem to place far too much emphasis on what one person thinks of a whisky, rather than developing their own opinion.

Where such scores are useful is in comparing one dram to another based on the preferences of that reviewer. For example - I love Starward whiskies, I love heavily sherried GlenDronach whiskies, and I also love the delicate yet complex nature of Glenfiddich. If you do too, then you might get some value, or insight from my whisky scores - they might resonate with you, and if I score a whisky, say 94, then there's a chance you might like that whisky a lot too.

If my preferences don't resonate with you, then that's fine too - everyone's palate is different, and if you sit in that camp, maybe you shouldn't place so much importance on the scores I give (but feel free to keep reading our reviews anyway)!

As well as representing the opinion of only one man (admittedly one with extensive experience), Jim Murray and his preferences have been proven on many occasions to differ to mine. For example, he referred to the (old) Laphroaig 15yo as a "hugely disappointing, lacklustre dram" and "woefully short on complexity". I disagreed.

So...when Jim recently voted a ~$30USD Canadian Rye as his world whisky of the year, I was pretty sure I wouldn't consider it my whisky of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rye, I just struggled to see how a mass-produced, readily available cheap rye blend could really compete with some of the amazing whiskies we'd tried on this blog over the past 12 months.

Luckily, the legends at Malt Whisky Bar in Sheung Wan (Hong Kong) got their hands on a bottle, and were happy to share a taste with me recently, so I could reliably form my own opinion...

Crown Royal "Northern Harvest" Rye (45% ABV, NAS, Blended Rye, Canada, $32.99CAD)

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Colour: Light gold.

Nose: Tropical fruit - passionfruit, papaya, and loads of candied ginger. 

Palate: Ginger - both fresh and candied. Pineapple, passionfruit, lots of floral notes. Slight peppery notes but they're very much in the background rather than the dominant feature. To be fair, there's quite a bit going on here, and it's all enjoyable.

Finish: Long, drying and slightly bitter (bitter oranges / orange peel).

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. OK, it's a good Rye. A very good rye even, quite complex, and for ~$33CAD, it's excellent value. When compared to whiskies like this, this and this however, it doesn't make it to the top of my list I'm afraid...

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #258: New World Projects Port Double Cask #1

Reminiscing about the spectacular Sydney whisky season last year, I remembered "Dramtacular" (aka dram spectacular), an event you may have seen the photos of over on our Facebook page.

David Vitale, founder of Starward Whisky / New World Whisky Distillery and friend of TimeForWhisky.com, along with Gee David, Brand Ambassador of Bruichladdich and Martin Lynch, Australasian Ambassador for Teeling Whisky co-hosted the Dramtacular event and presented key expressions from their portfolio, including the Teeling Single Grain and Small Batch expressions (see our post here for two other exciting Teelings released last year).

Right after the tasting session, I caught up with David (of Starward) and Jeremy (of the Whisky Room) about the Starward core expressions and their New World Projects range. It was then they mentioned the New World Projects Double Cask Release #1, which Jeremy had recently added to the Whisky Room collection.

This release from New World Whisky Distillery (NWWD) combines malt from two different tawny barrels - the first being a refill barrel, the second being a first-fill barrel. Being a fan of the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban port finished malt, this was a particularly exciting release and one which I expected to (and did) thoroughly enjoy.

New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 (48.6% ABV, NAS, bottle #318 of 666 bottles, Victoria, Australia, $130AUD)

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Another exciting release from NWWD that makes use of traditional tawny barrels. This release actually takes the malt from two different barrels and marry them together (as compared to previous releases where malt are taken from one barrel then into another). The result? A fun and delicious whisky that you can have on a beautiful spring day, or as a post-lunch dram. 

Colour: Light with a tinge of orange hue

Nose: The nose is filled with citrus, pineapple, loads of vanilla, almond shortbread and vanilla cheesecake. Delicious and enticing.

Palate: The palate begins with a layer of caramel that gradually develops into citrus and honey notes.

Finish: Long and fulfilling with a gentle ginger spice finish that over time dries out into a vanilla note.

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

Cheers,
Hendy

Tasted #257: Arran 15yo Single Sherry Cask (bottled for Mizunara The Library, Hong Kong)

There's no denying that Mizunara: The Library in Hong Kong (featured in our list of Top Hong Kong Whisky Bars) is a serious whisky bar. Just look at the evidence:

• Enviable collection of malts from around the world - check
• Award-winning bartender with an encyclopaedic knowledge of whisky - check
• Drams available by the half (and sometimes even one-third) pour - check
• Friendly staff who are always up for a chat about anything whisky related - check.

..and following in the footsteps of many a great whisky bar, Mizunara can now also boast their own private whisky bottling - a 15 year old Arran bottled from a single sherry hogshead (the exact type of sherry we're not quite sure).

The blokes at Mizunara were kind enough to invite me down for a dram recently, and I can honestly say they've picked a bloody good cask. Bottled on 8th August 2015 at 52.9% ABV, the cask follows the trend of a number of Arrans we've tried in recent years, in that they've all been high quality whiskies. To be honest, years ago we weren't big fans of Arran, but they seem to have significantly improved since then, and we haven't yet tasted a single cask release that we haven't really enjoyed.

The Mizunara team tried three samples (all from sherry hogsheads), before settling on cask 2000/273, which produced 302 bottles. Our full tasting notes are below, and it's available by the dram at the bar now.


The Arran Malt "Private Cask" Specially bottled for Mizunara: The Library (52.9% ABV, 15yo, Isle of Arran, Scotland, available by the dram at Mizunara: The Library Hong Kong)

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Nose: Classic sherry notes - lots of sultanas, stone fruits, Christmas cake, but also some lighter, fruitier notes - tropical fruits, especially rockmelon.

Palate: Loads of sultanas, ripe cherries, some walnuts. Very smooth, and with no spice or unwanted "bite". Very "juicy", and with loads of malt character. Water really increases the sweetness, as well as the malt, which really comes to the fore.

Finish: Long and luscious. Malt, oats, cherries.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. A deliciously sherried single cask whisky from a distillery who have been churning out some cracking whiskies in recent years.

Cheers,
Martin.

Hong Kong Whisky Festival 2016 preview

Last week we covered the Malt Masters 2016 Whisky Festival preview - the first of Hong Kong's whisky festivals, being held on 27th and 28th February. As if that wasn't enough excitement for Hong Kong whisky drinkers, a week earlier on Sat 20th February, the Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong are hosting their inaugural Hong Kong Whisky Festival (HKWF).

(No strangers to the whisky scene, Intercontinental Grand Stanford is home to Tiffany's New York Whisky Bar, one of our all time favourite whisky bars in HK, and the venue for many past events we've covered including our Starward masterclass and a Balvenie masterclass with David Stewart. Helmed by two good friends of TimeforWhisky - John Drummond and James Leung, both serious whisky lovers, attendees to this festival will no doubt be in good hands.)

The HKWF also held a preview recently, and while we couldn't be there in person, we've included a few photos below to give you an idea of what to expect.

The event will follow a slightly different format to Malt Masters' (which offers unlimited tastings included in the $600HKD ticket price), whereby tastings will be based on tokens, able to be purchased for $25HKD each. As a result entry will only be $220HKD, which includes two tokens and a tasting glass. Masterclasses, like Malt Masters, are a very reasonable $200 each.

Speaking of which, there will be 10 masterclasses during the day, covering everything from The Balvenie to Abelour, Old Pulteney to Akashi, and many more. There's also a special masterclass with Charlie Maclean, who's returning to HK for the event (lunch and dinner pairings with Charlie are also being offered).

With 57 brands represented (covering whisky from Scotland, Japan, Taiwan, France, Australia, Germany, Sweden and India), food booths, a special "peat pavilion", a discounted "dram shop" and a Scottish piper, we're sure this inaugural festival will be a fantastic one.

Which of course begs the question....which of the two festivals should you attend?

That's an easy one...

BOTH!

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #256: The Last Drop Distillers 50 Year Old ‘Double Matured’ Blended Scotch

It was only a few months ago that we tried the 48yo blended Scotch whisky from The Last Drop Distillers and found it to be one of the best blends we'd tasted in a long time.

Fast forward to January and, as promised, we've now tried the next blended whisky release from The Last Drop - a 50 year old "Double Matured" blended Scotch, released this month in Hong Kong.

As we mentioned back in January, this whisky is particularly interesting as it was initially released as a 30yo blended whisky (in Taiwan in the mid 1990s), then re-racked into a sherry hogshead for a further 20 years, matured in the Scottish lowlands. After all those years, it's still managed to retain a strength of 51.8% ABV.

To introduce us to the whisky, and explain a little bit more about The Last Drop philosophy, Beanie Espey and Rebecca Jago (daughters of founders James Espey and Tom Jago) held an intimate tasting at Hong Kong's Angel's Share bar (which we reviewed back in 2014 here). The pair, who now have significant roles in running The Last Drop, talked us through a brief history of the company and their family's roles in the whisky and broader spirits industry. Collectively, their fathers were responsible for Johnnie Walker Blue (nee Oldest), Chivas Regal 18, the Diageo Classic Malts range, Malibu, Baileys Irish Cream (it was invented in Rebecca's family kitchen) and the Keepers of the Quaich program.

Impressive.

Beanie and Rebecca also gave us an interesting insight into the whisky we were about to taste. It turns out those 20 additional years, which were spent in first fill Oloroso casks, weren't initially intended - the casks was, like so many, simply forgotten when the blender left the company. Whilst coy on some of the details, we were told that the blend contains 82 whiskies from all regions (including whisky from closed distilleries like Dallas Dhu), and was aged for 30 years in a Bourbon barrel before the aforementioned 20 years of "finishing" in Oloroso casks.

I'd been nosing the glass throughout the presentation, but it was at this point I decided it was time to dive in....

The Last Drop 50 Year Old "Double Matured" Blended Scotch Whisky (51.8% ABV, 50yo, Blend, Scotland, $36,888HKD, £3000)

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Colour: Deep dark copper (distinctly different to the vibrant bright gold of the 48yo!)

Nose: Fresh tropical fruit initially - papaya, guava, passionfruit. Then Leather. There's oak, for sure, but it's in perfect balance. Cola, sugary coke bottle lollies, sweet confectionary. 

Palate: Spice. Passionfruit and pineapple. Coke bottle lollies again (hmm is there some Glenfarclas in this?). The oak is still in perfect balance, and the whisky feels like it could have many years still to go. A few drops of water amps up the sherry (adding mocha / milk chocolate notes, and some leather), and tones down the fruitier notes. There's the tiniest hint of smoke too.

Finish: Long, with milk chocolate, coffee and leather. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 95/100. Just incredible. I love a well-aged ex-Bourbon whisky, for the big tropical fruit notes, and I love a well-aged, heavily sherried whisky for the "Christmas cake" notes. This has both. In spades. A stunning achievement and yet still such a vibrant whisky. It's only February but I suspect this will be one of the highlight tastings of the year for us.

Approximately 40-50 bottles of the 50 year old "Double Matured" blended Scotch will be making their way to Hong Kong, priced at $36,888HKD. Pricing outside HK isn't yet known, but Master of Malt have been known to stock previous releases (and still stock the 48 year old). Update: It's now available from Master of Malt for £3,000.

TimeforWhisky would like to thank Beanie, Rebecca, The Last Drop Distillers  and Quintessentially & Co for inviting us to taste this amazing whisky.

Cheers,
Martin.

Malt Masters HK 2016 preview and tasting (Tasted #253 - 255)

The Malt Masters Hong Kong Whisky festival, as we mentioned back in December, is returning to Hong Kong in a few short weeks, to be held at Conrad Hong Kong on 27th and 28th February. To give give us a taste of what to expect, Malt Masters recently invited media to a private preview and tasting, held in one of the Conrad rooms that will host the festival.

Malt Masters are veterans of the HK whisky scene, having hosted their first festival 3 years ago, and a hugely successful festival in 2015 (which Steph covered here). The Malt Masters connection to the whisky industry goes back much further though, with the father of founder (and good friend of Time for Whisky) Ian McKerrow having previously run the show at Glenmorangie!

Ian opened the preview with an overview of the festival, focusing on the global mix of malts being represented at the festival this year (a theme to continue in our tasting shortly after). In addition to a number of iconic Scottish malts, the festival will feature American, Irish, Welsh, Swedish, Japanese and possibly even Indian whisky brands - both large players and boutique/craft distilleries alike.

Ian also explained that former Macallan and Dalmore Master Distiller David Robertson will be presenting in the VIP room (which will also feature the launch of the 27yo "Prometheus" Speyside single malt and tasting of a 1987 16yo Laphroaig, as well as an impressive lineup of rare and very, very old malts available for purchase by the dram). Pairing will also be a big focus of the festival this year, with cigar, cheese and food pairings all on offer (the latter courtesy of Scotch Broth Events).

Of course it wouldn't be a festival without masterclasses, and there are a number on offer over the two days, including:

• An introductory class on the language and art of whisky drinking
• Advice on building a whisky collection
• Ichiro's Malt Whisky; and
• The aforementioned pairing classes.

To preview the masterclass format, and introduce us to a few of the brands being represented, Malt Masters' brand ambassador and Head of Whisky Education Josh Tate took us through a tasting of:

• Penderyn Madeira Finish
• Taketsuru 17
• Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso (Cask Strength); and
• Glenmorangie Companta (which we tasted back in 2014).

Penderyn Madeira Finish (46% ABV, NAS, Single Malt, Wales,  $89.99AUD / £37.28)

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Colour: Light orange-gold.

Nose: Sweet and floral. Taffy, sherbert - lots of sweet sugary confectionary.

Palate: Youthful but not harsh. Slight chalky rubberiness at first, moving into tropical fruits - passionfriut, bananas, peaches. Some grape, white wine (Chardonnay?) style notes.

Finish: Medium length. Slightest burn at the very end, with hints of sherbert.

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

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 (43% ABV, 17yo, Blended Malt, Japan,  $1,168HKD / $399AUD / £94.95)

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Colour: Gold.

Nose: Spice, pears, and some crème brûlée.

Palate: Lots of saltiness - quite surprising really as it's not a characteristic we usually get on the Yoichi or Miyagikyo (being the two single malts in this blend) - at least the ones we've tried. Some smoked herring, sea air and then just more salt. It's not offputting, just very, very...salty. 

Finish: Medium length, with the saltiness continuing through to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.  Enjoyable, and slightly odd.


The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Cask Strength (60.7% ABV, NAS, Single Malt, Speyside, Scotland, $880HKD / $99.99AUD / £45.46)

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Colour: Dark orange-copper.

Nose: Big fruitcake notes, as you might expect, but also sweeter notes of cake icing.

Palate: A little closed up initially (understandable considering the 60%+ ABV). Rich, quite a bit of oak, with cherries and a slight nuttiness. With some water there's a lot of spice, and the nuttiness (Brazil nuts now) gets turned up significantly.

Finish: Medium length, slightly tannic, and spicy to the end after a few drops of water.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. I tried the non cask-strength version and found it didn't really blow me away. I was hoping this would - but it didn't. An enjoyable dram, no doubt, but I'd happily take an A'bunadh or even a GlenDronach 15 over it, if looking for a heavily sherried whisky.


In addition to the festival booths and master classes, Malt Masters HK will feature Dream Drams (all attendees will get one token), a branded Glencairn, unlimited tastings, a charity raffle, dining discounts and discounted whisky sales. With all of that, we have no doubt this year's festival will be a big success.

Tickets are available now for $800HKD (day ticket), with masterclasses at an extra $200HKD, and VIP room tickets an additional $400HKD. Tickets can be purchased here for Sat 27th Feb, and here for Sun 28th Feb.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Martin.

50 Year old Karuizawa, 1902 Highland Park and other results from the Bonhams Hong Kong Whisky Auction (Jan 2016)

Back in August last year we did a little write-up of the Bonhams Hong Kong whisky auction we'd just attended. That particular auction saw some ridiculously high prices, including over $900k HKD (over $160k AUD at the time) for a single bottle of Karuizawa (1960 52yo), and a complete set of Ichiro's Malt Cards (for $3,797,500 HKD, or $685,000AUD).

At the time, we questioned whether the bubble was about to burst....

Well, we've just returned from Bonhams' latest whisky auction tonight, and whilst it wasn't a disaster by any means, prices (in almost all cases) definitely seem to have come down from their peak in August last year.

Right from the outset, it was clear that bidding activity wasn't going to be on par with August. Lots were selling...but in many cases, at the very bottom of their estimate range, if not even lower. A 1986 Macallan 18 couldn't fetch $6,000HKD ($1,097AUD), and lots that would typically command bidding frenzies seemed to finish in the middle of their estimate range (like this 32yo Macallan Fine & Rare 1970, which went for $67,375HKD inc premium, compared to this younger 1976 which fetched $88,200HKD last time around).

When we moved onto the Japanese whiskies (always a favourite in Hong Kong), it was a similar story. Whereas last August, 1981 Karuizawas were fetching in the $30k HKD range, and some as high as $58k, this time most barely managed to reach $25k, with one going for $19k.

As we'd speculated before though, the super, ultra rare whiskies (i.e. not your average ~30yo Karuizawa of which there seems to be a LOT) fared well, with this 1960 50yo Karuizawa selling for $490,000HKD ($89,800AUD) - double its highest estimate. It must be quite a rare bottle, because we couldn't find any information on it outside of this auction. It looks a lot like this 1960 Karuizawa (a 47yo), and is even bottled at the same ABV, but is clearly from a different cask. We'd love to know more...

This 42yo Karuizawa also fared well, smashing its estimate to take in $232,750HKD inc. premium. Clearly the ultra rare Japanese whiskies are still in demand.

Last August we made specific mention of how Glenfiddich didn't garner a lot of interest in that auction, and how it often doesn't fare well on the auction circuit in general (hey, more for us to drink!) Interestingly, one of two bottles on offer at tonight's auction actually exceeded it's $18-$22k HKD range, selling for $25k HKD ($30,625HKD inc premium). Sometimes you just can't tell...

Other lots of note included:

• 1950 52yo Macallan Fine and Rare $170k HKD (before premium) on a $160-190k estimate
• Yamazaki "Age Unknown" only reaching $45k HKD (before premium) on a $50-65k estimate (and apparently not selling)
• A lot of 4 Van Winkles (not including a 23yo) failing to sell, only reaching $25k HKD (before premium) on a $30-38k estimate
• This Highland Park, from 1902, which went for $85,750HKD (inc premium).

Springbanks fared reasonably well, with some exceeding their estimates, and some Hanyus also did well, especially this Ace of Spades which went for $85k HKD (before premium) on a $60-80k estimate.

Now of course, it's important to keep a level head here. The prices attained for most of the whiskies are still huge amounts of money. Even $19k HKD (almost $3,500AUD) for a "common" Karuizawa is a significant amount of money, and still well ahead of what it sold for just 2-3 years ago...

...but I can't help but feel we're on a downward slope, and we might see this "cooling off" continue throughout 2016. Only time will tell of course, but if it means more whiskies will be opened and enjoyed, and more people will be buying whiskies to drink, then we're all for it!

(As a final note - huge thumbs up to Bonhams for their fantastic range of drams served to attendees tonight. Amongst the 13 whiskies on offer were TWO Port Ellens, a 1960's Henry McKenna Bourbon, a Cask Strength Macallan and a 10yo Old Rip Van Winkle. Tasty drams indeed.)

Cheers,
Martin.

PR #31: The Last Drop Distillers 50 Year Old ‘Double Matured’ Blended Scotch to be released in Hong Kong

It was only a month or so ago that we tasted The Last Drop Distillers' 48yo blended whisky - a stunning and complex blend of which only 592 bottles were produced.

Not one to rest on their laurels, The Last Drop Distillers have announced their next release - this time a 50 year old, due to launch in Hong Kong next month. Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but with a previous 50yo release selling at auction last year for HK$85,750 - three times its original price - we can speculate that this release might carry a premium.

This one's particularly interesting as it was initially released as a 30yo blended whisky, then re-racked into 2nd fill sherry hogsheads for a further 20 years, matured in the Scottish lowlands (and has still managed to retain a strength of 51.8% ABV).

We'll actually be tasting this whisky next week, so will bring you our thoughts then, but for now, here's some info from the press release:

"This latest release, a 50 Year Old ‘Double Matured Blended Scotch, comprises only 898 bottles in existence, and has already been awarded 2016 Blend of the Year (26-50 Years) and 2016 Scotch Blend of the Year –in Jim Murray’s prestigious Bible.

This elegant and complex whisky was initially blended from more than fifty different Scotch whiskies, and is a fine example of the Blender’s Art. It was first blended in 1995 as a premium 30yo Blend for the Asian market and refilled into Bourbon wood for marrying. After bottling, a small and precious remnant was then refilled into 2nd Fill Sherry wood Hogsheads and returned to an old traditional maturation warehouse in the Lowlands of Scotland. The liquid was laid to rest for a further 20 years slowly maturing in perfect conditions until it was bottled by The Last Drop Distillers at its peak in late 2015. Over the course of this slow process of ageing, the whisky developed extraordinary richness and depth of flavour, taking on character traits from both woods – stone-fruit and honey from the Bourbon wood, and a rich, spicy quality from the Sherry wood creating the ‘double-matured effect. 

The original blend includes over 50 different Malt & Grain whiskies, many from distilleries long since closed, making the liquid an exceptional, complex and multi-layered whisky and utterly delicious."

Cheers,
Martin.

Bar Review #20: Foxglove (Hong Kong)

If you read our write-up from the "House of Chivas" Icon HK launch last year, you may have noticed the stunning venue in the background of the photos. That venue was the newly-opened Foxglove, which we returned to recently for the official media launch and more in-depth tour. 

Foxglove is the new venue from Ming Fat Group, who in 2014 brought us the excellent Mrs Pound in Sheung Wan. At over 4,000sq ft, it's cavernous by Hong Kong standards, yet retains an intimate feeling in every one of the 4 distinct areas.

Starting in a room which can only be described as an upmarket First class train carriage from the 1930s, we admired the red leather lounges encircling the room, the umbrellas lining both sides and the convex mirror which is sure to make for some fun Instagram photos. We're told the room will be available to patrons most nights, as well as being used for the occasional intimate gig. We've already seen it being used to good effect for whisky masterclasses too.

Moving onto the bar, we were given a decent taste of the cocktail menu on offer, starting with the "Bitter Truth", using an Angostura Bitters base (along with house-made orange cordial, Kraken spiced rum and fresh apple juice). Delicious, and a great way to show the versatility of Ango.

Then (of course) was onto the whisky cocktails - starting with the "Empire Boulevardier" which replaces Bourbon with Hibiki 12 and features house-made cardamom bitters. Citrus forward and bitter, this was right up my alley. The "Whisky Smash Twist" based on Tonka-bean infused Buffalo Trace wrapped things up with a herbal, earthy flavour. Interesting, but delicious.

The spirits selection is impressive too, with a library of old, rare cognacs and whiskies, some dating to the 1950s and many from mothballed distilleries (below is just a small taste of the bottles on offer - many of which are reserved for the VIP room - more on that later).

Next we moved onto the dining room, which the venue bills as the perfect spot for a working lunch. Hmm...we see where they're coming from, but those blue leather chairs are so comfortable (and the food / drinks so good), I don't think we'd want to go back to work after a visit!

We tried a number of dishes from both the bar snacks and dinner menus - beef tartare with Kimchi, ham and cheese toastie (with 4 types of cheese, no less), melt-in-your-mouth wagyu, and lobster tagliatelle to name a few. All fantastic.

 

Our final stop for the tour was the secret VIP room (which doubled as the Chivas Heritage room a few weeks earlier), for a tasting of Hine Cognac with Hine's Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador Mathieu Jeannin.

The small, but impressively decorated room holds a small bar (with 4 bar stools), a "library" of rare spirits, and a ceiling resembling a bookshelf. Easily one of the most impressive rooms in any bar we've seen in Hong Kong, it will be available to guests ordering rare, special or high-end spirits, and other VIP guests.

Foxglove is located at Printing House 2/F, 6 Duddell Street (also accessible from 18 Icehouse St), Central, and is open from Midday (Mon-Sat) until 1am (Mon-Thurs) or 3am (Fri-Sat). Well worth a visit for dinner, drinks, or (ideally) both.

Cheers,

Martin.

PR #30: Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016

It took the whisky world (perhaps that should be the whisky auction world) by storm when a certain Mr Murray voted the 2013 release as "World Whisky of the Year" last year, and now it's back, with the iminent release of the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016.

Sure to be an instant sell-out, the 5,000 bottle worldwide release (246 for Australian bars and retail stores, HK release figures unknown) from Suntory is due next month.

There's scant detail on the rest of the "cask collection" (these releases usually consist of 4 different bottlings - a Mizunara cask, a Bourbon cask, a Puncheon and the Sherry cask) but since Mr Murray's award, it seems the Sherry Cask is the one on everyone's radar.

With only 5,000 bottles to be released, we're sure Suntory could use any old sherry casks and still sell out in minutes - but instead they've taken the same base as popular 2013, with an additional 2 years maturation, and thrown in some additional malts over 25 years old. Sounds like a winner to us.

We're hoping to get our hands on a bottle in the coming weeks, so we can let you know our thoughts. In the mean-time - here's the official press release:

"Suntory Whisky, the pioneer of Japanese Whisky, will launch the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 into the Australian market in February 2016. The Yamazaki Sherry Cask has been created for lovers of complex, refined, yet subtle tastes. Only 246 bottles will be available for sale in specialist whisky retailers and bars.

In 2015, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible awarded the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 “World Whisky of the Year”. The new 2016 blend incorporates the same whiskies that created the 2013’s base with an additional two years maturation as well as adding various rare sherry cask single malt whiskies, some of which are over 25 years old.

Created by Chief Blender and Great Grandson of founder Shinjiro Torii, Shinji Fukuyo, the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 is a deliberate design, choosing from over a hundred malt whiskies. While sherry casks are both revered and feared for their strong character, Shinji Fukuyo selects only casks that hold a delicate balance of chemistry between the Yamazaki malt, and sherry cask, thereby enhancing Yamazaki’s characteristically rich and multifaceted flavour.

“Shinji Fukuyo has designed a journey in this whisky. The Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 is undeniably where Spain meets Japan in the form of a whisky. To fully enjoy this journey, Fukuyo recommends the whisky first be served neat to showcase its nose. On its own, there is a clear and fresh top note. A raisin-like, deep sweetness that is both elegant and rich,” Narelle McDonald, Beam Suntory Marketing Manager for Premium Brands, said.

“You immediately taste the complexity of this liquid, and the fine balance of maturity and delicateness. Served on the rocks, the flavour opens as you begin to taste the Delaware grape-like sweetness and its slightly bitter acidity. When cut with water, there is a soft sweetness that blossoms like the first apples of the harvest,” said McDonald.

Sherry cask whisky has been a constant staple of the Suntory Whisky portfolio since 1924; a year after the distillery began construction. Shinjiro Torii started making Suntory Whisky in sherry casks imported from southern Spain, which he had originally used to blend his famous Akadama Sweet Wine.

Today, Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo visits the Northern region of Spain himself to ensure that it is his selection of Spanish oak to be sent to the “bodegas” sherry wineries to be made into sherry casks used to store their Oloroso Sherry. Fukuyo carefully oversees this entire process, from the selection and making of the casks, to the charring, and the aging of their sherry. After three years of aging, the sherry casks are sent back to Suntory Whisky, ready to receive what becomes the distinguished Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky."

(We've met Fukuyo-san twice now, and had no idea he was the Great Grandson of Shinjiro Torii. Nice guy, great blender AND from Japanese whisky royalty! Cool.)

The Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 will be available in selected specialist whisky retailers and bars from February 2016, priced at $450AUD RRP.

Cheers,
Martin.

Please Don't Tell (PDT) Pop up Bar - Hong Kong (Bar Review #19)

As we mentioned last month, the legendary New York cocktail institution PDT (Please Don't Tell) has made its way to Hong Kong, setting up a month-long pop up bar at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Far from being a half-hearted, branded attempt to cash in on the continuing success of one of the world's most famous cocktail bars, the pop up (a collaboration with Diageo World Class) is about as authentic as they come.

Not only has the upstairs bar been faithfully transformed (including a back bar that looks exactly like the original, taxidermy, exposed brick and yes, a phone booth entrance), but the bar's founder Jim Meehan, General Manager (and World Class USA Bartender of the Year 2013) Jeff Bell, and bartender Nick Brown are all in Hong Kong, manning the bar each night (though we're told Jim leaves at the end of this week).

 

Steph and I visited on Friday, and I returned yesterday for the media launch, where we learnt of the effort which went into planning the event over the course of a year (including discussions with a Shenzhen-based taxidermy company who didn't have a taxidermied bear, but said they "could get one". The organisers declined....)

There's no doubt about it - this has got to be the most authentic "pop up" bars we've seen, but thankfully there's been lot of local flavour injected too, with 6 (of the 12) cocktails made especially for Hong Kong. Rather than list them all here, we recommend checking out the bottom of this Lucky Peach article, written by Jim's brother. We do recommend trying both the "Red Velvet" and "Benton's Old Fashioned" though - the former because you simply won't believe how wonderfully weird coconut water and bourbon can be until you try it, and the latter because it's "the" famous PDT cocktail (and works brilliantly when made with Bulleit, which has just launched in HK).

The food menu also gets a Hong Kong touch, with four of the hot dogs designed by famous Hong Kong restaurants:

• "Demon Dog", by Demon Chef Alvin Leung from BO Innovation (how often do you get to eat a hot dog made by a 3 Michelin-starred chef?)
• "Yardbird",  by Matt Abergel of Yardbird
• "Bahn Mi Trap Dog", by Jowett Yu of Ho Lee Fook (probably our favourite HK restaurant)
• "Frenchie", by Richard Ekkebus of amber. 

(Chef Richard Ekkebus described it as an exercise in "comparing wieners").

  

The event is almost fully booked (though bar seating is available for walk-ins), and it's not hard to see why. The drinks are fantastic, the venue is an incredibly detailed and faithful re-creation, the hotdogs are delicious and the whole experience is just that - an experience.

Don't think of this as "going to a bar for drinks", think of it as an experience (and a wonderful one at that).

PDT Hong Kong
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm til late (until 30th January)
Location: MO Bar, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Reservations: +852 2132 0077 or lmhkg-mobar@mohg.com

Cheers,
Martin.

Bar Review #18: Malt Whisky Bar Sheung Wan (Hong Kong)

We mentioned recently that there's a new Hong Kong Whisky Bar, nestled neatly in the Tai Ping Shan area of Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island (just a short walk / MTR ride from Central).

That bar is Malt Whisky Bar, which officially opened in early December. Steph and I actually stumbled upon Malt walking home one day (as you do these days in Hong Kong...) so it was great to finally drop in for a proper look around (and maybe a dram or two).

After spending an hour or so chatting to the staff, admiring the collection and trying some fantastic drams, I have to say - Malt has exactly the right formula You know how some whisky bars have great collections, but can be overly stuffy, formal, or just so expensive that you don't feel comfortable staying for more than one? Not here. Consider this your "friendly local bar", with an awesome selection of drams, great cocktails and staff who know their stuff. The sort of place you could happily spend all night.

The collection currently sits at around 290 bottles (with more being added), and covers a good portion of the globe - with Indian, Australian, Scottish, Irish and Japanese all well represented. An impressive backlit "library" of ultra-rare malts greets you on entry (think OB Port Ellens, Hibiki 30, Karuizawas, rare Ardbegs and Laphroaig 32 amongst others - all available by the bottle), whilst the back bar houses an impressive selection,available by the dram. Prices are very reasonable for HK - with Glenmorangie 10yo for $90HKD, Nikka from the Barrel also for $90HKD, and Highland Park Dark Origins for $165HKD. It's also refreshing to see the bar hasn't added a ridiculous "Japanese whisky tax" like some bars, with Hakushu 12 for $150HKD and Yoichi 15 for $260HKD (not bad, considering what these bottles now sell for).

Flights are also on offer (including an "around the world" flight), and the bar also hosts various tasting events, like this upcoming event on 13th January hosted by Eddie Nara, which includes GlenDronach 21, Old Pulteney 17, Auchentoshan Three Wood, Springbank 18 and Octomore 6.3. For those who prefer their drinks mixed, the cocktail list is worth a look (the attention to detail put into the Christmas cocktail we tried was impressive).

The bar itself is quite small, with a narrow design, but they've used the space well and designed it to feel open and inviting. You could easily come here with a group of 6-8 and still feel comfortable.

We get the impression that the owners and staff here are just down to earth whisky lovers who want to share their love of whisky with the neighbourhood - which is exactly the sort of bar we want to drink in

Address: 19 New St, Sheung Wan

Phone: +852 2858 0058

Hours: Open until midnight Mon-Sat.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #252: Glenfarclas 105 40 year old

Happy New Year!

Our first post of 2016, and 6th tasting note for a 40 year old whisky (the others being from Balvenie, Glenfiddich, The Glenrothes, Glenfarclas and Master of Malt) comes courtesy of this Glenfarclas 105 40 year old, which I tasted recently at the excellent new Malt Whisky Bar in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong (review up soon).

For those unfamiliar with the "105", it's Glenfarclas' sherried cask strength release, released regularly and considered by many to be one of the best value "sherry bombs" out there, often compared with Aberlour's A'bunadh. At $778HKD,  $119.90AUD  or  £45.13, it's definitely one worth having in your collection (you can see our recent tasting notes with George Grant here).

That's not the whisky above though. The whisky above is significantly more special.

One of only 893 bottles, the 105 40 year old was released in 2008 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 105. Bottled at the same 60% as the regular 105, but with significantly more years under its belt, I was particularly keen to see how it fared with the other two Glenfarclas 40 year olds we've tried (and for that matter, the 50 and 60 year old Glenfarclas "secret Speyside whiskies" we've tried in recent years).

I count myself incredibly lucky to have tried this, and am hugely grateful to those who allowed me to do so....


Glenfarclas '105' 40 year old (60% ABV, 40yo, Speyside, Scotland, $3,500AUD / $19,800HKD)

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Colour: Molasses, treacle.

Nose: Huge amounts of cola - rich juicy cola - sour 'Coke bottles' (lollies) and sour gummy worms. Exactly the same notes I've had on almost every single Glenfarclas I've tried over the age of 30 years (which is 8 and counting), but ramped up big time.

Palate: Initially hot and a little closed up, but with clear notes of sherry-soaked dates, raisins and brazil nuts. With a few drops of water - almonds, red wine, aged leather, cigar smoke. Absolutely everything you want in a dram to just sit and "chew" on. Marvellous.

Finish: Long and tannic, but beautifully so. Some heavily sherried whiskies can be overly bitter/drying (especially some older Japanese expressions, I find). Not this - it's perfect. Some cigar smoke, some earthiness, and a little more cola round it out.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. Absolutely fantastic. Worth trying without, and then with a few drops of water (but not too much). However you drink it, if you ever get the chance, you're in for a treat.

Cheers,
Martin.