Tokyo International Bar Show + Whisky Expo 2016 review

Call me a creature of habit, but a few weeks ago I did exactly the same thing I did last year, and flew to Tokyo for 36 hours to attend the 2016 Tokyo International Bar Show + Whisky Expo - aka "TIBS".

Why? A few reasons:

• The whisky culture in Japan is just incredible. Not just Japanese whisky either - Japan's love of all whisky, especially Scotch and American, is endless. It shows in their expos (like TIBS and Whisky Live / Modern Malt Market, which we also attended last year), it shows in the special Scotch releases that no other market receives, it shows in their absolutely incredible whisky bar scene, and it shows in their own local whiskies too.
• The cocktail / bar scene is equally as impressive - I'd go so far as to say the best in the world; and
• The annual bottlings released at the show are always high quality, well-priced, varied and fun to bring home.

It helps too that Cathay have flights from Hong Kong that drop you into Tokyo at 6am on Saturday, allowing you to leave 6pm Sunday, all without taking a day off work.

..and so it was decided - I'd follow the same routine as last year and fly into Tokyo Saturday morning, have a quick shower and change at the hotel, then head to the show for a day of whisky....

As is tradition, the show kicked off with an introduction from the invited guests, who assembled on the main stage and included:

• Cocktail legend Gary (Gaz) Regan (of Regan's Bitters)
• Angus Winchester (Global Tanqueray Brand Ambassador)
• Islay native / expert Christine Logan (aka "Lady of the Isles")
• Stewart Buchanan (Global Brand Ambassador for GlenDronach, BenRiach & Glenglassaugh); and
• Local legend Ichiro Akuto (who should need no introduction!)

Following the brief introduction, and noticing the annual bottle queue had already snaked around the venue, I headed over to the Shinanoya stand to see what was on offer, and started my day with a dram of 20yo single cask 1995 GlenDronach from a PX Puncheon, bottled exclusively for Shinanoya. There are worse ways to start the day...

From there it was a short hop over to the always-popular Venture Whisky (aka Ichiro's Malt / Chichibu) stand. Unfortunately the annual Chichibu bottling (a 5 year old single cask ex-American Oak) wasn't available for tasting on the stand, but the core lineup bottles, along with a number of cask samples, were.

One thing I love about Akuto-San (and his wonderful brand ambassador, Yumi-San) is that no matter how popular their small distillery has become, they still go to the trouble of bringing along a few rare / unique / interesting / cask sample bottles (often accompanied by a "Bottle 1 of 2" label). TIBS 2016 was no different, with samples from four casks, all bottled in May 2016:

• French Oak ex-Wine Cask (1st fill), distilled in 2011 and bottled at 61.4% ABV. My favourite, with a deliciously earthy, tannic (but not bitter) palate and a lovely nose of berries.
• American Oak Bourbon Barrel (1st fill), distilled in 2010 and bottled at 60.6% ABV
• Virgin American Oak "Chibidaru" (literally "small") quarter cask, distilled in 2010 and bottled at 61.9% ABV.
• American Oak Bourbon Cask (1st fill), containing peated spirit distilled in 2012, also bottled at 61.9% ABV

All were fantastic, and showed incredible variety considering the new make in 3 of them was identical, and they'd only had between 3 and 6 years' maturation. A true testament to Akuto-san's skill.

With Ardbeg Day / Night just around the corner, Ardbeg were offering attendees cocktails, drams of the core lineup, and the chance to win tickets to the Tokyo event. 

The stand also featured Shortie (Ardbeg's famous Jack Russell mascot), but unlike the toy Shorties of 2013, or the real Shorties of 2014, this was a taxidermied Jack Russell, which was more than a little creepy....

Moving next door and keeping with the Islay theme, it was onto Lagavulin, who were showcasing the new 200th Anniversary 8 year old, available once visitors "Liked" the Lagavulin Facebook page. Having tried it a few weeks earlier, I didn't partake (though it is a good dram - notes up shortly).

The stand also offered visitors the chance to have their photo taken "inside" a 3D glass of whisky, which worked well when the photographer got the angle right... (as not evidenced here):

A few short steps away was the Scotch Malt Whisky Society stand, which had an impressive selection of over 20 bottles. While all required at least a few tokens (sold at ¥1000 for a book of 5, and required to sample the rarer whiskies on offer), the prices were very reasonable and they were offering generous member discounts.

I took the opportunity to try a young Rocktown Bourbon (B3.2 "Ooey-gooey Cinnamon Bun") which friends back in Australia had raved about - and with good cause. It was a brilliant dram, very reminiscent of a big fruity jam donut. Delicious.

As you can probably tell from the photos above and below, I brought my own Glencairn glass to Tokyo. Extreme? Perhaps, but Japanese whisky shows tend to be notorious for not offering proper glassware, as was the case again this year with most drams being poured into tiny little ~30mL plastic cups.

I get the hassle involved with having to provide thousands of glasses (and either collect them at the end, or build them into the price of the ticket), but small plastic cups are not really conducive to properly tasting / assessing quality whisky. It's literally my only complaint about the otherwise brilliant Japanese whisky expo scene, and it's a minor one.

Kavalan had a large range on offer, but the prices to taste most of them were (in my opinion) unreasonable, especially for the recent award-winning Amontillado cask, which ran about $25AUD / $145HKD for a small taste.

As the giants of the Japanese whisky industry, Nikka and Suntory had large stands, but (understandably) with no standout products, and only the basic NAS single malts on offer. As distributors of Edrington and William Grant & Sons products in Japan, Suntory were also offering pours of The Macallan and Glenfiddich, including Macallan Rare Cask and Glenfiddich 21.

Mars were offering their "Wine Cask Finish" Komagatake (which, like the aforementioned Chichibu, balanced the deep berry notes without being overly tannic or bitter), although on later reflection I realised we'd never heard of this particular release, as it's neither the blended "Wine Cask Finish" that was released in 2014, nor the 10yo single malt "Wine Cask Finish" that was released in a short squat bottle. Google was little help, so we're still not sure exactly when this one was released!

Smaller distilleries were well-represented too, including Chicago's Koval (which we first tasted back in 2014) and Finland's Kyrö Distillery Company, who were offering their gin (tasty) and rye (young but showing promise). 

Independent bottlers were also well-represented, and continued to showcase the level of quality we've come to expect from indie bottlings made available to the Japanese market.

GlenDronach, BenRiach & Glenglassaugh were also well-represented, as was their recent new parent company Brown Forman. In addition to the core GlenDronach line-up, a 1995 single cask and the latest cask strength, there was also a bottle of GlenDronach new make - a rare opportunity to taste the raw product that, 18-20 years later, becomes one of my favourite sherried whiskies. With lots of oats and breakfast cereal, it was smooth, flavoursome and very drinkable. I suspect this was a recent batch of new make, and not the pre-2004 spirit from coal-fired stills.

BenRiach's new Cask Strength Batch 1 was also a treat - I'd heard good things before and they were all true. Lots of tropical fruit and gummy bears for me.

After all that whisky, it was time for a cocktail to reset the palate, and who better to share one with than bartending legend Gary (Gaz) Regan? Gary hosted a small masterclass focusing on a few of his creations from years gone by. including one odd creation involving chilli powder (which was interesting, but two sips was enough...)

With the cocktail class over, it was back to the drams, a quick visit to Bacardi's "pop up speakeasy" (a cool idea for a 2 day bar expo, but one we're reliably informed was already done by Hendrick's several years ago), and then time to call it a day and head back to the hotel for a quick freshen up before heading off to my favourite whisky bar in Tokyo - The Mash Tun in Meguro, where I tried this ridiculous 1979 single cask ex-Mizunara Yamazaki, and a 43yo Longmorn (amongst others).

Day 2 saw me arrive early enough to lock in a bottle of the annual Chichibu, as well as a 20 year old Springbank single cask bottled just for the show. There was a ~16yo Karuizawa too, but at ¥145,000, it was a lot more than I was happy to spend (and others too it seems - as there were still some left long after many of the other bottles had sold out).

Whilst not for sale, there was also a hand-filled Bowmore on tasting which was delightful, and a great way to kick start the day. We'll have full tasting notes for Chichibu, Springbank and Bowmore up in a separate post shortly.

My second masterclass of the show was with Christine Logan (aka "Lady of the Isles") - an Islay native, expert, and former Bowmore employee of over 25 years. Christine's class focused on pairing Islay produce with Islay whiskies, and whilst the first two whiskies themselves were pretty standard (Laphy Select and Bowmore Small Batch, from memory), the final was something much more special. One nose and I knew it was something I'd enjoy very, very much...

...and it turns out I was right - it was one of my all time favourite whiskies, the 1989 Bowmore Port Cask! Every single time I've tried this whisky, I've absolutely loved it, and this was no exception.

With my flight back to Hong Kong looming, there was just enough time to drop by the Chichibu / Venture Whisky stand a second time for another dram, grab an obligatory photo with Akuto-San, and then plan my exit.

...but not before I was convinced to make a brief stop at the Hendrick's stand for a de-constructed gin tasting. I've always said gin is the whisky drinker's white spirit, and the chance to do a tasting of all the components that make up one of my favourite gins (including a full-proof example at 70% ABV) was too good to pass up. Big props to Hendrick's for using real glassware at their booth too - both for tasting and cocktails.

So after nearly 36 hours on the ground in Tokyo, that was it - another Tokyo International Bar Show done and dusted. It's hard to say if there was more or less whisky present compared to 2015 (possibly a bit less), but the quality was high, the variety was great, and the people, as always, awesome.

Would I recommend the show? Absolutely. Will I return next year? Probably!

Until next time Japan, Kanpai!

Cheers,
Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com would again like to thank Ueno-San (of the excellent Bar High Five, which we finally visited on this trip) for the press pass and kind hospitality at the show.

Tasted #301: William Grant & Sons "Rare Cask Reserves" Araid 21yo...and your chance to win a bottle!

Everyone knows Glenfiddich, the world's best-selling single malt (or second best when The Glenlivet takes over - it's always close), and many know The Balvenie, Grants, Monkey Shoulder and Tullamore D.E.W. Plenty of you would know Kininvie and Girvan too.

...but did you know William Grant & Sons (responsible for the aforementioned whiskies, bar Glenlivet) also produce a series of blends which they typically release in travel retail (aka Duty Free) markets only? 

This is one example (a 26yo blend from closed distilleries), and this bottle we've tasted here is another - a 21yo blended Scotch, bottled on 19/4/2015 and limited to 3,400 bottles. Whilst the distilleries (grain and malt) aren't mentioned, we can probably assume there may be some Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and/or Kininvie in there, and most likely some Girvan grain whisky too. There wouldn't be any Ailsa Bay as the distillery doesn't currently have any 21yo whisky yet.

We've recently collaborated with DFS Hong Kong, who are giving away one bottle of this whisky in Hong Kong via our Instagram page. You can find the link to the competition here (entry is open to HK residents aged 18 years or older only), but we wouldn't be involved in promoting a competition for a whisky we didn't like...so what did we think? Read on...

William Grant & Sons "Rare Cask Reserves" Araid 21yo blended Scotch whisky (43% ABV, 21yo, bottle #973 of 3,400, blend, Scotland, $1,290HKD)

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Colour: Honey with a (very) slight pinkish hue.

Nose: The sherry influence hits you straight away - very pronounced. Flint / matchheads initially, then damp earth, cola bottles and whole oranges.

Palate: The sherry influence continues - earthy with a slight hint of sulphur, but also strawberries and hints of port. There's oak (but not too much), cherries, and even some grapefruit zest. Overall it's incredibly smooth (we wouldn't mind a little more ABV, but it doesn't feel "thin" at all). Caramel creaminess rounds out the palate.

Finish: Short to medium (longer would be better), with a slight earthy smoke that stays to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A very enjoyable blend, and one that sherry heads will enjoy, but not exclusively - there's something here for everyone.

Entry in the competition (run by DFS) must be via the @TimeforWhisky Instagram, and will be open until 19th June.

Cheers,

Martin.

This week in whisk(e)y #31 - Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships return, Dragon8's next HK Whisky Auction, Auchentoshan American Oak and Glenfiddich 'Artists in Residence' returns to Australia

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...

Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships return
In 2013 we had a ticket to the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship, then couldn't attend at the last minute due to an interstate trip. We vowed to one day right that wrong...

Fast forward to 2016, and the next championship was announced, to be held on 23rd July - incredibly, coinciding with our trip back to Australia (well, after we changed our flights...)

So what is the AMWTC? In a nutshell it's a tasting competition, open to all, hosted by the Australian Scotch Malt Whisky Society, with a focus on fun. Whilst there are prizes, and those who take it very, very seriously, the focus is on having a good time - evidenced by the fact that not only can you buy tickets to enter the championship, you also buy tickets to spectate, while you enjoy all food and drinks from the Glenfiddich Bar, single cask SMWS drams from the SMWS bar, and sensory cocktails from our good friends at Sydney Cocktail Club.

Having spoken to previous attendees, we're told it's an incredibly fun night (for entrants and spectators alike), and a good challenge for budding whisky fans The competition involves 8 well-known and commercially available drams, and a list of 9 from which entrants have to select their 8 (i.e. one is a red herring).

Prizes this year are as follows:

1st: 2 x return airfares to Tokyo, Japan, where the 2016 Champion and friend can stay at and sample from the SMWS Bar at the Park Hotel, Tokyo
2nd: Cask Strength Survival Kit with a rare single cask Japanese single malt encased along with "all the tools you’ll need to go on your wild Society adventure"
3rd: Generously donated by The Oak Barrel on Elizabeth St as a $500 voucher to help you stock up on your single malts, wine, and beer.

A pretty incredible line-up of prizes - though sadly (for myself at least), there doesn't appear to be a wooden spoon prize. We'll just have to make do with all the SMWS drams and cocktails at the afterparty...


Dragon8 Auctions Hong Kong next auction - Saturday 11th June
Dragon8's last Hong Kong auction, which we attended back in February, was quite a spectacle, with a number of rare lots going under the hummer - not just whiskies, but whole casks.

Their next auction, being held this Saturday, 11th June looks set to be no different. Whilst wine is also featuring (including some incredible lots like full cases of DRC Romanée-Conti), it's the whisky we're most interested in, and it's no less impressive than last time around, with a selection of rare Japanese malts (Hanyu, Karuizawa), a large selection of Fine & Rare The Macallans, and most impressively, a world first - The Macallan 65yo in Lalique, which we tasted earlier this week.

Commenting on the origin of some of the lots, Dragon 8 Founder Gil Lempert-Schwarz:

“Sourcing for this auction has come from several varied and distinct collections, including a major West Coast collection from the United States, a top private Hong Kong based collector and a variety of Dragon 8 friends and supporters. “As our name has become more well-known and trusted, several different consigners are coming forward,” says Lempert-Schwarz. Two that really pleased all involved were the reps of this U.S. based collection who contacted us with a selection of beautifully stored wines and the Hong Kong based collector who has a lot more than what we’ll be presenting on this day. Look forward to what else we’ll bring on the block from this major consignor."

We'll be attending and bringing you the usual updates - always interesting to chart how rare whiskies are trending at auction, and they don't get much rarer than the whiskies Dragon8 auction.

Auction details:
Saturday, June 11th, 2016 - 12 Noon (HKT)
Lunch/Wine & Whisky Served
12:30pm Auction
The Pool House, 11/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Further details and registration details can be found at www.dragon-8.com

Glenfiddich to host second 'Artists in Residence' competition
Last year Hendy wrote about Glenfiddich's first "Artists in Residence" competition in Australia, and the distillery has just announced that the competition will continue for a second year in 2016.

“Submissions for the 2016 Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Prize are now officially open as William Grant & Sons brings the coveted art competition to Australia for a second time to celebrate the Glenfiddich commitment to the arts, and the communities it serves.

Celebrating its fifteenth year globally, the program offers the winning artists a residency prize valued at $21,000, where they work and live for a period of three months (between April and October 2017) at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

The contest is an open call to all Australian artists who are welcome to use any art medium. These include, but are not limited to print, photography, animation, performance and installation. During the residency, the winning artist will create work taking inspiration from the distinctive location, history, heritage, people and craftsmanship of the distillery.

An exhibition of the five finalist's work, along with a Glenfiddich pop-up bar, will take place at No Vacancy Gallery located at QV Melbourne from the 8th to the 13th of November. 

Guests attending the Glenfiddich pop-bar at No Vacancy Gallery can join the Glenfiddich Explorers Program and vote for their favourite piece of art. The Program is accessible to all whisky enthusiasts and offers numerous benefits at Glenfiddich hosted events. By voting, Glenfiddich Explorers will go into the running to win a collection of whiskies from the Glenfiddich range."

For more information to enter visit https://www.glenfiddich.com/au/latest/2016-australia-artists-in-residence



Auchentoshan "Distilled Different" campaign calls on Australian bar teams to get creative
Auchentoshan American Oak recently launched in the Australian market, coinciding with a new Beam Suntory campaign combining mixology and photography in a bid to discover Australia’s “Distilled Different” bar team.

(Auchentoshan, of course, being the only Scotch whisky distilled three times, which definitely qualifies it as being "distilled different" in our books).

To quote the press release

“Twelve finalist bar teams will then be chosen and paired with an up and coming Australian photographer, scouted by art talent agency Art Pharmacy Consulting, who will create a body of work that captures the personality and essence of each team. The finalist teams’ images and cocktails will be displayed in exhibitions nationally where consumers and media alike will be invited to taste the differently distilled concoctions while enjoying the photographic showcase.

One team will officially be named the Auchentoshan Distilled Different Bar Team of the Year and along with their partnering photographer, win a trip to Glasgow, Scotland to discover more about the home of the Scotch whisky."

Competition dates:
Open – 1st May 2016
Close – 30th June 2016
Winner announced – 16th September 2016
Exhibitions will take place between August and September 2016.

Auchentoshan American Oak is available in Australia now and retailed for $59.90AUD. We'll have tasting notes (and maybe even an idea or two for a suitable cocktail) on the site in the coming month.


Thats all for this week. Until next time...

Cheers, 
Martin.

Tasted #300: The Macallan 65yo in Lalique - The "Peerless Spirit"

Whilst it doesn't happen every time, we try to reserve the major milestone "Tasted" posts on this site for serious whiskies - rare, unique and often incredibly old whiskies.

Our 40th post covered Glenfarclas 40yo, our 50th post the Master of Malt 50yo Speyside whisky, and our 200th post covered the Master of Malt 60yo Speyside whisky. (Unfortunately we didn't follow the trend with this 1938 Macallan or this 1959 Macallan, which came in at #265 and #264 respectively...)  

So with us hitting "Tasted" #300 just as we celebrated the launch of the new The Macallan 65 years old in Lalique - "The Peerless Spirit" decanter, it was a no-brainer. We posted a detailed account of the media lunch yesterday, so this post focuses on our tasting notes.

It's not often you taste whisky from a €200 glass, and even less often when the whisky inside that glass is worth significantly more - especially when there's only 10mL in the glass! Such is the case though when you're tasting a whisky that retails for £23,000 / $35,000USD...

Fancy tasting glass aside, it's the whisky we're here to focus on, so let's get on with it...

The Macallan 65 years old in Lalique - "The Peerless Spirit" (46.3% ABV, 65yo, Highlands, Scotland, £23,000 / $35,000USD)

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Colour: Honey walnut-brown

Nose: Lots of woodsmoke - a very interesting trait. Not "oak" as you may get find in other older whiskies, nor peat smoke. More of a forresty type note, with some hints of pine. There's also ginger, spice and even a slight hint of juniper. A lot of variety, and not the sort of notes you might expect from a whisky that was distilled in 1950 and bottled in 2015! A beautiful nose, and one I kept coming back to over the next 20 minutes.

Palate: More woodsmoke, jube confectionary, and a big whack of cloves. There's smoke, but not peat smoke. There's also, somewhat surprisingly, citrus notes - most notably grapefruit zest. The pine notes from the nose continue through.

Finish: Incredibly long, with none of the oaky, astringent tannins we've had on some other older whiskies. There's plenty of that woodsmoke again, and waves of typical sherry notes (dark chocolate, walnuts, almonds) interspersed with lighter, more floral and tropical notes of grapefruit and orange peel. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 95/100. We're not afraid to call out if we think an incredibly-aged whisky isn't brilliant, but in this case, we don't need to. This whisky IS brilliant. We've tried 40, 50, 58 and 60 year old whiskies in the past, and occasionally found them over-oaked. Yes, it's an incredible feat for a whisky to make it to such an age, but in the past we've thought some of them would have been better off bottled 5 or 10 years earlier. That's not the case with this whisky. This whisky feels spot-on - like it's taken a long, long leisurely stroll to get to it's pinnacle, but finally, after 65 years, it made it.

The Peerless Spirit’ decanter will retail for £23,000 / $35,000USD, and is limited to 450 bottles. It will be available in Hong Kong from this month.

Additionally, in January 2017 Edrington Hong Kong will put up a complete set of The Macallan in Lalique decanters, with all proceeds to be donated to charity (50% to HK-based charities and 50% to other Asia-based charities). We're told the set will be housed in a bespoke, yet-to-be created Lalique crystal cabinet, with additional items not available with the individual bottlings. We're also told the cabinet will contain a "secret drawer" with hidden whiskies! Have your chequebooks ready...

TimeforWhisky.com would again like to thank Edrington Hong Kong for a truly fantastic and one of a kind event, to celebrate the launch of this incredible whisky.

Cheers,

Martin.

The Macallan 65 year old in Lalique - The "Peerless Spirit" Hong Kong Launch

Today saw Edrington Hong Kong launch the sixth and final whisky in the "Macallan in Lalique Decanter" series - a series of six whiskies each representing one of The Macallan's famous "Six Pillars". The whisky in this particular decanter is not only the oldest in the series, but the oldest whisky ever bottled by The Macallan - at an incredible 65 years old.

Edit: Our tasting notes are now up here.

Selected Hong Kong media were invited to a lunch earlier today not only to see the unveiling, but also to taste the whisky. Yes, we got to taste this incredible whisky, and will have tasting notes up tomorrow.

But first, a recap of the series - each one bottled in hand-blown Lalique decanters.

The first in the series, a 50 year old Macallan released in 2005 at 46% ABV, celebrated The Macallan's "Exceptional Oak Casks", with a Lalique decanter designed to replicate the patina / woodgrain of an oak cask:

The second, using amber-coloured crystal (said to be extremely difficult to produce) was a 55yo at 40.1% ABV, designed to represent The Macallan's "Natural Colour":

The third in the series, a 57yo at 48.5% ABV, represented the "Finest Cut" - a reference to the extremely small 16% "heart" of the spirit run that The Macallan places into its casks:

A 60yo (at 53.2% ABV) followed, celebrating The Macalan's "curiously small stills", with a partially-frosted crystal decanter and small raised bumps to represent the rivets of a copper still:

Most recently (prior to the 65yo) came this 62yo at 53.1% ABV, to celebrate The Macallan's "Spiritual Home", aka Easter Elchies House (where Steph and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch last year):

Brand Director for The Macallan Ken Grier was in Hong Kong for the launch (we'll have our in-depth interview up in the next few weeks), and talked guests through the series, focusing on both the whisky and the partnership with Lalique.

Whilst many might see the bottles as "fancy packaging", hearing Ken talk about the partnership, and viewing the bottles up close, showed us two things - firstly, the decanters are absolutely incredible, with amazing attention to detail. When Ken mentioned that each is hand-made by up to 15 Lalique staff, we weren't surprised - it shows.

Secondly, it's clear the Lalique partnership is one founded in mutual respect and admiration for the "crafted" nature of each others' products, as opposed to being an opportunity for each to cash in on the other's name.

After Ken's introduction, we took a brief stroll around the venue (which we're told typically hosts art exhibits - very fitting) to see the displays representing each of the Six Pillars, along with a display of Lalique works (vases, perfume bottles etc..) which each showed off certain elements or techniques that had been re-used in The Macallan in Lalique range.

Taking our seats for the lunch, we were presented with a stunning 3 course menu (made even more stunning by the final whisky):

The Macallan theming was strong too, with plates, napkin rings, napkins and even the cutlery all bearing The Macallan's Easter Elchies house (aka the "Spiritual Home") imagery.

Edrington's event catering never fails to disappoint, and today was no exception, with the wagyu tenderloin being a particular highlight, and an especially good (yet unexpected) match with the Fine Oak 17yo.

Of course, we took some time out between courses to inspect the whisky for which we were all gathered - The Macallan 65yo in Lalique "The Peerless Spirit" decanter. Limited to 450 bottles, the whisky was distilled in November 1950 and aged in just two ex-Sherry American oak casks, bottled after 65 years at a cask strength of 46.3% ABV.

Using a "blown and pinched" technique, the decanter really is a work of art up close - although obviously for us, the liquid inside is the true work of art.

Back to our seats just in time for dessert, matched with a Hong Kong favourite, the Rare Cask. The Rare Cask was a well-chosen match, with the dessert bringing out some of the whisky's sweeter, chocolate notes, and pairing well with the strawberry ice cream and caramel "leaves":

Following dessert, and after a thorough palate-cleansing, we were as mentioned fortunate enough to taste The Macallan 65yo in Lalique. Full tasting notes will be up tomorrow in a separate post, but in a nutshell, it was an incredible whisky, with none of the overly-oaky traits we've seen on other 40 or 50+ year old whiskies before.

‘The Peerless Spirit’ decanter will retail for £23,000 / $35,000USD, and is limited to 450 bottles. It will be available in Hong Kong from this month.

Additionally, in January 2017 Edrington Hong Kong will put up a complete set of The Macallan in Lalique decanters, with all proceeds to be donated to charity (50% to HK-based charities and 50% to other Asia-based charities). We're told the set will be housed in a bespoke, yet-to-be created Lalique crystal cabinet, with additional items not available with the individual bottlings. We're also told the cabinet will contain a "secret drawer" with hidden whiskies! Have your chequebooks ready...

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Edrington Hong Kong for a truly fantastic and one of a kind event, to celebrate the launch of this incredible whisky.

Cheers,

Martin.

Ardbeg Night Sydney 2016 (Tasted #298 - 299)

Inspired by the colour of the new Ardbeg release, this year's annual Ardbeg Day was flipped into a more fitting celebration - Ardbeg Night. The notion of Ardbeg Night, other than to resemble the dark impression of the new Ardbeg "Dark Cove" release, was also to symbolise the gruelling tales from the 19th century when Ardbeg's Islay homeland was used by whisky smugglers as a notorious hideout. Prior to the founding of the Ardbeg Distillery by John McDougall, illicit whisky trade took place within caves and beaches around the site, hidden away from the island's excise officer.

With the increasing popularity of Ardbeg Day over the years (last year Ardbeg Day saw over 15,000 people attend 135 events globally), this year, few lucky Ardbeggians who purchased the Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release between March and April 2016 were awarded with tickets to the Ardbeg Night celebrations (our friend Matt Wooler of Distant Thunder Whisky Club (DTWC) was even one of those lucky Ardbeggians). To complement the Committee Release, a regular "Dark Cove" release was also launched. The regular expression is cut at 46.5% ABV whilst its committee brethren is cut at a  higher 55% ABV. See below for tasting notes on both, and here for Martin's earlier tasting notes on the Committee Release.

The 2016 Ardbeg Night Sydney was held on 28 May 2016, coinciding with the final day of Feis Ile 2016.

As Martin covered in the last post, the inaugural Hong Kong Ardbeg Night was held the night before at a venue known as "The Warehouse." Although there was no mention of the new Ardbeg "Dark Cove" release, the night appeared to be a success. 

In Sydney, no details were provided ahead of the day, other than for us Ardbeggians to congregate at Millers Point wharf at a set time. Boarding the chartered ferry at Millers Point, none of us were told where we were headed. It wasn't until I opened Google Maps upon docking that I realised we'd all been taken to an island not far from Millers Point; Goat Island. The warehouse on Goat Island was lit with a giant Ardbeg display and the setup even gave Vivid Sydney a run for its money.

Inside the warehouse, the atmosphere was "electrical". Old lanterns were scattered across the warehouse, giving it an eerie, dark and mysterious feel. The main bar was located at the centre of the warehouse and along the warehouse perimeter were activity stations where Ardbeggians could compete in everything from quoits to tug of war. The best part, (almost) everyone won. Some of the giveaways included Ardbeg umbrellas, Ardbeg beanies and a plush Shorties. Sadly, I only walked away with a beanie.



Upon arrival, Ardbeggians were spoiled with three different Ardbeg 10yo based cocktails:

• Ardbeg Lunar Eclipse; concoction of Ardbeg 10yo, apple juice, yuzu and sugar syrup 
• Peat'v Green; Ardbeg 10yo, elderflower, fennel syrup, cucumber juice
• Fashionable Smuggler; Ardbeg 10yo, Montenegro Amaro, coconut fat wash, pineapple syrup, chocolate bitters

All three cocktails were created by The Whisky Room and made good use of the classic Ardbeg 10yo as a base. The Lunar Eclipse was certainly refreshing. The others, sadly, I didn't get my hands on them though rumour has it that the favourite amongst the crowd was the Fashionable Smuggler.

As with last year's Ardbeg Day, Andrew Derbidge of Whisky and Wisdom (and Cellarmaster of the SMWS) was the honorary guest that had been bestowed with the responsibility of unveiling the new Dark Cove.

"Dark Cove" was described by Andrew as rich, filled with dark chocolate and cured ham. The general release of the expression was the one that had been previewed on the night with the Committee Release MIA. The expression saw maturation in both ex-bourbon and ex-dark sherry barrels. The darker appearance is what gives Dark Cove its name. 

Garth, the Ardbeg Ambassador was busy pouring out refills of the Dark Cove release (from a 4.5L Jeroboam) all night long.

 

Before delving into my personal notes on the general release, I compared my committee release notes against those from Martin's (below) from the time when Dark Cove was first released to the Ardbeg Committee back in March 2016. For comparison, here are my notes:

Ardbeg "Dark Cove" Committee Release (55% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, no longer available)
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The Dark Cove release, to me, is one bold Ardbeg, punching the Ardbeg smoke yet showcasing other pleasant, fresh and crisp notes. This is an Ardbeg that you can love any day of the week.

Colour: Deep, orange copper (tinge of amber)

Nose: Rich, creamy, loads of raisins. The maritime note are subtle, so is the peat. The whiff is crisp and clean like fresh winter morning. 

Palate: Creamy and rich on the palate with summer berries, toffee, chocolate (chocolate berry tart?) coming through at first, followed by the Ardbeg campfire smoke; the peat. As the palate develops, it is then balanced with sweet peanut brittles and spices closely resembling nutmeg and cloves. 

Finish: Very long and smoky, ashy with fading maritime and spice notes. This fella sticks with you for a while.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (not vastly different and the sherry influence does make this Dark Cove that extra bit special).

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Martin's "Dark Cove" Notes - originally posted in March

Colour: The darkest Ardbeg ever? Darker than the current regular line-up, for sure, but not quite El Diablo territory, and not as dark as some recent SMWS bottlings. Deep amber.

Nose: Rich, creamy peat....loads of peat. Coastal peat though - more maritime and less "campfire" than you may expect. Banana lollies and an overall freshness. At a guess I'd say there's a fair amount of youngish Ardbeg in here.

Palate: Big, rich and chewy. Peaty caramels (now there's an idea)! There's definite sherry influence, with red berries and a hint of mocha, but also a younger, fresher, sweeter character - licorice allsorts, musk sticks. Loads of coastal peat throughout.

Finish: Long and coastal-smoky. Fish nets, oysters, brine. With water comes a slightly earthier smoke. A hint of tannins at the end.

Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Another very enjoyable Ardbeg, one with a younger, stronger peat influence than some of the previous Ardbeg Day bottlings.

Ardbeg "Dark Cove" Regular Release (46.5% ABV, NAS, Islay, Scotland, A$186)

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In comparison with the Committee Release, the General Release was equally as good though it did not punch as much sherry notes into you in the same way the Committee Release did. Nevertheless, in my view, the general release is equally a very nice and bold Ardbeg. Though given the choice and my preference for cask strength whiskies, I'd choose the Committee Release.

Colour: Deep, orange copper (tinge of amber) - I couldn't see any difference

Nose: Rich, creamy, fresh crisp morning maritime air. There is toffee, peppermint and raisins (though constrained). 

Palate: Similar to the Committee Release, the palate is creamy and rich, filled with child dark chocolate (the Lindt kind), jamón and sea salt. The Ardbeg campfire smoke; the peat is there and not over powering. As the palate develops, the grassy and peppery spices become more prominent. 

Finish: Long and smoky, the finish is dry (almost like dry wood chip smoke) and leaves quite a bit of tannin.

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 92/100

With the excise men about to knock down our door, we'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ardbeg and the folks at EVH PR for their hospitality. Another year, another success. The Ardbeg Night theme was different, eccentric, yet brilliantly thought out. Most importantly the night brought all Australian Ardbeggians together to celebrate this ecciting new release.

Until the next Ardbeg pour, Happy Ardbeg Day Night 2016!

Cheers

Hendy