Hong Kong Whisky Festival 2017 review

After the success of 2016's inaugural Hong Kong Whisky Festival, InterContinental Grand Stanford held their festival again this year, delivering an even bigger and better festival with even more masterclasses.

Held again over one day, the event brought together big brands and indies alike, and made the most of the (expansive) hotel space, taking over two floors, several function rooms and even a suite!

Arriving an hour or so after opening, I took a walk around to see what was what. The first thing that struck me was, even that early, it was already busy. The second thing that struck me was just how many, varied stands there were. Bars, shops, independent bottlers, major distilleries, major distributors, local distributors, were all well-represented, as were "world whiskies" from all over the globe. In fact, the festival brochure had an excellent article on "New World" whisky (although I might be a little biased, given I wrote it...)

The festival shop saw a big improvement on the prior year, with a lot more space and even more bottles available (including some long gone Indies like this Eiling Lim 27yo Irish).

As is always the case with these festivals, you end up chatting to and sharing a dram with all the wonderful people working there, and before you know it, 3 hours have passed. I'd barely gotten around to half the booths when my first masterclass came up - an Asta Morris class with founder Bert Bruyneel.

Sidenote: As evidence of the quality and quantity of masterclasses on offer throughout the day, I had to decide between this and an Adelphi masterclass, both on at the same time. The good people of Malt Maniacs & Friends suggested I go for the Asta Morris class, and I'm glad I did.

Held in conjunction with Whiskies and More (Asta Morris' HK distributor) and The Fine Spirits Society, the class saw us tasting 6 spirits blind. We knew what the spirits were (amongst them were an 14yo Ardmore, an aged gin, a 13yo Bowmore, a 5yo Chichibu, a 27yo Bunnahabhain and a 32yo 1979 Benriach - a cask which was saved by Bert from blending into Chivas), but not the order, which made for much fun and debate.

I'd heard a bit about this Bert "character" and it was all true. His class was exactly what I look for in a masterclass - great whiskies (tick), educational (tick), full of stories (tick), but most of all, FUN (tick tick). The hour flew by and by the end of it, we all felt like we'd had a heap of fun, enjoying a few casual drams, making new friends and listening to some hilarious stories. 

I guess what I'm saying is, if you get a chance to attend one of Bert's classes, take it!

After Bert's class, it was straight over to another function room for a Hunter Laing masterclass, with Andrew Laing, to explore "Where the flavours come from" with a variety of whiskies of different ages, provenance and cask types. Included in the lineup was a 19yo Longmorn, 8yo Craigellachie (showing some great natural colour due to its aging in a quarter cask), a 6yo Caol Ila and an 8yo Talisker.

After the two classes, it was time for a bit more of a walk around, a few more drams, and a delicious cocktail from Eddie Nara, to prepare myself for...

...a barrel making demonstration, in which I was to construct a whisky barrel with none other than The Balvenie's Head Cooper Ian Macdonald - a man who has been in the business for almost 50 years! Luckily, I'd managed to grab a few tips by watching Mr Nara do the same a few hours earlier.

After managing to bungle my way through making the barrel, I have to say - hats off to people who do this day-in, day-out for a living. It's not easy (even less so after a few drams), but it was a fun and rewarding experience (thanks to Ian for the expert tutoring and assistance)!

By this point, the show was wrapping up, but there was still one masterclass left to attend - this time focusing on some fairly rare (and expensive) blends.

Those blends of course, being four Johnnie Walker "Private Collection" releases, from 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

A 7pm timeslot after a long whisky festival is always going to see a few people worse for wear, but our host Stephen Notman (aka Mr Whisky China) pushed through, talking us through the history of blending and how the Private Collection series "rips up the philosophy of consistency in blending". He wasn't wrong - here were four very different (but all very enjoyable drams).

All were great, but the 2017's waxy apple nose and tropical and vanilla palate won me over as my favourite. A bit of Clynelish in there perhaps?

Between these festivals, the excellent Tiffany's New York Bar, and the many other whisky events/promotions throughout the year, InterContinental Grand Stanford have firmly established themselves as a Hong Kong whisky powerhouse over the past few years, and we have no doubt their upcoming World Whisky Day 2017 celebrations will only help cement that (unfortunately we won't be in HK to enjoy it...)

Cheers,
Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com attended HKWF17 as a guest of InterContinental Grand Stanford.

This week in whisk(e)y #36 - Ardbeg toasts beloved Manager, Glenmorangie Pride 1974

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...


Glenmorangie Pride 1974
Following the release of the Glenmorangie Pride 1978 in 2012, Glenmorangie has released another old and rare release, the Glenmorangie Pride 1974. Here's the official press release:

"The most prized Highland single malt whisky ever to emerge from Glenmorangie has become the inspiration for musical virtuoso Aaron Diehl, as part of a creative partnership with renowned piano maker Steinway & Sons.  The launch of Glenmorangie Pride 1974, the Distillery's oldest, rarest and deepest whisky, has led the celebrated Steinway Artist to compose a mesmerising work evoking its rare beauty. 

Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is the third and most prestigious expression in the Distillery's illustrious Pride series, which celebrates its most rare and treasured creations.  Matured for 41 years, just 503 crystal decanters exist of this intense, spicy, yet mellow limited edition.  

The exquisite single malt showcases spirit distilled in Scotland's tallest stills by Glenmorangie's legendary Men of Tain, and laid down on 30 October 1974, some in ex-bourbon refill casks, some in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.  This spirit spent decades maturing under the expert care of these select craftsmen, until Glenmorangie's inspired Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks deemed that it had reached its very peak.  Only then, did Dr Bill Lumsden skilfully marry the two parcels together – realising his vision for Glenmorangie's oldest expression, deeper in colour and character than any other. 

Diehl, a Steinway Artist and graduate of world-renowned Juilliard School, visited the Distillery as part of Glenmorangie's partnership with Steinway & Sons.  His musical evocation of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 reflects their shared dedication to creativity and craftsmanship, established over generations.   

Diehl, 31, who will premiere his work alongside Glenmorangie Pride 1974, said: "In many ways, creating whisky is very similar to composing.  The rare beauty of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 combines years of uncompromising craft and painstaking attention to detail, with a creativity and passion any musician would recognise.  Its story inspired me to create a work echoing the whisky's depth of character, its long maturation and its astonishing tastes." 

Dr Bill said: "Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is the oldest and deepest Glenmorangie ever to be released.  Its age lends the whisky an enriched intensity, borne only of long maturation.  The result is an exquisite blend of salty, spicy aromas, leading to tastes of toffee, baked apples, oranges and brown sugar.  Aaron Diehl's inspired composition perfectly captures the spirit of Glenmorangie Pride 1974.  Each of us has created a rare moment of beauty – and at the whisky's premiere, they will be married together in exquisite harmony." 

Only 503 crystal decanters of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 will be released globally in May 2017."

Three cheers to an Ardbeg stalwart
Ardbeg fans were recently asked to raise a dram and raise a toast and give three cheers for Mickey Heads, Ardbeg Distillery Manager and also the Ardbeg Committee Chairman, who is celebrating his tenth anniversary as Distillery Manager.

We've certainly shared a few Ardbeg drams in celebration and lots of Ardbeg fans around the world also toasted and gave three cheers to Mickey, summarised well in this video, including a prominent display of local whisky figure, Andrew Derbridge.

Ardbeggians, thanks. We’ve distilled your videos to Mickey into this film and will share his reaction soon #3cheers pic.twitter.com/KiCF6LNA1q

— Ardbeg (@ardbeg_com) March 7, 2017

#3cheers for Mickey from us at Time for Whisky, you've certainly transformed Ardbeg over the decade and we look forward to continuing to be part of the Ardbeg journey!!

Here's a bit more from the official PR release:

"It is ten years since Ardbeg's beloved Mickey Heads took charge of the single malt whisky's untamed spirit. To celebrate the acclaimed Distillery Manager's decade at the helm, the world's smokiest, peatiest Islay malt invites fans across the world to pour a dram of Ardbeg and give three cheers for Mickey, with a nose, taste and toast.

In 2007, when Mickey was appointed, Ardbeg was a very different place to the one the cult malt's loyal following knows today. Saved from extinction by The Glenmorangie Company only a decade previously, it would require years of devotion to complete the Distillery's resurgence on its remote Scottish island home. With Islay native Mickey at the forefront however, Ardbeg has gone from strength to strength. Today, it is the world's most highly awarded smoky malt, while Mickey was singled out as Distillery Manager of the Year at respected industry awards in 2014. 

In honour of Mickey's decade of dedication to Ardbeg's enduring spirit, the Distillery calls on smoky malt whisky fans to join in a worldwide three cheers, with a nose, taste and toast of their favourite expression, be it Ardbeg Ten Years Old, Ardbeg Uigeadail or Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Ardbeggians are invited to film and share their cheers with the hashtag #3cheers, to be part of a special anniversary surprise for Mickey which the Distillery is keeping under wraps for now.

Meanwhile on Islay, Mickey is holding some anniversary tastings of his own. In Ardbeg's first official tasting videos, he will nose, taste and toast Ardbeg's three Ultimate whiskies, giving his insight into the expressions that Islay's wilderness has inspired.

Mickey, who also chairs Ardbeg's loyal fan club, the Committee, said: "I've loved every minute of my years at Ardbeg. The Distillery has grown stronger and stronger in the past decade, and today its untamed spirit is enjoyed by Ardbeggians around the globe. Here on Islay, I'll be raising a glass of Ardbeg to celebrate how far we've come. I hope Ardbeggians will join me to toast The Ultimate Islay Malt. Sláinte!"

Until next time...

Cheers,

Martin & Hendy. 

Diageo Special Releases 2016 Tasting in Sydney (Tasted #354 - 356)

Sometimes in whisky (as in life), things just work out perfectly.

Take the other week for example. An invitation arrives for a tasting at 2pm on a Tuesday, in Sydney. On any normal week, I'd be 1) in Hong Kong, and 2) Working at 2pm (although considering the invitation in question was for the Diageo 2016 Special Releases, I'd probably try to wrangle some time off and be there). In this case however, there was no wrangling required. I was in Sydney, with a free day. Perfect.

So along I went to Sydney's timeless Rockpool Bar & Grill, to join what was to be a very special tasting. I'd been fortunate enough to try a few of the 2016 releases a few months earlier in Singapore, and whilst I would have loved to try those same drams again, I was very happy to see three of the five drams on tasting were ones I hadn't tried.

Specifically, we were to taste:

• Caol Ila 15yo "Unpeated Style" - Distilled 2000, 61.5% ABV
• Cragganmore Limited Release - 55.7% ABV
• Glenkinchie 24yo - Distilled 1991, 57.2%
• Brora 38yo - Distilled 1977, 48.65 ABV
• Port Ellen 37yo (16th Release) - Distilled 1978, 55.2% ABV

After a wonderfully refreshing Dalwhinnie 15 highball (with honey and malic acid), we took our seats to hear from Diageo Australia's newly-appointed National Whisky Ambassador Simon McGoram, who kicked things off with a brief history on the Special Releases (now in their 16th year), and how the much-loved Rare Malts of the 1990s gave way to the Special Releases of today.

Also of interest was the price of the 1st release Port Ellen - a mere £110! A far cry from the $5,000AUD of the 16th release we were about to taste.

(I remember back in 2009 picking up a catalogue from Park Avenue Liquor in New York, which I still have, with a whole range of Port Ellens from $200-$400USD. If only I'd had a little more foresight!)

For those unfamiliar with the Special Releases, it's basically Diageo's annual collection which shows off the various Scottish whisky distilleries, both malt and grain, within Diageo's immense portfolio. Typically the collection includes closed distilleries (like Port Ellen and Brora), operational distilleries (like Lagavulin and Talisker) and grain distilleries (like Cambus - also a closed distillery), and covers many of Scotland's whisky producing regions.

All bottles are bottled at cask strength, and the series has become increasingly popular with both drinkers and collectors alike. This year's collection runs from $170AUD (Caol Ila) to $5,000AUD (Port Ellen), so there's something for everyone.

You wouldn't usually expect to start a tasting of various Scottish regions with an Islay whisky, but in the case of Caol Ila's 15 year old "Unpeated Style", it was entirely appropriate. An annual release, this year's 15yo is from a batch made just once per year, in what Diageo call the "Highland Style", showing off the vibrancy of the Caol Ila spirit without the usual peat smoke.

Caol Ila 15yo "Unpeated Style" (Special Releases 2016) (61.5% ABV, 15yo, OB, Islay, Scotland, $170AUD)

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Colour: Light yellow gold.

Nose: Dried seaweed. Lemon tart. Salty, maritime notes, with hints of fresh tropical fruit.

Palate: Allen's Pineapple lollies, more seaweed, a fair amount of malt. A few drops of water brings a little smoke, but nothing like you'd get on a regular Caol Ila, especially one at 61.5% ABV!

Finish: Medium in length, with some vanilla, caramel and popcorn. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100.


The Cragganmore was next - the only NAS in the line-up. We're not ones to judge an NAS by its (lack of) age statement though - Diageo have proven (as we found with 2014's Clynelish) that they do NAS very, very well when it comes to Special Releases.

Cragganmore NAS (Special Releases 2016) (55.7% ABV, NAS, OB, Speyside, Scotland, Bottle #2,818 of 4,932, $750AUD)

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Colour: Yellow-orange sunset.

Nose: Earthy - mushrooms, dried vegetation and almonds primarily.

Palate: Citrus and spice initially, followed by nutty, vegetal notes. Stewed fruits follow, with the spices wafting in and out. The cask make-up (a mixture of refill hoggies, rejuvenated hoggies, and European Oak) shows.

Finish: Long, smooth and spicy. Slightly vegetal.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. A fantastic match with Jamon Bellota, it turns out (and of course very good on its own).

Next was the Glenkinchie 24 - the oldest official bottling ever released, and also the first to be matured entirely in European Oak. Fair to say I was a bit excited to try this one.

Glenkinchie 24 Year Old (Special Releases 2016) (57.2% ABV, 24yo, OB, Lowlands, Scotland, Bottle #988 of 5,928, $520AUD)

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Colour: Deep yellow gold.

Nose: Tropical fruit, Nutri-Grain cereal, milk chocolate, whilst retaining a floral lightness. Water brought out more of the fruit. It's a complex nose, for sure, but not one you'd immediately associated with a dram aged for 24 years in European oak.

Palate: Lightly spiced, with floral hints and some cereal notes from the nose returning. The tropical notes were there too - pineapple dusted with cinnamon.

Finish: Long, sweet fruity and fragrant spices. Walking through a spice market eating a sweet apple.

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

The Brora and Port Ellen rounded out the tasting, and I found very similar notes to when I'd tasted them a few months earlier (and unknowingly gave the same scores as then, too).

As expected, the Brora stole the show, with an incredible amount of complexity coupled with what I'll call "delicious elegance". The pick of the bunch, in my opinion, and a dram I could happily nurse for hours, seeking out more and more notes as time goes on.

As mentioned, nine of the ten 2016 Special Releases have been released in Australia (unfortunately, this year Australia misses out on the crowd favourite Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength, which we learned was very constrained due to "every market wanting to get their hands on the 200th Anniversary release". The nine available bottles are as follows:

AUCHROISK 25 year old, Distilled 1990, ABV 51.2%

3,954 bottles available worldwide. 216 for Australia.

RRP $520AUD

BRORA 38 year old, Distilled 1977, ABV 48.6%

2,984 bottles available worldwide. 108 for Australia.

RRP $2,800AUD

CAMBUS 40 year old, Distilled 1975, ABV 52.7%

1,812 bottles available worldwide. 68 for Australia.

RRP $1,400AUD

CAOL ILA 15 year old, Distilled 2000, ABV 61.5%

450 bottles for Australia.

RRP $170AUD

CRAGGANMORE, ABV 55.7%

4,932 bottles available worldwide. 180 for Australia.

RRP $750AUD

GLENKINCHIE 24 year old, Distilled 1991, ABV 57.2%

5,928 bottles available worldwide. 282 for Australia.

RRP $520AUD

LINKWOOD 37 year old, Distilled 1978, ABV 50.3%

6,114 bottles available worldwide. 300 for Australia.

RRP $1,100AUD

MANNOCHMORE 25 year old, Distilled 1990, ABV 53.4%

3,954 bottles available worldwide. 240 for Australia.

RRP $550AUD

PORT ELLEN 37 year old, Distilled 1978, ABV 55.2%

2,940 bottles available worldwide. 128 for Australia.

RRP $5,000AUD

With almost $10,000AUD worth of whisky across 5 bottles, it's fair to say this was no ordinary tasting, but it's one I was thrilled to join. A huge thanks must go to Simon, Diageo Australia and the team at Leo Burnett for the invitation and their hospitality during the afternoon.

Cheers,
Martin.

Distillery Tour #7: Joadja Distillery (NSW, Australia)

Whilst I often try to fit some "whisky tourism" into my trips where possible (a distillery tour, bar or whisky show for example), I wasn't expecting to do so on a recent trip back to Australia, considering I was only there for 3 nights for a mate's wedding and to visit my folks in their new Southern Highlands home.

Turns out my parents had a different idea though, and had sneakily booked a tour of Joadja Distillery, in the historic town of Joadja (about 40 minutes from Bowral). The distillery wasn't open that day, but the lovely Valero and Elisa Jimenez (Directors, owners and operators of the Distillery and Joadja Heritage Tours) kindly agreed to open up and show us around.

Even if you're familiar with the Australian whisky scene, you may not have heard of Joadja before. That's because they haven't actually released a whisky yet - although they have produced whisky (and from what I tried, it was very nice indeed - more on that below).

The trip to Joadja takes you on ~10km of (relatively easy-going) dirt road, passing several ancient buildings hinting at the town's historic roots. Upon arrival at the distillery, Elisa and Valero (who also run non-whisky focused tours of the historic town) told us a little about the history of the area - founded in the 1870s as a shale mine and refinery, and staffed at the time by a large population of Scottish shale miners, who not only distilled shale oil, but also their own illegal spirit, or "sly grog", on the side.

So...historical significance - tick!

The Jimenez family (as the name might suggest) have Spanish heritage, with Elisa herself having a direct family connection back to Jerez, enabling them to source high quality ex-Sherry (Oloroso and PX) casks for maturing their whisky.

So, access to high quality sherry casks too - tick, tick!

It was these factors (coupled with some convincing from the Godfather of Australian Whisky Bill Lark) that convinced the family to establish the distillery in 2014, having purchased the site years earlier, seeking a change of lifestyle after running a backpacker's hostel in Sydney. 

It's interesting to note that there was actually a distillery in Joadja previously, on the same site, which had all the equipment but never produced a drop. Those stills however were removed, and made their way to New World Whisky Distillery (aka makers of Starward), whilst Valero and Elisa procured new equipment for their distillery.

Soon after arriving at the distillery we were greeted by an immense downpour - so heavy that we couldn't even hear Valero speak. When things quietened down, and we were taken on a tour of the town, the local spring (supplying all the water used in the distillation) was flowing. No concerns about water availability then!

The distillery uses an 800L spirit still, and produces a powerful but nuanced new make. Maturation occurs in the same location,  just a few metres away, mostly in 32L casks which previously held Oloroso or PX Sherry (the distillery also sells the sherry which came from the casks, and it's very tasty stuff).

As with most young Australian distilleries, Joadja are also producing and selling new make ("Outlaw"), Anis, and a Dry Gin, all of which are available now. Their whisky is not yet available, although Bottles #1 and #40 will be given away at the upcoming Brigadoon festival in Bundanoon - Bottle #1 to Scottish-Australian legend Jimmy Barnes, and #40 to be raffled off at the event. It's expected the whisky will be available for sale to the public this year.

I was fortunate enough to try a dram of the first cask (JW001), at a cask-strength 60.8% ABV, and whilst I've promised not to post detailed tasting notes (as what I tasted was still a 'work in progress'), I can confirm it was an impressive dram for only 2 years old, and reminded me very much of other Australian distilleries in their younger years - distilleries which have since gone on to produce world-class whiskies.

Certainly a distillery to keep an eye on.

Whilst the distillery is a bit of a trek from Sydney, it's one I can recommend making - make it a day trip and include a tour of the historic town too. You can't taste any of the whisky during the tour, but you can see the equipment up close, and try the sherry which seasoned the casks that are now maturing the whisky.

You can also see Kangaroos, and really, how many distilleries can lay claim to that!?

A huge thanks must go to Elisa and Valero for their immense hospitality during our visit, and for generously allowing us to taste their spirits. Personally I'm excited to see another NSW distillery producing high-quality spirit, and can't wait to see this distillery grow and no doubt go onto great things.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #353: Bunnahabhain Rubha a' Mhail (Feis Ile 2015)

I had the opportunity to sample this special limited edition Bunnahabhain Rubha a'Mhail as part of a recent Bunnahabhain tasting hosted by whisknick.

The name 'Rubha a'Mhail' is taken from a local Islay tale of a ship that crashed into the rocks at Rubha A' Mhail with the skipper spending 11 days trying to free the ship (which still remains at the same place to this very day). The name and the story certainly make for a good dram.

The Bunnahabhain Rubha a'Mhail malt has been aged for 11 years in Spanish Manzanilla sherry butts and bottled for the Fèis íle 2015 Islay festival. I do have to say that this is another stellar Fèis íle bottling, just like the Port Charlotte SMWS 127.44 bottling I had reviewed earlier. The Manzanilla sherry butts have positively influenced the rich flavours of Bunnahabhain with its light Manzanilla salty and briny notes.

Bunnahabhain Rubha a' Mhail (57.4% ABV, 11yo, Islay, Scotland, One of 1200 bottles, £149.95 or directly at the distillery)
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A lovely, rich and creamy bunny that is packed with flavours and a dram I would have to celebrate a momentous occasion.

Colour: Gold with amber tinge

Nose: The nose is rusty and nutty and mixed with burnt caramel, toasted banana bread. There are hints of stone fruits including plums and figs.

Palate: The palate is creamy, rich, filled with sweet and maritime notes with a mixture of rich caramel and brine (salted caramel). This is then followed by cinnamon spice with hints of stone fruits.

Finish: The finish is long, woody and creamy - delicious.

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

Cheers
Hendy

Tasted #352: Ardbeg 21 (2016 release)

If there's a trend present in recent distillery-bottled Ardbegs over the past few years, it would be that they're all on the (relative) younger side. Not "young", not "immature", not even "simple"....but when the oldest age-statement whisky in a core range is 10 years old, I think it's a fair comment. Of course, there are older Ardbegs (the distillery has bottled quite a few old single casks over the years, there are plenty of 21 year old independently-bottled Ardbegs, and there was even an OB 21 year old from years ago), but in recent years, if you wanted an OB age-statement Ardbeg, the 10 year old was it.

...so it was all the more exciting then, when late last year Ardbeg announced an official bottling of a 21 year old, from a parcel of casks Moët Hennessy (LVMH) acquired with the distillery in the late '90s. You may remember we originally brought word of the new release back in September.

The whisky for this 2016 release was distilled in 1993 and 1994 and comes from ex-Bourbon casks, bottled at 46% ABV with no chill-filtering. It was available in Australia for $565AUD...for about 90 seconds, as it literally took that long for the 90 allocated bottles to sell out. 

Luckily, we got our hands on one, quickly brought it to HK, and immediately cracked it open.

More photos from @TimeforWhisky.com on Instagram

Ardbeg 21 year Old 2016 release (46% ABV, 21yo, Islay, Scotland, $565AUD RRP but now sold out)

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Colour: Yellow gold.

Nose: Tropical, like many older Islay bottlings, but perhaps not as full on as some Ardbegs from the '80s. Peach, peat and mango at first. Then blackberries, fresh laundry, sea air, and (with time) a slight earthiness.

Palate: Smooth and light initially. There's citrus tingle, and then comes the peat, wrapped in a chewy caramel layer, followed by some chocolate orange. There's some damp earth, and everything is in perfect harmony. A drop of water brings hints of mandarin and mint. A mixed bag, but one that brings everything together beautifully.

Finish: More like the modern-day Ardbegs we've come to know. Ashy BBQ peatsmoke, with a hint of citrus zest. A little oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  94/100. It would be easy for the distillery to produce an average release, and still sell out in a matter of minutes. But they haven't. They've produced a beautifully balanced, complex Ardbeg, with plenty of brand DNA, but enough differentiation to make it a unique whisky - and a beautiful one at that.

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #351: Brora 30yo 6th release (distilled in 1977)

Most whisky fans would no doubt say that a trip to Singapore would not be complete without a visit to the well known and well regarded whisky bar, The Auld Alliance (which Martin reviewed back in 2013, in its old location). As luck would have it, I had planned a trip to the lion city with the family at the end of last year and it was then I finally had the chance to check it out. Let's just say that I was thoroughly impressed with the overall experience, from my own excitement at glistening through pages and pages of different (often rare) whiskies on offer, the bar setup and ambience as well as the generosity of knowledge of the bar staff.

I met up with Natasha, the Bar Manager on the night whom Martin had recommended to me and we chatted away on how the bar came about, the extensive range of whiskies and some of their unique independent bottlings. I won't dive in deeper about the bar, but you can read Martin's review from 2013 here, and he's also planning a detailed write-up of the new location soon (needless to say, it's even better).

I came across the Brora 30yo 6th Release during my chat with Natasha and she mentioned that the 1977 Brora was a special one given 1977 was the last year before Brora began using lightly peated malt, in 1978. Though one would still question the effect of time on the peat level irrespective of how peaty a whisky can be at the outset - I was curious to try this 6th release from Diageo.

Brora 30yo 6th Release  1977/2007 (55.7% ABV, 30yo, Highland, Scotland, OB, bottle #2215/2858, no longer available but 2010's 30yo release is $1,999AUD)
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A lovely, rich, creamy and complex whisky that is generous with every mouthful. Despite the age, this particular Brora is superbly balanced, you do get the dry woody notes though not without it being complemented with plethora of other sensories including peat, citrus and maritime notes.

Colour: Light gold.

Nose: The nose is pungent, earthy, ladened with scent of damp forest floor, perhaps reminiscent of raw peat in its origin, ripe banana and overlaid with a small note of metallic paint and heavy thick bonfire smoke.

Palate: The palate is rich, very rich, creamy and viscous. The palate is charred, woody and dry. Then there's the peat and citrus notes, loads of peat and citrus fruit notes before the maritime notes arrive, the salty, briny notes. After a while, the palate then slowly fizzled out with a subtle numbing (cardamon) spice.

Finish: The finish is long, dry, woody and well spiced.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 95/100.

Cheers
Hendy

The Elysian Whisky Bar (Melbourne, Australia)

This article on The Elysian Whisky Bar isn't a bar review (though we have 21 of those and counting), for the simple fact that we haven't yet visited - the bar being in Melbourne, us being in Hong Kong and Sydney.

Having said that though, we don't need to visit to know this place is going to be fantastic. With Kelvin Low and Yao Wong at the helm (both ex-Whisky+Alement, another brilliant Melhourne whisky bar we reviewed here), a constantly-refreshed selection of incredible independent bottlings, great cocktails and the vibe/feel of a Japanese whisky bar, all in the heart of Fitzroy, it has all the makings of a gem of a bar (and the many reports we've heard since it's December opening have all confirmed - it's more than earned its stripes).

If that doesn't scream "awesome Japanese-style bar, we don't know what does!"

Kelvin and Yao have built up a "modest but eclectic" selection of whiskies, in a way that's only possible with indie bottlings. They've even got their own single cask Indie bottling coming out soon - a 19yo First Fill ex-Sherry Glenrothes, bottled for The Elysian along with 2 bars in Taiwan, a bar in China, and 2 bars in Japan (including the brilliant Mash Tun Tokyo, where owner Suzuki-San does not select bad casks!) Not bad for a 3 month old bar...

In their words, Kelvin and Yao

"want to bring the feel of the kind of cosy bar you would find in Japan and transport that feeling to Fitzroy…which we felt needed a whisky bar. Many of the great cocktail bars you visit in Japan would have a killer whisky selection and the whisky bars there would absolutely blow you away. We just wanted to bring a taste of that Japanese bar culture back here and maybe jog a bit of nostalgia in those that have been over there and experienced it.”

Having experienced Japan's brilliant whisky scene first hand on many occasions (including once with Kelvin and Yao, at Whisky Live Tokyo 2015), we know exactly what they mean.

Both Sydney and Melbourne continue to show an insatiable appetite for whisky tastings / masterclasses, and The Elysian have stepped up in that regard too, having already hosted a tasting with independent bottler Eiling Lim (whom we recently had the pleasure of meeting in Hong Kong), as well as a Kilkerran WIP tasting, and an upcoming Signatory Vintage tasting with The Whisky Company.

Whilst the focus is clearly on whisk(e)y, Kelvin and Yao haven't neglected the food (nor wine/beer/cocktail) side of things by any means:

"there are seasonal fruits and herbs focused cocktails, a tight wine list and a small constantly rotating beer list. The capacity of the bar is relatively small (about 35) but is specifically designed to enhance the personal interaction between patrons and the bartender. There is a small offering of snack items focusing on charcuterie and cheeses that will be on frequent rotation. We are also working with Chef Ryo Kitahara (of Assiette de Parti), a chef that Kelvin used to work with in his previous restaurant (Heirloom), for some bar snacks. Chef Ryo is providing us with some tasty Chicken Liver Parfaits, Home-made Pork Rillettes, and Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulders."

With The Elysian joining Boilermaker House, Whisky+Alement, the new Melbourne Whisky Room, Melbourne now has a range of fantastic whisky bars which all offer a slightly different take on whisky. Which one should you visit? That's easy - all of them.

The Elysian Whisky Bar is open Tuesday to Saturdays, 4:30pm to 1am, and is located at 113 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. See Facebook for more details and The Elysian website to subscribe to the newsletter. Phone: +61 3-9417 7441.

Cheers,
Martin.

Lalique Legacy Collection - Charity auction to feature one-off complete custom set of "Macallan in Lalique" decanters

Last year we were incredibly fortunate to attend the launch of (and taste) the "Macallan in Lalique" 65 year old - the sixth and final release in a series of six rare Macallans, aged from 50 to 65 years old and released in extremely limited numbers over 11 years (2005 - 2016).

At the time, we mentioned 2017 would see parent company Edrington auction off one complete set in Hong Kong, and that time has now come, with Sotheby's due to hold the charity auction on 2nd April 2017.

As you might expect, for a one-off set as rare as this, bidders will be bidding on more than just the 6 decanters. To quote the press release:

"...this special Legacy Collection is housed in a unique, bespoke cabinet in natural ebony created by Lalique, which will also hold six Macallan Fine and Rare miniatures; two from each of the 1937, 1938 and 1939 vintages (signifying the zenith of Lalique’s contribution in the French Art Deco period). 

This cabinet will feature six pairs of Lalique Macallan glasses, each serial numbered to commemorate this unique partnership.  To complete the collection, autographs of the masters behind the collection will be included inside the cabinet, and will allow for the buyer to have their own name engraved within it."

None of which changes the whisky of course, but if our own experience with the 65yo is anything to go by, these are already incredible whiskies in their own right. Not just old, but old and very good.

No word on which charity or charities are being supported here, but we'll try to find out. An estimate of HK$2,000,000 – HK$4,000,000 has been placed on the lot, which is obviously significant, but considering The Macallan's continuing dominance in the whisky auction / rare whisky market, not unexpected.

 

The auction takes place on Sunday, 2nd April 2017 at Hall 5, The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai, Hong Kong.  For assistance in bidding at this auction, please contact Sotheby’s on +852-2822-8142

Cheers,

Martin.