The Balvenie Dinner at Hong Kong Parkview with David Stewart and Kelsey McKechnie

One of the benefits of being a whisky lover in HK (as I've mentioned a few times) is the steady stream of international whisky personalities who pass through. William Grant & Sons are no exception, with a visit by Glenfiddich Global Band Ambassador Ian Millar in 2014, The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart in 2015 and former global brand ambassador (and the funniest man in whisky) Sam Simmons in 2016.

Fast forward to 2018, and The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart again came to town (for one night only), this time with Kelsey McKechnie who had only just been announced as new apprentice Malt Master weeks earlier.

The pair had come to Hong Kong for a Balvenie pairing dinner, held at Hong Kong Parkview's Ming Yuen restaurant, in conjunction with Parkview's brilliant whisky bar and Telford Wine & Spirits.

For a select few media, the event actually kicked off a little earlier in the evening, with a tasting of The Balvenie 40yo kindly sponsored by the Parkview's brilliant Parkview Whisky Bar. I'll save the tasting notes for a separate post (suffice to say, it was a special dram indeed), along with an even older Balvenie post I've been saving...

Kicking off with a rich complex cocktail made with The Balvenie 12 Doublewood, sherry and coffee, as guest arrived we chatted with David and Kelsey, and collectively wondered if they'd make their flights the next day, given the impending typhoon (subsequently the strongest in HK's history).

Admiring the drams laid out, it was clear we were in for a good night, with the following on the menu:

• The Balvenie 12 Doublewood
• The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask
• The Balvenie 17 DoubleWood
• The Balvenie 21 PortWood Finish
• The Balvnie 30 ("Thirty")

After taking our seats, David gave a brief introduction, reflecting on his incredible 56 years (and counting) with William Grant & Sons, and talking us through the DoubleWood's 25 year history, starting with the first bottling in 1983 (coincidentally, recently marked by a limited-release 25yo DoubleWood). David, known for his pioneering ways in the field of cask finishing ("ACEing" in some circles), explained the first four whiskies were finished (Sherry, Rum, Sherry, Port), whereas the 30 is a marriage of 1st fill American Oak casks, refill American Oak casks and 1st fill European Oak casks.

Kicking off with Chilled Fresh Abalone (which is actually kind of clever, because Abalone itself doesn't have a lot of flavour, but soaks up other flavours), and then Double Boiled Shi Hu with Sea Conch & Pigeon (soup), both with The Balvenie 12 Doublewood, and then Kurobuta Pork Roll with Teriyaki Sauce, paired with The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask, it was clear the new chef has taken Ming Yuen in a much more interesting and modern direction (presentation-wise), whilst keeping the flavours traditional and delicious. Steph and I had eaten there only once before (it's typically only open to Parkview residents), but this was much, much better than I'd remembered.

Kelsey presented the The Balvenie 17 DoubleWood next, paired with Pan-fried Cod with Passionfruit Jus with each bringing out (or rather, amping up) the sweetness in the other.

It seemed like almost every attendee had brought at least one bottle of their of Balvenie to ask David / Kelsey to sign (I was no exception), and in between courses queues started to form. There were a number of rare and interesting bottles (DoubleWoods from the 80s, TUN 1858s etc..) but none more so than this bottle, brought by Kam from Dram Good Stuff...

Not on tasting, obviously!

(We also learnt that the DCS5 collection is likely to have a 1962 release with an even older age statement - 56 or 57yo!)

Whilst Dessert and whisky pairings are an "easier" match to make, this one was particularly good, with Mango Pudding with Rose Jelly paired with The Balvenie 21 PortWood Finish. David explained the casks for the 21 come from Speyside Cooperage, supplied from Portugal (exact provenance unknown), with about 100 casks used each year and the whisky undergoing a 4 month finish.

The 30yoI figured was deserving of tasting on its own, and will post tasting notes in a separate post shortly. I'd tried the Thirty before and always found it fantastic, but this (more recent) release even more so - a sentiment echoed by friends and others online too, who all agreed it was a great whisky which seems to have recently gotten even better. A truly beautiful dram.

As the dinner wrapped up, those of us who stuck around availed ourselves of a second (and umm, third) dram of our favourites, before heading home with a bottle of DoubleWood 17yo for our troubles. 

A wonderful night spent with great company.

Cheers,

Martin.

Time for Whisky attended the dinner as a guest of Telford and Hong Kong Parkview, and would like to say a massive thanks to all involved. It should be noted that the price of this dinner also included a bottle of The Balvenie 17 DoubleWood.

The Macallan Masters of Photography Magnum Edition Hong Kong Launch (Tasted #395)

We've been fortunate since moving to HK to attend some brilliant Macallan events (particularly lately), including a few for the various "Masters of Photography" releases. First it was the Mario Testino (5th) Edition, then last year's Steven Klein (6th) Edition (we also tasted one of the 58 different Elliott Erwitt (4th) editions), and this week we attended the launch of the 7th edition - the "Magnum Edition", celebrating the new distillery via the work of 6 Magnum photographers.

One thing I like about the "MoP" series is they don't follow any rules when it comes to the whisky's make up. Single cask, vattings, age statement, NAS - doesn't matter. The whisky is designed to reflect the nature of the photographers / photography, and over the years there's been some really interesting releases (The Mario Testino Edition especially, being a vatting of 6 casks, with the package including a miniature of each of the 6 casks).

The new "Magnum Edition" is also a vatting, of 7 casks, and whilst you can read the detail about how each cask reflects its photographers personality here, the one thing that really interested me was that one of the casks was an ex-Rioja cask - apparently one of only 3(!) the distillery has ever done.

Bottled at 43.7%, the whisky carries no age but after spending a good amount of time nosing and tasting it (see below), it's clearly not young. I'd hazard a guess the majority of the casks would be north of 20 years old (but that's just a guess).

Ken Grier, Creative Director for The Macallan was our host for the night, in what was sadly his last ever event for The Macallan. Ken opened proceedings by talking us through the 6 photographers (each had examples of their Macallan photography on display around the room), then introduced our dinner pairings, explaining that a "Triple Cask Vertical" of 12/15/18 was chosen to accompany the first three courses, as a nod to the original "Masters of Photography" release, which was a 30 year old Fine Oak 

("Triple Cask" being the new name for the "Fine Oak" series originally launched in 2004).

Dinner was a 4 course affair, expertly paired as always, consisting of:

Vanilla poached mangrove forrest prawn, smoked watermelon carpaccio, avocado creme, basil, roasted crustacean aspic

• Paired with The Macallan Triple Cask 12yo

Seared Foie Gras, sour cherry jus, hazelnut creme

• Paired with The Macallan Triple Cask 15yo

US prime beef sirloin, black garlic mashed potato, abalone sauce glazed morel mushrooms, cress salad

• Paired with The Macallan Triple Cask 18yo

Dark chocolate 68% cigar, Baileys Cremeux, streusel, Hazelnut ice cream

Of course, it wouldn't have been much of a launch event if we hadn't actually tried the whisky being launched...

The Macallan "Masters of Photography" Magnum Edition (43.7% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $26,600HKD)

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Colour: Yellow gold with a reddish tinge.

Nose: Fruity creme brûlée at first. Toffee apples. Then you get this subtle, but definitely noticeable smoke. Not big Islay-style peat (although one of the casks was "peated", we learned), but a definite dry, dusty, earthen smoke. There's some tobacco and aged leather, and after some time, some burnt orange peel.

Palate: Dry - very dry, with oak tannins quite noticeable. There's also some grassy tobacco, butterscotch, some hints of mandarin peel and more smoke, but underneath it all, an undercurrent of dry oak tannins.

Finish: Extremely long, with the oak tannins carrying right through.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. One that definitely needs time, and the more time you give it, the more you discover. To me, that complexity is something I look for in a whisky, so it scores well because of that. Whilst the palate didn't appeal to me as much as something like Edition 4, or a juicy old Macallan Cask Strength 10yo, it's still quite enjoyable (taste-wise), and the nose is definitely intriguing and hugely complex. Taste is a matter of opinion and plenty of others on the night really enjoyed the taste. Either way, it's definitely one to sit with and enjoy.

The Macallan Masters of Photography "Magnum Edition" is available for $26,600HKD, with a limited allocation of 72 (of 2,000) bottles coming to HK.

Thanks again to Edrington Hong Kong for another successful Macallan launch.

Cheers,

Martin.

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Tasted #394: The Macallan 55 year old - Exclusively bottled to celebrate The Macallan distillery opening 2018

As mentioned a few weeks ago, at the launch of The Macallan's new distillery and visitor centre we were treated to a spectacularly rare whisky - a Macallan, in which the youngest Macallan was 55yo, of which there were only 20 bottles, and which was served only to guests of the distillery launch events for a week in May.

As far as welcome drams go, it's fair to say it was a good one.

Upon picking up a glass, we weren't given any details at all. We were asked to hold off for a few minutes until a toast was made, but that didn't stop me giving it a good long nose...which was all I needed to tell me this wasn't your average sherried Macallan. This was something unique.

We later learned it was a special bottling, released only for the distillery launch events, but weren't given any other details apart from its age. A few days later, Siobhan Sellers (@herguide) posted up the following post (edit: since removed), confirming the ABV (50.3%). I'm sure I also read somewhere that it was limited to 20 bottles, but can't seem to find that info anymore.

The Macallan 55yo - Exclusively bottled to celebrate The Macallan distillery opening 2018 (50.3% ABV, 55yo, Speyside, Scotland, Not commercially available)

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Colour: Burnished copper-gold.

Nose: Sweet orange zest initially. Sultanas. Sultana Bran, figs and sweet dates...but so much more. Leather. Slightest hints of smoke, nutmeg and mince pies. If you search hard enough, some dunnage warehouse. Clean, beautifully sherried and complex.

Palate: Raisins dusted with nutmeg. Some pepper. Apples, cloves, more orange, but then...grapefruit? Lots of grapefruit - both flesh and hints of zest. Ginger, dried fig and candied apricots...this dram had a lot going on, and it was all delicious.

Finish: Long with a slight citrus bittnerness leading to a subtle, lingering earthy smoke.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Delicious, just a beautiful example of an incredibly well-aged sherried whisky. To enjoy it amongst friends, as one of the first in the world to tour the new Macallan Distillery was just an incredible experience.

Follow @TimeforWhisky.com on Instagram for more

Cheers,

Martin.

New Book Review - "Japanese Whisky: The ultimate guide to the world's most desirable spirit"

A new book came across the TimeforWhisky desk recently, titled "Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit". As a lover of Japanese whisky, not to mention a good whisky book every now and then, I was keen to dive in.

Written by Brian Ashcraft, the 140+ page hardcover suits both beginners and fanatics alike, covering the history of Japanese whisky (both modern and ancient), its ties to sake and Shochu, the production process, the uniqueness of Mizunara and Japanese drinking culture.

..and that's just in the first 55 or so pages. The remaining pages are dedicated to the "big boys" of Japanese whisky distilling and their products. Yamazaki, White Oak, Yoichi, Mars Shinshu, Fuji Gotemba and Chichibu are all covered, with detailed tasting notes and scores on a number of whiskies from each (15 tasting notes for Venture Whisky / Chichibu alone).

All up, there are more than 100 tasting notes, all by Japanese whisky reviewer and blogger Yuji Kawasaki.

The book is striking in its (extensive and exclusive) photography, with large, vivid photos of distilleries, production processes and products, not to mention historical artefacts (older release whiskies, advertisements, and people).

There's even coverage of Japan's bar scene and culture, which (as readers of this blog and followers of our Facebook and Instagram pages might know) is something we're a little bit obsessed with.

There have been a few great books on Japanese whisky released recently, each of them with a slightly different focus. In it's 140ish pages, "Japanese Whisky: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Desirable Spirit" successfully manages to appeal to a wide audience with a mix of history, facts, opinion, humour and insider detail, all accompanied by stunning imagery and wrapped up in an easy-to-read format.

Whilst I like to think I know a decent amount about Japanese whisky, I have to admit I learned a few things reading this. Definitely recommended for Japanese whisky lovers and those looking to learn more. 

Cheers,

Martin.

Thanks to Brian Ashcraft and Tuttle Publishing for the review copy.

Tasted #393: The Glenlivet Code

The Glenlivet Code has launched in Hong Kong (and Australia), following The Glenlivet Alpha and The Glenlivet Cipher. What's with the funny names, you might ask?

Well...back in 2013 Glenlivet released Alpha, a mysterious Glenlivet with barely any details provided (no information on age, cask types etc..) . Next came Cipher, similarly with no details or tasting notes. Both came in matte black bottles and invited people to guess the production, tasting notes and so on before details were finally revealed.

For 2018, the distillery are back at it with a third release - "Code". Similar to Alpha and Cipher, Code invites you to "test your senses" with a online game in which you identify certain aromas and tastes within the whisky, and then learn how close you are to the "actual tasting notes", for example:

The "actual" (i.e. distillery official) tasting notes will be released at the end of 2018, but as nosing and tasting is such a subjective thing, here's hoping they also release the details on the whisky's make-up (age, cask type(s), and any other unique details), as that's what whisky fans will really want to know.

Until then, here are my thoughts and guesses..

The Glenlivet Code (48% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $1,250HKD / $210AUD)

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Colour: Light orange-gold

Nose: Youthful, tropical notes. Pineapple chunks in milk chocolate. Raspberries, paw-paw, with a solid dusting of coconut over the top. Then some peach.

Palate: More mature fruits - ripe mago and paw-paw, with cinnamon, lots of milk chocolate, hazelnuts and a fair amount of oak (1st fill?).

Finish: Medium to long sweetly fruit-spiced, cocnut, raspberry jam.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. My guess (probably way off): ~17yo with 1st Fill ex-Bourbon and ex-Chardonnay casks.

Many thanks to Pernod Ricard HK and DNA for the samples of this interesting new dram. The Glenlivet Code is available in HK for $1,250HKD and in Australia $210AUD.

Cheers,
Martin.

Archie Rose Six Malt New Make (Tasted #392)

Archie Rose, our local favourite distillery here in Sydney has always been known for its innovative ways with recent releases including the Archie Rose X KAIJU! Beer Aged Spirit, Agricole Rhums (using fresh cane juice from Condog, NSW) and the beautiful Archie Rose x Horisumi Gin Set. Notwithstanding these releases, they also offer customers the ability to craft and tailor their own gin, vodka and whisky - the latter includes help with maturation at the distillery.

Continuing with their innovative pursuit in the spirit scene, later this week, Archie Rose will launch another limited release - this time in the form of a new make blend, derived from six different malt mash bills (six malt wash).

Simply named Six Malt New Make, this new make spirit release will provide some insights into how the base spirit of Archie Rose's (soon to be released) Single Malt Whisky starts its life - unaged, unfiltered and raw. Having tasted the new make, the spirit embodies the quality and depth that you will definitely see in the final, aged Archie Rose whisky. Though what is interesting is all the elements that you get when the different malts are mixed together.

The use of six malt mash bills is different from the typical single malt whiskies which more commonly feature only around one or two malt mash bills. As commonly known, different malt results in different whisky profile and with the six malts combined, the resultant spirit is one that embodies the unique flavour profile of all the different malts. The six malts that were used for this release include:

• Local pale malt; derived from La Trobe barley from a single estate in NSW
• Local amber malt; comes from a single field in Barellan, NSW and provides a chalky, shortbread, biscuit notes
• Local caramel malt; produced by stewing the barley to the point where the sugar can be caramelised 
• Local aromatic roasted malt; provides chocolate, cookie dough notes
• Local white chocolate malt; made from a single field in NSW, roasted in small batches and provides espresso, dark chocolate notes
• Local peated malt; the origin of the peat kept a secret though this particular peated malt has been made exclusively for the Six Malt New Make

So how does it smell and taste? Absolutely fascinating and assertive. Nose is fruity and layered with dried banana, stewed apple, cinnamon porridge. On the palate, dry weet bix, raspberries, oats, granola and muesli bar. It's different, delicate and balanced and very much enjoyable on its own or mixed with cocktails such as the New Make Old Fashioned that is served at the Bar.

Bottled at 50% ABV and with 3,000 bottles being released this week, on July 19, the Six Malt New Make might disappear rather quickly. It is available for purchase from the Archie Rose Shop.

Also being released on the same day is “Spirit Data,” a new feature on the Archie Rose's website www.archierose.com.au, which provides a deeper look into the whisky production on a batch by batch basis, detailed tasting and production notes from the distillery floor and bond store. This is akin to what Compass Box has been advocating for, transparency over facts on various aspects that make up the final spirit.

Thanks to Will, Dave and team as well as Melinda Durston of Melting Pot Communications for having us at the tasting of this new Six Malt New Make.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition (Tasted #391)

Johnnie Walker has recently released the Australian release of the Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition. For those Johnnie Walker fans out there, the sight of a new release will no doubt garner excitement and interest. Sherry cask matured whiskies are not new within the single malt whisky circles though to see sherry being featured as part of a prominent label might mean that there is perhaps an increasing interest more broadly in the category.

Crafted by Blender Chris Clark, part of the blend in this limited edition bottling is matured in former sherry casks and with increased influence from malts of Blair Athol, Cardhu and Strathmill, the result is surprisingly pleasant and clean with subtle notes of berries, tropical fruits and spices. This release is not one that portrays a typical big cask strength sherry cask whisky but more of a dialled down, subtle, mannered blend that previews aspects of what you would normally expect from a sherry cask whisky combined with the balanced and clean notes of the original Black Label.

Locally, Simon McGoram, Diageo National Whisky Ambassador described this particular edition as one that provides glimpses of fresh and rich fruit character found in the original Black Label with the added elements of freshness, red fruits, figs and creamy vanilla. I have not compared this side by side with the original Black Label though one can still enjoy this particular edition of the Black Label as much as the original Black Label.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $48.90)
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A pleasant and clean release with berries, tropical fruits on the nose and candy, and cinnamon bun on the palate. At 40% ABV, this Sherry Edition certainly makes for an interesting everyday dram.

Colour: Bronze copper

Nose: Fresh and clean, with fresh berries and tropical fruits on top of a vanilla slice sprinkled with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg

Palate: More on the clean, fresh notes with soft, subtle strawberry vanilla candy, easter cinnamon bun that eases into some spiced pepper and drying chalk

Finish: The finish is long, slightly spiced and slowly fades into a drying chalky finish

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

The Black Label Sherry Edition is now available from Dan Murphy's and other selected independent liquor store at an RRP $60.

Cheers
Hendy

Thanks to Liz Hunt of Leo Burnett Sydney for providing us with a sample.

The Macallan Edition No.4 Launch in Hong Kong (Tasted #390)

Just a few weeks after we attended the launch of The Macallan New Distillery and Visitor Centre, Edrington HK were back at it again with the launch of Edition No.4, along with the HK presentation of the new distillery.

Ken Grier (whom we first met during the Lalique 65yo "The Peerless Spirit" launch) was in town to introduce the new distillery, and guide HK's media through a tasting of the new Edition, alongside a four course menu at Quarry Bay's ArtisTree.

As Edrington's many Hong Kong launch events have proven, the company likes to celebrate new products properly, and this was no exception. The space was set up with a panoramic screen (showing scenes from the new distillery and The Macallan estate), a large model of the new distillery and estate, and two tables for the forty or so media guests.

After a welcome dram and some reminiscing about the epic Macallan trip some of us had taken a few weeks prior, we settled into our seats for the first course - Oak smoked ocean trout, Vanilla scented cauliflower, Apple creme & burnt caramel splash, paired with The Macallan Triple Cask 12yo (previously known as Fine Oak 12yo). The two complemented each other well, with the whisky adding a serious creaminess to the trout.

Confit pigeon breast, coffee crumble, roasted parsnip & dried sour cherry jus was next, paired with The Macallan Double Cask 12yo (which despite a lot of online comments, is actually a 100% sherried whisky, made from a mix of ex-American and ex-European Oak casks). A delicious dish on its own, the Double Cask accentuated the gamey notes in the pigeon, in a good way.

Before the next course Ken Grier got up to say a few words about the new distillery, and give us a quick run through The Macallan's history, commenting on the linkage between the project and the new Edition No.4. Whereas Edition No.1 focused on cask types and Edition No.2 & Edition No.3 focused on collaborations (2 with The Roca Brothers, 3 with Roja Dove), Edition No.4 takes its inspiration, Ken explained, from the new distillery itself, aiming to be a layered dram, echoing the layering of elements which make up the new distillery.

Specifically, the casks (which The Macallan have always given a surprisingly large amount of information about, for the Edition series), 7 types in total, are said to represent the Capstone, Structure, Form and Foundation of the new distillery, as follows:

• Capstone: European/American Oak Refill Butts
• Capstone: European/American Oak refill Hogsheads
• Structure: American Oak First Fill Vasyma Hogheads
• Form: European Oak First Fill Diego Martin Rosado Butts
• Form: European Oak First Fill Jose Y Miguel Martin Butts
• Foundation: European Oak First Fill Tevasa Butts/Puncheons
• Foundation: European Oak First Fill Tevasa Hogsheads

Our next course was 48 hours braised short rib, root vegetable and bacon lentil, porcini mashed potato, caramelised baby carrot & Bengal pepper jus, paired with old favourite The Macallan Sherry Cask 12yo. Strongly-flavoured meat and a decently-sherried whisky are often a good match, and this was no exception.

It was then time to taste the new Edition No.4, which had been tantalisingly sitting in front of us for the past 10 or so minutes...

The Macallan Edition No.4 (48.4% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, $890HKD)

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Colour: Copper-orange gold

Nose: Figs, creme caramel, some ginger and a slight note of salted caramel. Honey, toffee.

Palate: Lighter and less sherry-dominant than I remember No.1 and No.2 being. Lots of ginger spice and warming lemon zest. Then some mandarin, more ginger, toasted hazelnuts and toasted oak.

Finish: Well that's different. Oak, but lots of lemon zest and juicy ripe mandarins. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  91/100. Delicious - one of the best yet.

It also paired incredibly well with the dessert of Chocolate creme, burnt marshmallow, Graham cracker ice cream and bitter chocolate soil, but then you kind of expect a whisky like the Edition No.4, with its toffee, honey and ginger notes, to pair well with a dessert like this.

Afterwards it was time to head back to reality (and anxiously wait the August release date of Edition No.4), but to tide us over Edrington gave us each one of these fantastic little miniature kits, with a diorama of the new distillery. Very cool indeed (and no surprise to learn it was designed by Bompass & Parr, designers of many a whimsical and crazy setting).

 

The Macalan Edition No.4 will be released in Hong Kong in August priced at $890HKD. Thanks to Edrington HK to the invitation to the launch (and for the beautiful collectible miniature diorama set).

Cheers,
Martin.