Name: Drinks Fellas Pte Ltd
Website: www.drinksfellas.com, Virtual Shop: http://online.drinksfellas.com/
Address: 20 Upper Circular Road, #01-31, The Riverwalk, S(058416)
Opening Hours: 10am-6pm (Mon-Wed), 10am-8pm (Thu-Fri), (Closed for Lunch 12-2)
Tel: 6438-3877
For Enquiries: Send an Email to them at this website.
Last week, sgwhisky was fortunate enough to have an exclusive look at the 1988 Generations: A Singapore Exclusive BenRiach, a truly unique whisky that was specially for our Singaporean market. In line with the release of this great whisky, sgwhisky proudly presents to you a review of the people behind this exclusive bottling: Drinks Fellas Pte Ltd.
For sgwhisky, nothing says 'Whisky for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans' more than a locally owned and run whisky (and other liquors) distributor, and Drinks Fellas is exactly that. Founded in 2004 by a group of enthusiastic Singaporeans, Drinks Fellas was initially focused on white spirits such as Vodka and Gin. Incidentally, they were one of the first distributors to bring in the famous 42 Below range of Vodkas here in Asia. In 2007, however, current Brand Manager Jack Ong and his family took over the reins of the business, and have been running Drinks Fellas ever since.
Under the leadership of Jack and his family, Drinks Fellas has now grown to be one of the most recognisable distributors in Singapore. More importantly, for the whisky-loving folks, it has also started to focus more on whisky. Currently, it holds the distribution rights to famous expressions in the Diageo Classic Malts collection such as the Lagavulin 16, the Talisker 18 and the Dalwhinnie 15.
But what makes Drinks Fellas special is its work with two other distilleries that it holds distribution rights to as well: Tullibardine and BenRiach.
Tullibardine Whiskies
Tullibardine is a small, boutique distillery in the Scottish Highlands that has not gotten that much publicity, but is most certainly underrated. It has experimented with lovely wood finishes, and also created some really well-reviewed single cask bottlings of whisky such as a famous 1966 World Cup bottling which was bottled to commemorate England's 1966 World Cup victory. BenRiach, on the other hand, is a vibrant distillery which has been given a new lease of life with new ownership and has become one of the most progressive distilleries in Scotland. By combining experimentation with finishing and maturation in different casks, as well as new progressive packaging and design, BenRiach has emerged as one of the distilleries at the cutting edge of whisky development.
But what makes Drinks Fellas work with these two distilleries special is that it has managed to get Single Cask bottlings from these two distilleries specifically for the Singapore market!
As highlighted earlier in the post, Drinks Fellas has managed to get a 1988 exclusive bottling from BenRiach, but that is not the only bottling that has been done. Drinks Fellas has also managed to get two other special bottlings, one a BenRiach 1990 bottling, and the other a 1965 Tullibardine 'Birth of a Nation' bottling to commemorate Singapore's independence in 1965.
The BenRiach 1990
Sgwhisky has had the pleasure of trying the BenRiach 1990 but as one would expect, the 1965 Tullibardine is a real special one which is not readily available. If ever I get the chance to try it, there would surely be a nice long post on it!
It is however, the nature of these bottlings that makes them so special to the Singapore whisky scene. For a small country that has no whisky-making background and such a short history, to have not just 1, but 3 whiskies to call our own is something that is really great and special. In that respect, much appreciation must go to Drinks Fellas for their effort in making these 3 expressions a reality.
On top of the Classic Malts, Tullibardine and BenRiach, Drinks Fellas also carries a wide selection of Single Malt Whiskies like The Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Bourbons like Baker's and Woodford Reserve. For those non-whisky lovers, Drinks Fellas stays true to its roots as a white spirits dealer with a good selection of gins and vodkas, along with a few Cachacas and 100% Agave Tequilas. For the beer lover, one can also try the Tullibardine 1488 Whisky Beer, a boutique beer that is aged in whisky barrels, which is great tasting and rich in flavour.
As Drinks Fellas is predominantly a distributor, their shopfront is more of an office space, hence the limited opening hours and the quiet location. If one wants to purchase items from them it is preferable to go through their website: http://online.drinksfellas.com/.
So for those who want a great unique whisky to put on their shelves, or wish to try some special beers and spirits, Drinks Fellas is one of the places to get such items. Kudos to Jack and his team for the effort they have put in for the Singapore whisky market!
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