On the 16th of May 2011, One on The Bund at The Fullerton Bay Hotel played host to Singapore's premier whisky event, Whisky Live 2011. Sgwhisky was fortunate to have been invited for the event, which brought together the world's top brands and biggest players in the Whisky and Spirits industry.
Whisky Live 2011 is the second edition of the Whisky Live show in Singapore, taking cue from what was a very successful predecessor in last year's Whisky Live 2010. This year, Whisky Live 2011 boasted top players in the Spirits scene like Moet Hennessey Diageo and Pernod Ricard as well as famous names in the whisky world, including Nikka and La Maison Du Whisky, the latter being the organizer of the event. Sgwhisky attended the trade session for Whisky Live in the afternoon, which focussed on the sharing of information with retailers from various industries like the F&B industry.
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label at the Diageo booth
Industry giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard turned up in full force, showcasing their marquee brands such as the famous Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal blends, as well as their flagship Single Malt whiskies Glenmorangie and The Glenlivet. The presence of these huge brands provided a sense of familiarity for a growing market like Singapore's, and also offered a boost to the prestige of the event. Needless to say, the opportunity to try the best such brands had to offer, including The Glenlivet 18 as well as the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, was one to behold.
The Glenlivet 15 and 18 at the Pernod Ricard booth
Whisky Live, however, was also an opportunity for smaller, emerging brands, especially in the Single Malt whisky category, to raise awareness for their product, and this was certainly the case for this year's event. There were numerous Single Malt expressions available from notable brands such as Glendronach, BenRiach, Glenfarclas and Nikka.
Nikka's Taketsuru 17 (L) and Taketsuru 21 (On Display rack)
Japanese whisky giant Nikka also spared no expense for the event, offering an extensive range of their blends as well as the standard 12YO expressions of their Miyagikyo and Yoichi Single Malt whiskies. Of particular note was their Taketsuru 21YO blended malt, which won the World's Best Blended Malt Whisky in the 2011 World Whiskies Awards. Its buttery, fruity and floral nose and flavour was indeed a joy to behold, and it was one of the highlights of Whisky Live for Sgwhisky!
Glenfarclas Family Casks at The Glenfarclas/Spirit of Scotland booth
BenRiach Expressions at The BenRiach/Tullibardine booth
Emerging brands such as Glenfarclas and BenRiach too were also available at the event this year, with local distributors for both offering interesting expressions of their whiskies. Glenfarclas offered samples of their 15YO, 25YO, 30YO and the 40YO, which was one of the best whiskies Sgwhisky has had the joy of reviewing. BenRiach showed why they are considered one of the most dynamic new forces in the whisky world today, showcasing a few of their extensive range of special wine finishes, of particular note was their 15YO Madeira cask finish. BenRiach also offered their two special bottlings for Singapore's market, the 1990 and 1988 Singapore Only bottlings.
Strathisla 25YO at The G&M Booth
Organisers La Maison Du Whisky too made full use of this opportunity to showcase their products, offering whiskies from brands such as Strathisla, Glendronach as well as Independent bottlers Gordon & Macphail. Two of the heads of La Maison Du Whisky in France, Marlene Leon and Thierry Benitah, were present and helped out at the booths under La Maison's banner. Their considerable knowledge and expertise in the field were clear for all to see as they shared about the tastes and profiles of the various whiskies, as well as the stories behind them as well.
Inish Turk Beg Irish Whiskey
Wild Geese Irish Whiskey
The whiskies on show though were not just restricted to the Scotch industry (and Japan as mentioned). There were great whiskies from all over the world on show as well. La Maison Du Whisky had a 'Whiskies of the World' booth that highlighted whiskies from Ireland, Wales, Australia and India, and The Wild Geese also had a booth to raise awareness of their whiskies. Of particular note though was the Inish Turk Beg Irish Whiskey, which was actually Cooley's whiskey matured and bottled on the island of Inish Turk Beg off the west coast of Ireland. The amazing story behind Inish Turk Beg itself was one to behold, and made for real great listening!
Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon
Also on show was undoubtedly one of the real finds of the day, Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon, which was the flagbearer for the world of Bourbon for the event. Their 4 expressions were great examples of how great Bourbon can be, and were a testament to just how much wood can influence the flavour profiles of a whiskey.
On top of the great whiskies on show, Whisky Live also played host to other amazing spirits like a nice selection of rum. One that caught the eye was the Matusalem rum from Cuba, which had a great taste that was not too sweet and had amazing complexity to it. Also on show was renowned chocolatier Laurent Bernard, who offered several whisky-inspired creations, including chocolates containing Kilchoman Single Malt whisky and a lovely mousse that used Macallan Amber Liqueur.
Matusalem Rum
One of Laurent Bernard's Whisky-inspired creations
However, at the end of the day, it was all about the whisky, and to commemorate what was a great whisky experience, Sgwhisky has come up with a list of Three Whiskies that Surprised. These whiskies were picked based not just on flavour and quality, but on the general 'wow' factor it gave. So in no specific order, here are Sgwhisky's Three Whiskies that Surprised.
Sgwhisky's Three Whiskies that Surprised
#1: The Glendronach 1991 Single Cask (Finished in PX Casks)
Glendronach whiskies have garnered critical acclaim during the past few years due to some really good quality expressions that have been made available. Prior to trying the 1991, the Glendronach 18YO had already made a strong impression on me, but when a sample of 1991 finally became available, it was something altogether different. Bottled at a very healthy 50.4%, this whisky was a great example of the use of Pedro Ximenez casks, with lovely notes of chocolate, burnt sugar mingled with a very alluring PX sweetness. Definitely one worth getting your hands on!
#2: The Benromach 10YO
As many would argue, sometimes it is not about the special finishes or the long aging process, but about how good your standard expression and base product can be. Benromach is the only distillery owned by Gordon & Macphail, and the new owners have stressed their dedication to bring back the Benromach of old. Sgwhisky has never had the opportunity to try the old Benromachs before, but if the new one is any indication of quality, the future looks good. Amazingly complex and deep for a 10YO expression, the Benromach 10YO combines notes of malt, peat and sherry influences in a very balanced and sophisticated manner. This depth of flavour and complexity for a standard 10YO expression was what personally made it one dram that stood out.
#3: Blanton's Single Barrel Gold Reserve
Last but certainly not least, the 'Whisky of the World' that caught the eye and stood (in sgwhisky's humble own opinion) head and shoulders above its peers was the Blanton's Single Barrel Gold Reserve. Another strong expression with an alcoholic content above 50%, this was a brilliant example of what wood does to a whiskey. Lovely notes of oranges and chocolate were balanced well with spice and the classic Vanilla note synonymous with Bourbon. Water opened up to even clearer notes of spice and vanilla, without taking the edge of the complexity one bit.
All in all, one can say that Whisky Live 2011 was a great experience for both learning and appreciation. Sgwhisky was lucky enough to be there, and would like to extend its appreciation to La Maison Du Whisky for the invitation, as well as all the representatives at the booths that day, who were both helpful and willing to share their expertise with everyone. Sgwhisky managed to interview four of the leading individuals that were pleasant at the event, so look forward to that on the next post as Sgwhisky gives you their take on the whisky industry in Singapore. Once again, many thanks to all who made this event possible and Sgwhisky's looking forward to Whisky Live 2012!
No comments:
Post a Comment