Hong Kong whisky scene hots up with spate of amazing new releases
Hong Kong has developed a taste for whisky - and its growing thirst is matched only by the volume of new brands and expressions that are arriving on our shores. “There have been some amazing bottlings lately,” says John Drummond, resident manager of the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui East.
Glenmorangie’s Spios - Scots Gaelic for “spice” - is matured in casks that once held American rye whiskey, which has a distinctly spicy character. It is the ninth limited edition bottling from the distillery’s Private Edition series, “and the first single malt to have ever been entirely matured in American rye whiskey casks”, Drummond notes.
Beyond the big names, the Grand Stanford’s bar, Tiffany’s New York Bar, features some new independent bottlings from Samaroli, Adelphi and A.D. Rattery, which source single malt from distilleries in Scotland and then blend and bottle it themselves. “I love to compare the distillery bottles with independent bottlers and try their expressions,” Drummond says. “I am always looking for that ‘wow’ moment and there are many of them in both distillery releases and independent bottlers.”
Down the road at Angel’s Share, no age statement (NAS) whiskies have been growing in popularity, especially since Japanese distiller Suntory announced they would be discontinuing age-statement bottles. Angel’s Share offers a number of whisky flights and manager Judith Ki says the “Age is But a Number” flight, focusing on NAS whiskies, is a customer favourite. It features Auchentoshan Three Wood (syrupy and intense), Jura Superstition (like “black forest honey with hot buttered toast”, says Ki), Macallan Edition No 2 - “cracked black pepper, spice, cloves, nutty chocolate, oak, brown sugar, licorice and brandy snaps” - and Laphroaig Lore - “rich and peaty, with a spicy chilli kick”.
John Drummond says Hong Kong drinkers are often on the hunt for anything new and interesting. “[They] are really curious and sponge up the knowledge in regards to all whiskies, as much as they can get,” he says. “I can see over the past few years that the consumer is really well educated and always on the lookout for new bottles coming into the market.” That is true for anything from Japan, given Suntory’s announcement that it will dedicate itself exclusively to NAS whiskies. “Prices have gone crazy,” he says. With that in mind, many consumers are seeing what’s new from independent bottlers and smaller distilleries that are expanding their production.
There’s more to come. Tiffany’s New York Bar is planning to sell whisky mooncakes for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as a whisky advent calendar for Christmas. It will soon be receiving bottles of a single-cask, cask-strength 15-year-old Bowmore that was bottled exclusively for Hong Kong whisky bars, including Tiffany’s, Butler, Club Qing, Ginger and Nocturne. “Interesting times,” Drummond says.
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Whisky mooncakes, a whisky advent calendar and a 15-year-old Bowmore bottled exclusively for Hong Kong make for ‘interesting times’