Attention to all budding whisky connoisseurs. Quaich Bar @ South Beach is holding an Introductory Whisky Tasting till end October at S$25 (worth at least S$50), and will be featuring five core range single malts; four from Scotland and one from India. For groups of at least 6 to 12, guests can opt for a more in-depth journey through the spirits in their comfy, new abode.
Owner Khoon Hui is a well-seasoned traveler for all things whisky, and he has crafted this tasting specifically to showcase the myriad flavours and profiles of this “water of life”. He starts off with the intense Leidag 10 years (learn more about the distillery), throwing the usual consensus of “only Islay produces smoky whiskies” out the window. That said, Islay’s Bunnahabhain 12 years follows after with a strong scent of honey, with a hint of sea on the finish. Two coastal distilleries, yet two immensely different profiles – and this is just the beginning.
Throughout the tasting, you will be guided with different facts about the basics of making whisky, how that translates to the profiles you’re experience and the colourful history of each distillery. And that, cannot be done without tasting an expression from the oldest distillery from Scotland, Springbank. Hailing from the original whisky capital, Campbeltown (pre-prohibition), 100% of the process is carried out in the distillery itself; making it the most traditional and hand-made single malt in Scotland. Of course, the more enticing fact is that the water used to make and water down the whisky is from the same source.
All scotch are whiskies, but not all whiskies are scotch. Take a trip down to India with Paul John Edited, a semi-peated whisky made entirely in India. The water, barley and so on hail from the eastern continent, with the exception of the peat. They bring in peat from two different parts of Scotland, the Highlands and Islay. What’s really interesting is the heat. It works to speed up the maturation process, where up to 8% is lost per barrel (compared to 2% in Scotland). To be it into perspective, a whisky matured for 4-5 years in India can equate to (estimated) 15 years in Scotland.
To top it all off, Paul John Edited, along with Brilliance, were awarded a whooping 96.5 and 94.5 points respectively in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. That year, the former was only ranked one lower than the highly coveted Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. So, does it live up to its name? I’ll leave it to the experts at Quaich Bar to surprise you.
Quaich Bar @ South Beach
(Next to Esplanade MRT)
30 Beach Road #01-16
South Beach Avenue
Singapore 189763
joyce@whiskystore.com.sg
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