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Christmas is right around the corner. Have you decided on your Christmas party bottles yet? Parties are an essential part of Christmas celebration and if you are expected to prepare party bottles, here is a list to help you out in your shopping.
The Famous Grouse is a favourite party bottle for many of us. The light and yet, sweet blended whisky is a hot item for its easy-to-drink nature. Besides, it goes perfectly well with turkey and the Christmas log cake. You can easily find The Famous Grouse at any major supermarket such as FairPrice, Cold Storage or the MarketPlace. The bottle usually retails at less than SGD$100, so it is friendly on the wallet too!
Keep walking is a household statement for Johnnie Walker’s fans. While we do not encourage you to keep walking during a Christmas party, the Johnnie Walker Black Label is an excellent bottle to grace a party. One level “higher” than the Red Label, the Black Label is a flavourful whisky that is bound to please most whisky drinkers. You can find the Black Label easily at supermarkets too. Otherwise, your friendly online stores are always ready to deliver! The bottle also retails at less than SGD$100 for most supermarkets and online stores.
The Chivas Regal range is another household name for many blended whisky drinkers. This brand has a reputation for pleasing people in the maritime industry, so if you are inviting some friends working in the maritime sector, do stock up on the Chivas Regal! The 12 years old is the entry-level whisky and hence retails at less than SGD$100. If you are feeling generous, you can up the game and go for the 18 years old, which is a whole lot more expensive. Find the Chivas 12 years old at major online stores, and they will deliver it all the way to your doorstep.
The Glenlivet Founders’ Reserve is the latest bottle in the Glenlivet range of single malt whisky. There was a 12.12 sale at Lazada recently that featured the Glenlivet Founders’ Reserve! For $80 a bottle, you enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free deal! So that was $80 for two bottles! How neat is that? Got to admit that we bought the bottles too! If you have missed out on the deal, you can still find the bottle in Clarke Quay or major online shops in Singapore!
Glendronach has an excellent reputation for all its single malt bottlings, especially those from single casks. Nonetheless, their core range has some pretty decent stuff as well, like this Glendronach 8 years old. Although it is only an eight years old, the whisky displayed excellent depth for one that is so young. You can find the bottle at MarketPlace for less than SGD$100 too!
We hope that the list helps you to find the right party bottles with three blended whiskies and two single malts! If you need more advice, feel free to chat us up on Facebook Messenger! Have a great Christmas party!
It is the time of the year to make merry, have fun and enjoy life just a little bit! After all, Christmas is only around the corner! The team at WhiskyGeeks are preparing for the Christmas countdown with some lovely whiskies, and we thought that it is nice of us if we share our list with our readers too!
So, buckle up and go for a whisky ride with us as we go on a journey with these ten different whiskies.
Entry-level whiskies are great for trying, especially for people who are not serious whisky drinkers. These whiskies are mostly light and aromatic, with an acceptable alcohol content that is suitable for all. These whiskies are also great for whisky drinkers who are looking for something simple to spend the Christmas holidays. The price range for the entry-level whiskies is below $100 to less than $200 per bottle.
The Glenfiddich IPA is a newly launched whisky by one of the most well-known distilleries in Scotland. Finished in IPA beer casks, the whisky is a light, yeasty drink that delights all beer drinkers. The aromas of hops are prominent in the nose of the whisky, and it follows through in the palate and the finish. It is a thoroughly enjoyable drink and one that you can buy easily at duty-free shops. The best part about this whisky is the price tag. It is less than SGD$100 – an attractive price for whisky!
The Classic Laddie from Bruichladdich is yet another excellent whisky to choose for Christmas. While it is a NAS, the whisky has proven to match the likes of aged whiskies. Sweet and flavourful, The Classic Laddie is perfect for Christmas! The aromas of caramel and toffee, coupled with the sweetness of candies are bound to please both beginners and experts alike. Most online whisky stores in Singapore sell The Classic Laddie for around $160-$180.
Another entry-level whisky to try is the Dalmore 15 years old. Slightly older than the Dalmore 12 years old, this whisky is more flavourful than its 12 years old counterpart. The 15 years old is said to spend three years in a 30 years old Matusalum sherry cask, so the end result is a soft and elegant whisky. It is suitable for people who love sweet drinks with its candied orange taste. It is also a duty-free bottle that is selling near $200. Slightly pricey for an entry-level whisky, but worth a try if you have not tried a Dalmore yet!
The Glendronach 18 Years Old Allardice is slightly older than the above bottles. Matured in Oloroso sherry casks, it is all sweet toffee and candies. It is a typical sherried-matured whisky which is good news for anyone who is celebrating Christmas! The nose is full sherry with hints of pineapples and rum. The palate reminds us of a Christmas log cake, chocolate and honey! The finish is just as sweet with berries and maple syrup leading the way. While it is not exactly an entry-level whisky, it is so affordable (priced around $160-$180) that we have to label it as one so that you can try it for yourself.
Mid-tier whiskies are perfect for those who wish to spend a little more during the holidays to enjoy some beautiful expressions. The whiskies showcase here are a bit more complex than what you would expect from the entry-level whiskies, so if you are trying any of these, be sure to spend more time with them to get all the aromas and flavours. These mid-tier whiskies have price tags of $200 to $300 per bottle.
If you have not heard, let us share the good news with you! S.M.W.S is now in Singapore! The first partner bar for the S.M.W.S is none other than The Single Cask! We tried the 35.176 Surf and Snowboard expression at TSC recently, and it just screams “Christmas” in our face! The nose is full of fresh bananas and pineapples. The aromas follow through to the palate, and it feels like you have a mouthful of bananas! Then there are pineapples, sweet pears and a hint of caramel. The finish is delicious candies and lingers for a while. This sounds like a great Christmas whisky, doesn’t it?
The catch for S.M.W.S bottles is that you have to be a member to buy them. The basic membership is not expensive though. At $140 per year, you get to enjoy rebates and discounts when you buy bottles or drink at SMWS Member Bars worldwide. If you do not fancy the membership, all you need to do is head down to The Single Cask and check out the whiskies by the dram! Tell Brendan that WhiskyGeeks sends you and asks him to recommend some of the best S.M.W.S bottles for you!
This is something special. It is not Scotch, not Japanese and not Irish. It is a Switzerland single malt whisky! Santis Malt is a lesser-known single malt as it is not distributed in Singapore yet. As of now, they are looking for distributorship here. Nonetheless, they are somewhat famous in Taiwan. The Santis Malt Snow White No. 5 is their annual winter limited release. Each winter release is matured in old beer casks and finished in special fruit liqueur casks. The Snow White No. Five finished in apricot casks shipped all the way from Austria! Exceptionally balanced, this whisky comes with apricot, hops, sweet pears and tropical fruits.
Currently not released yet, the Snow White No. 5 is a real hit for us! While this is not available this Christmas, you can do something about this and buy it for the next Christmas! If you want to purchase a bottle, send us an email, and we will see what we can do to help you with the purchase!
Possibly one level up from the mid-tier whiskies, the mid-to-high-tier whiskies are those that set you apart from your friends. If you are feeling generous this Christmas and wanted to share the joy of whiskies with your friends, these bottles are perfect for an intimate Christmas party. The price range of these bottles is around $300 to $500 per bottle.
Macduff is not a well-known single malt because it is bottled and marketed as Glen Deveron in the whisky industry. It is part of the blend of the John Dewars & Son blended whiskies too. The Single Cask Macduff 19 years old is a good start for anyone who is keen to explore independent bottlings of Macduff single malt. The nose is herbal, slightly sweet with some pepper and develops some savoury meatiness after a while. The palate is sweet with some heat, almost like a spiced wine on Christmas Day. It is a perfect dram for Christmas! You can find this bottle at The Single Cask or buy it at their online shop! This bottle is retailing at $392.
Quaich Bar is the first whisky bar in Singapore, and it celebrated its ten anniversary a few months ago. This Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old Cask Strength is an exclusive Quaich Bar bottling to celebrate its anniversary. Specially chosen by the owner, this whisky is full of sherried goodness. It is a sherry bomb and one which aims to please any sherry cask whisky lovers. You can try to find this bottle at Quaich Bar (we are not sure if it is sold out). It is retailing at $398 a bottle.
This is the second Bruichladdich whisky that we are adding this list, and we are proud to say that the Black Art 4.1 is one of the best drams that we have ever tasted so far. The Black Art 4.1 is a 1990 bottle and one of the “old” bottlings from Bruichladdich. The whisky is an enigma. The nose and palate change every 10-15 minutes, showcasing the deep layers of complexity that represent the Black Art. Crafted with passion and hidden recipe, this is one of the famed bottles from previous whisky master, Jim McEwan. If you did not own a bottle, you should buy one!
Last but not least, here is the only peaty whisky that we added to the list. The Octomores are known as the peatiest whiskies in the market right now, and the Octomore 8.3 is the peatiest of all at 309 ppm! For those who have not tried an Octomore, you would think that this whisky is not for Christmas. Why did we put an Octomore on this list?
Well, the fact is this – Octomore 8.3 is sweet and floral! WHAT?! Yes, it is true! The sweet peat that wafts up the nose is aromatic and so appealing that we just keep wanting more! The high ppm makes the whisky soft and sophisticated, and the high alcohol content is hardly noticeable. This whisky is a mellow, lovely dram that is perfect for Christmas! Retailing around $400 – $425, you can find the Octomore 8.3 in most online whisky stores in Singapore.
2017 is coming to a close, and The Single Cask had similarly organised its last tasting event of the year. If you had not managed to grab a ticket for the sell-out event on 8 December 2017, you had missed out on the five beautiful expressions that we tasted.
Brendan, the whisky expert of The Single Cask, had chosen five crown jewels of the bar to share with all of us at the event. The Single Cask bottled every expression.
The five bottles we tasted were:
Linkwood 1984 (26 Years Old) – Bottled 2010
Glenrothes 1997 Refill Sherry #L1097 (19 Years Old) – Bottled 2017
Glenrothes 1997 Dark Sherry #T497 (19 Years Old) – Bottled 2017
Bowmore 2001 #31932 (14 Years Old) – Bottled 2016
Bowmore 2001 #31931 (14 Years Old) – Bottled 2016
Why are these bottles so special? Well, if you consider that they are either sold out or having less than five bottles left at the bar, you would want to hurry down to the bar to taste them by the dram before they are gone FOREVER! Before you rush off to The Single Cask, here’s a little background for the five bottles.
TSC Linkwood 1984 was bottled back in 2010 when TSC was not born yet. Back in those days, the bar was operating under the name of “Malt Vault” at Ann Siang Hill. It is also the reason why the shape of the bottle is different from the rest. The round glass represented the legacy of Malt Vault. The Linkwood 1984 is one of the first bottlings by The Single Cask. In the seven years that have passed since 2010, The Single Cask has created 37 expressions. That is not a small feat to be sure!
Linkwood 1984 has a clean citrus nose. Raw honey and herbaceous fruits are also prominent with some oakiness. That citrus note follows in the palate with a tingling sensation on the tongue. Light, fresh honey notes with warm, gentle spice are evident too. The finish is medium with light citrus, oaky notes. There is some bitterness toward the end, likely due to the wood.
It is an easy to drink whisky that is balanced and clean. It is somewhat singular but one which is suitable as an introduction to new whisky drinkers.
The Single Cask bottled the Glenrothes 1997 Refill Sherry in 2017. The yield of 85 bottles was because The Single Cask bought only one-fifth of the whole cask. Glenrothes is well-known for its sherry influence, and we had high expectations for this expression.
TSC Glenrothes 1997 Refill Sherry has a woody, sweet nose. Dark raisins, white peppery spice and sour sulphuric notes are in the forefront. A slightly unpleasant sourish odour appears after a while, reminding us of many sweaty bodies squeezed in a poorly ventilated lift. The sulphuric notes follow in the palate, turning it slightly sourish. The saving grace comes from the dark raisins and hints of roasted almond. Some woodiness can be detected in the back of the tongue too. The finish is relatively long with bits of roasted almonds at the end of the throat. It is also astringent and bitter.
It is an unusual presentation of a Glenrothes. While it may not be the most balanced dram of Glenrothes we had tasted, it is worth trying for its uniqueness.
This expression of the Glenrothes 1997 Dark Sherry is not a sister cask of the previous expression. It is an older expression by six months. The Single Cask bottled this version in 2017 as well. The Dark Sherry has a yield of 86 bottles and is a sherry bomb! As we had tried this before, we know that this whisky needs a lot of time to awaken to its complete profile. We recommend that you air this dram for at least 30 minutes before enjoying it.
The Single Cask Glenrothes 1997 Dark Sherry has a sherried, sweet nose with raisins and spice in the background. After airing the whisky for about 20 minutes, the spice mellowed, and the nose becomes sweeter. The sherry influence increases as you air it out. The palate is full of raisins, delicious red wine and gentle spice. Some dustiness coats the tongue. After airing, the taste gets sweeter with the raisins taking the forefront. The dustiness and spice take on a mellow note with the red wine coating the palate beautifully. The finish is medium to long with some dryness that is similar to a red wine finish. It is also astringent. After airing, the sweetness becomes prominent, and the dryness recedes slightly. It becomes herbaceous and bitter (something like an 85% dark chocolate).
This version of the Glenrothes is much more balanced and complex as compared to the previous one. However, it can get a little one-dimensional if you waited too long. It is a challenging dram if you want to catch all its notes within the 30 minutes time frame.
Bowmore is a brand that is well-known to all. It has its ups and downs as a distillery. The 60s, 70s, and 80s were terrific times at the distillery as it was performing at its peak. The 90s were less desirable due to the changing of owners to Suntory. The quality of the liquid produced during the 90s was somewhat lacking. Nonetheless, the distillery bounced back in the 2000s, and this bottle here is from one of its 2001 casks.
The Bowmore 2001 #31932 is one of the two sister casks that The Single Cask bought in 2016. Maturing side by side, these two casks were expected to be similar. However, they proved to be very much different!
#31932 has a light, gentle peat nose, burnt grass, sweet pineapples and hints of bananas. Mellow spice lingers in the background. The light peat follows through in the palate, creating a grassy, citrus, fresh tropical fruit mouthfeel with no spice. The finish is medium-long with sweet pineapples and a lingering light peat at the back of the throat.
It is a balanced expression that is gentle and yet complex enough for a hearty drink.
The last bottle of the night is the Bowmore 2001 #31931. The sister cask of the previous bottle, it proved to be as different as it can be. While the cask #31932 is grassy, #31931 is the mighter of the two.
The nose is meaty like smoky bacon. There is a stronger white pepper spice in the forefront and hints of sweet citrus and sea salt at the back. The smoky citrus (lemon & orange) follows through in the palate, with some hints of sea salt and white peppery spice. The finish is long with the smokiness lingering for a long time.
The Bowmore 2001 #31931 is a lovely, balanced whisky that is complex and yet easy to drink. We can easily guess why Brendan had chosen this expression to be the last bottle of the night. He admitted that this is one of his favourite bottles and he had bought bottle #2 for his collection! WhiskyGeeks has a bottle of the #31931 at home too!
While the last tasting event of the year might be over for The Single Cask, there are still two exciting events to look forward to in December 2017!
Whisky hoarders, ahem, we mean, whisky lovers, can look forward to the Christmas Sale (YAY!) at The Single Cask on 15 December, from 5 pm onwards! Expect discounts to go up to 60% off, so be sure to mark your calendar! Moreover, all whisky flights at the bar will be at half price for the night! We will see you there!
The other exciting event is The Single Cask Free Flow Night!! Who can say no to free flow? Happening on 16 December, it will start from 8 pm to midnight. Be sure to go there early if you want to have a seat! 🙂
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