Whisky Events in Singapore: Quaich Bar 10th Anniversary Celebration

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Quaich Bar 10th Anniversary Celebrations

Quaich Bar Singapore is celebrating their 10th Year Anniversary this September! To celebrate this awesome milestone, Quaich Bar partnered various whisky distilleries to bottle special expressions for the Singapore market.

From this week until the end of the year, a total of 6 new bottles from 5 different distilleries and 1 independent bottler will be showcased. All of them are selected single cask bottlings that are only made available here. Each expression is a limited edition.

The 6 bottles are as follows:

  1. Tomatin 1983
  2. Springbank 17 Years Old
  3. Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old
  4. Deanston 14 Years Old Spanish Oak
  5. Tomintoul 1977 (Details to be announced)
  6. Cadenhead (Details to be announced)

All 6 bottles will have their own individual tasting sessions as a way to introduce them to Singapore whisky drinkers. An exciting lineup including master classes and chit-chat sessions with the distillery representatives are arranged to make the most out of the 3 months long celebration.

Details for the various Tasting Sessions and the Anniversary party:

  1. 13 Sept 2017 – Tasting Session for Tomatin 1983

    Graham Eunson, Tomatin’s distillery General Manager will grace the event to officially introduce this special expression. He will be hosting a master class at Quaich Bar South Beach from 7-8pm before going to Quaich Bar Waterfront Plaza (at Hotel Grand Copthorne) for an intimate chit-chat session with the guests.

  2. 18 – 19 Sept 2017 – Tasting Session for Springbank 17 Years Old

    The tasting sessions are held over 2 days for Springbank 17 Years Old. Quaich Bar South Beach is hosting the session on 18 Sept 2017 while Quaich Bar Waterfront Plaza takes its turn on 19 Sept 2017. An interesting detail for the Springbank is the fact that the cask belongs to an investor of Springbank and Quaich Bar’s owner, Mr Khoon Hui, persuaded the investor to sell him half of the cask. Therefore, this expression is especially precious!

  3. 25 – 26 Sept 2017 – Anniversary Party

    We look forward to the Anniversary party on 25 – 26 Sept 2017 as Quaich Bar opens its doors to welcome all its members and supporters from the public. They are keeping a little secret here over what is going to happen at their party. We heard it is going to be pretty awesome, so keep the dates free and head down to Quaich Bar for a great time! The party is hosted at Quaich Bar South Beach on 25th Sept 2017 and Quaich Bar Waterfront Plaza on 26th Sept 2017.

  4. 2 – 3 Oct 2017 – Tasting Session for Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old

    After the party, there are more tasting sessions to attend! Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old will be introduced to the public over 2 days as well. Steve Campbell, the managing director of Burns Stewart (who owns Bunnahabhain) is gracing both sessions. Again, the tasting sessions are split with 3 Oct 2017 at Quaich Bar South Beach and 4 Oct 2017 at Quaich Bar Waterfront Plaza.

  5. 5 Oct 2017 – Dinner with Steve Campbell and Tasting Session for Deanston 14 Years Old Spanish Oak

    This event is especially interesting because you get to eat and drink with Steve Campbell. The event is held at Pimpan by FOC in Orchard. Deanston 14 Years Old Spanish Oak will be introduced to the guests during the dinner. More details will be announced by Quaich Bar and WhiskyGeeks once the details are firmed up. Keep checking back for more!

  6. Tasting Sessions for Tomintoul 1977 and Cadenhead

    As the details for both tasting sessions are still in progress, we are unable to post the exact dates. What we know is that both expressions will be released sometime at the end of the year. Once we get the details, we will announce the dates on WhiskyGeeks!

All the events listed above are priced at $30/pax for non-members. For Quaich Bar members, entry is free.

Quaich Bar Membership

If you are wondering how you can become a member of Quaich Bar and enjoy all the wonderful events for free, here’s how.

Spend a total of $800 and above with a maximum purchase of 2 bottles and you can become a member! It is that easy! Not only do you get to taste 2 exceptional bottles, you get access to members benefits too! You can keep the bottles at the bar so that you don’t have to carry them home. Interested parties can head down to Quaich Bar for more inquiries!

A guide to Glenfiddich Signature Whiskies

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Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

Glenfiddich ranks number one in the world in terms of having the best-selling single malts in the world. Most of their best-sellers come from their Signature range of whiskies. Here’s a simple guide to their Signature range.

Glenfiddich 12 Years Old

The 12-years-old expression is the entry level to the Glenfiddich Signature range. It is matured in Amercian oak and European oak sherry casks for at least 12 years before being married in oak tuns to create its sweet and subtle oaky flavours. The smooth palate coupled with a long and mellow finish makes it an easy drink.

The 12-years-old has also won awards in 2014, clinching the Gold medal in the International Spirit Challenge (ISC) as well the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

Glenfiddich 15 Years Old

The 15-years-old expression is the next level in the Signature range. It is created using a special technique invented by Glenfiddich’s Malt Master using the alchemy of the Solera Vat. Aged in European oak sherry casks and new oak casks, the whisky is then mellowed in their special Solera Vat.

The Solera Vat is a large oak tun inspired by the sherry bodegas of Spain and Portugal. This oak tun is never emptied but kept at half full all the time since 1998. It becomes a unique way to create this 15-years-old expression that pushes it to become one of the best-selling 15-years-old single malts.

This particular expression has won 2 awards. One of them is an Outstanding Silver Medal from IWSC in 2014 while the other is a Gold Medal from The Scotch Whisky Masters in 2015.

Glenfiddich 18 Years Old

The 18-years-old is the third in the Signature range and one which has done exceptionally well in our opinions. This whisky is matured in Spanish Oloroso wood and American oak to create a rich, fruity and robust oak expression. In addition, this whisky receives an intense marrying period to ensure that the consistency and character of the whisky do not change from batch to batch. Each batch is also individually numbered and watched over by their Malt Master.

The 18-years-old expression has similarly won awards. In 2012, it won the Outstanding Silver Medal in the IWSC and in 2013, it won the Gold Medal in the ISC.

Glenfiddich 21 Years Old

The 21-Years-old expression has a special finishing touch from Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, before getting bottled. After maturing for 21 years, selected barrels were hand-picked and finished in Carribean rum casks. The special finishing adds extra exotic notes and spices to the whisky, creating a truly extraordinary 21-years-old.

This expression also won awards similar to the rest of the range. It was awarded the Best Scotch Malt Whisky 21 years or over in 2015 by the ISC and also received the Master Award in the Scotch Whisky Masters in the same year.

 

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    The Amazing History of Glenfiddich

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    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    Glenfiddich is the world’s best-selling single malt owned and produced by William Grant & Sons in Dufftown, Scotland. Better known as a Speyside single malt, Glenfiddich clinched the most awards at the International Spirits Challenge so far. It is one of the few Scottish distilleries that are family-owned with its current owner being the fifth generation of William Grant’s descendants.

    History of Glenfiddich

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    William Grant was a visionary of his time. For 20 years, he harboured the dream to “make the best dram in the valley”. He realised his dream in the summer of 1886, where he, together with his 7 sons and 2 daughters, set out to build the distillery by hand, with only one stone mason to help. It was completed one year later.

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    William named the distillery “Glenfiddich”, which is Gaelic for “Valley of the Deer” and a stag became the distillery’s symbol. The first drop of spirit ran on Christmas Day, 1887. It was a memorable day; one that paved the way for Scotland’s single malts.

    William’s grandson, Gordon Grant joined the family distillery in the 1920s, when Prohibition was in full swing. Instead of halting distillation, he increased whisky production. Due to his insights, Glenfiddich was one of the 6 operating distilleries in Scotland with fine, aged whiskies, ready to be sold, after the Prohibition ended.

    In 1957, Charles Gordon (William’s great grandson), built an onsite infrastructure that included having coppersmiths onsite to maintain their copper stills. A dedicated cooperage followed in 1959. These 2 infrastructures proved to add strength to Glenfiddich as it made them self-sufficient later. Almost at the same time, Glenfiddich also launched its now-iconic triangular bottle, which houses all their liquids up till today.

    Growing the Glenfiddich Brand

    The 1960s to 1970s were tough years for whisky distilleries. Many of the smaller, independent ones were either bought over or closed down. William Grants & Sons increased the production of their whisky and introduced both advertising campaigns as well as a visitor centre in order to survive the tough years. This period effectively marked the “birth” of modern-day single malt category as the company decided to market single malt as a premium brand in its own capacity.

    It is interesting to note that William Grant & Sons are also one of the pioneers to package its bottles in tubes and gift tins. They also understood the importance of duty-free markets for their whiskies. These marketing strategies worked for the brand, and it grows to become the best-selling single malt in the world today.

    The Glenfiddich Ranges of Whisky

    Glenfiddich whisky is produced at its distillery in Dufftown, Speyside. They take water from the Robbie Dhu springs and use various oak casks sourced from the Caribbean and America (Rum and Bourbon) as well as sherry butts from Jerez, Spain. The distillery has 28 hand-made copper pot stills and a team of coppersmiths maintain them on site. Glenfiddich has an extensive range of whisky from the core to the rare and the experimental.

    The Core Range

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    The core range includes their signature 12 YO, 15 YO, 18 YO and 21 YO. Each whisky is finely crafted to their individual taste profiles. The core range is popular and is enjoyed by many whisky drinkers around the world.

    The Special Edition

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    The special edition range consists of expressions bottled for a reason. For example, Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix was created in 2010 after warehousemen worked 24/7 to rescue maturing casks in minus 19-degree Celsius after extreme snow collapsed some of their warehouse roofs. Snow Phoenix was the result of the marrying of the finest of those rescued casks.

    The Rare and Vintage

     

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    The rare and vintage collection is Glenfiddich’s most exclusive and oldest single malt whiskies. The distillery auctioned these bottles for charity and broke records all over the world.

    The Cask Collection

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    The Cask Collection is Glenfiddich’s global travel retail edition. They represent the family’s pioneering and innovative spirits.

    The Experimental Series

    Picture Credits: www.glenfiddich.com

    This ground-breaking series of single malt whisky is the proof of the family’s philosophy of freedom and possibilities. Both of these expressions came from collaborations between Malt Master Brian Kinsman and someone outside of the distillery.

    Glenfiddich Today

    William Grant & Sons continues to bring exceptional whiskies to the international market with their Glenfiddich creation. There is no doubt that future generations of the family will continue the proud tradition of Glenfiddich and bring it to greater heights. We look forward to more amazing creations from the distillery in the future.

    How Different Casks Influence the Taste of Whisky

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    We have written about the different types of casks in our previous post, so now it is time to dive deeper into the wood itself to find out how it influences the final whisky produced. Two predominantly different types of wood are used for casks and both influence the liquid maturing in them differently.

    The effect on taste for the 2 types of wood

    Type of Wood Effect on Taste
    American White Oak Vaniila, Caramel, Soft, Mellow
    European Oak  Bitter, Spicy, Strong Woody Taste

    There are huge differences between these 2 popular oak casks. The American White Oak grows in the eastern part of America and some parts of Canada. This particular oak tree grows faster than others, making it more affordable as a cask. The dense wood contains a lot of mono-galloyl glucose, which transfers into the typical Bourbon vanilla taste.

    The European Oak grows all over Europe, including Russia and Turkey. Its slower growth makes it more expensive and is slightly less dense than the American counterpart. The wood contains Gallic acid. This acid is a pseudo tannin, giving rise to the slightly bitter notes in a whisky matured in European oak when water is added. The European oak also adds to the spiciness of the whisky due to other components within the wood.

    The effect on taste from the types of predecessor liquid in the cask

    The predecessor liquid in the whisky cask also influences in the taste of the whisky. Here’s a table of the different liquids and how they influence the taste of the whisky.

    Predecessor Type of Liquid Influence on Taste Influence on Colour
    Amarone wine very fruity, lightly sweet, lightly dry dark red
    Barolo wine sweetness, zest, acidity, light fruits bright to amber
    Bordeaux (red) wine strong red fruits, grapes (wine), berries red
    Burgundy wine light fresh fruits (citrus, mango), very sweet,  bright to amber
    Chardonnay wine fruits, tannins (bitter), dried fruits, heavy aromas red
    Muscat wine lean, crisp, acidic, tropical fruits bright
    Sauternes wine floral , sweet, citrus, peach bright/red
    Tokaji wine tannins (bitter), dry, raisins, ripe fruits red
    Madeira fortified wine spiciness, light fruitiness, sweetness, dryness dark, amber
    Marsala fortified wine sweet, dried fruit, spiciness  red
    Muscat fortified wine lightly sweet, dried fruit, spiciness  red
    Port (dry) fortified wine dry, dried fruit, spiciness red
    Port (semi-dry) fortified wine very fruity, dark fruits, berries red
    Port (sweet) fortified wine very sweet, dark fruits, raisins, syrup amber
    Ruby Port fortified wine sweet, complex, spices dark red
    Amontillado sherry deep, dark, nutty, dark ripe fruits red, amber
    Fino sherry very sweet, dark fruits, raisins, syrup amber
    Manzanilla sherry light fruits, sweetness, dryness, light wood bright
    Oloroso sherry salty, dryness, sea flavours, fresh, some fruit bright
    Palo Cortado sherry sweetness, nutty, dry, fresh, acid amber
    Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry rich, sweet, dry, sweet spices, fruits brown
    Rum (white) spirit sweet, molasses, vanilla, tropical fruit, almond bright
    Rum (dark) spirit sweet, syrup, dark fruits, oak, caramel, vanilla amber
    Bourbon whiskey vanilla, sweetness, caramel, creamy golden

    The Effects of Charring and Toasting of the Casks

    Charring and toasting convert the wood sugar into caramel and vanilla flavours that typically grace whiskies. Toasting means to darken the top of the wood and the depths of the staves. It is identified by a black, flat layer on top. Charring means to burn the wood to a point where the surface breaks. It has an uneven top layer and looks like an alligator skin. The time that the barrel is burned determines the level of charring.

    The Effects on Reusing the Casks

    Finally, the number of times that a cask is reused also affects the final whisky. A cask that is reused multiple times releases fewer flavours into the whisky. Usually, the casks are milled and charred again to restore caramel and vanilla flavours for maturation before they are refilled with whisky. The only exception is bourbon, where only fresh casks are used.

     

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      10 Common Types of Whisky Casks

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      It is common for a bottle of whisky to state the type of cask or barrel used during maturation on the label. It is especially so when you buy a bottle from independent bottlers. Do you know that the whisky cask type and size influence the liquid inside the bottle that you bought?

      One of the basic things is to remember that the smaller the cask, the more contact it has with the liquid inside. The contact between the wood and the liquid has a big influence on the final product.  Hence, we come up with this short guide to help you understand the different types and size of casks better.

      The 10 common types of whisky casks

       

      Blood Tub

      A blood tub is a small cask with a capacity of only 40 litres. It is used in beer making. Distilleries use the blood tub for maturation if they wish to mature a limited run of whisky. The cask has an elongated oval shape that makes transportation easy, even on horseback.

      Quarter Cask

      A quarter cask is a smaller version of the American Standard Barrel (ASB), a quarter of its size to be exact. With a capacity of 50 litres, it is one of the most reactive casks for spirits. Whisky distilleries use the quarter cask to give flavours to whisky quickly as the size creates the most contact between the spirit and the wood.

      American Standard Barrel (ASB)

      The ASB is a slightly smaller version of a hogshead with a capacity of 200 litres. Created mainly for the ease of use in the modern world, the ASB is made of American white oak that is widely used in the bourbon industry. After its first fill in bourbon, the ASB is popular among the Scottish and Irish whisky distilleries for their whisky maturation.

      Hogshead

      This is one of the most commonly used casks for whisky maturation. The American white oak hogshead is widely used to mature bourbon as a new cask before shipping out to Scotland and Ireland for the maturation of whisky. Its name comes from a 15th century English term ‘hogges hede’, which refers to a unit of measurement equivalent to 63 gallons. If you have a bottle of whisky matured in a bourbon cask, it is likely to have matured in a hogshead or an ASB.

      Barrique

      These are usually known as “wine casks” as they are widely used throughout the wine industry. They are different from the other casks and barrels because they are not bounded by mental hoops. Instead, they are bounded by wooden stripes. These casks are normally used in the whisky industry to give a “wine cask finish” to the final whisky.

      Puncheon

      There are 2 types of puncheon. The common puncheon is made of thick staves of American oak with a short, fat body. It is used for the rum industry. The other type of puncheon is made of thinner staves of Spanish oak with an elongated body. It is used for the sherry industry. Both types of puncheon are used to finish whisky. They both have a capacity of 500 litres.

      Butt

      A butt also has a capacity of 500 litres. Made mostly from thick staves of European oak, this tall, narrow cask is widely used in the sherry industry in Spain. Butts are the most common type of sherry casks found in the whisky industry.

      Port Pipe

      A port pipe looks like a regular barrel that is stretched from both ends. It is made from thick staves of European oak and has the capacity of 650 litres. It is used to mature port wine and normally used as finishing in the whisky industry.

      Madeira Drum

      This is a short, fat and dumpy barrel with a wide diameter. Its capacity is 650 litres as well. These drums are solely used in the Madeira wine industry and occasionally used as a finish in some whiskies.

      Gorda

      Gorda is a huge barrel with a capacity of 700 litres. It is made of American oak and occasionally used to mature whisky. Most of the time, it is used for the marrying of different whiskies for blended or vatted whisky production.

       

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        Whisky News: Macallan launched Edition No. 3

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        Picture Credits: www.sg.themacallan.com

        Macallan announced the launch of their Edition No. 3 last week. It is the latest release of their annual limited edition series. Similar to the previous editions, this expression continues to explore Macallan’s unique approach to whisky making by revealing intimate details of the creation.

        In this new expression, Macallan’s Master Distiller, Bob Dalgarno, worked with Master Perfumer Roja Dove and his exceptional sensory insights in describing unique aromas in oak casks to create the complexities of single malt character. What they did was to get Dove to nose particular oak casks in their warehouse and described the distinctive aromas. Dalgarno then selected particular casks from those descriptions to create Edition No. 3.

        The final selection was a combination of smaller European and Amercian oak casks. The smaller size of the casks meant a greater contact between the spirit and the wood, creating a final product that is “sweet and fruity with fresh oak”.

        With a global release of 250,000 bottles, the Edition No. 3 is bottled at 48.3% abv, slightly higher than the normal Macallan bottles.

        It is priced at US$95. We figure it will be made available in the Singapore market soon!

         

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          What you should know about the Springbank Distillery

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          Picture Credits: www.springbankwhisky.com

          The Springbank Distillery is a family-owned single malt whisky distillery located on the Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast. It established on the site of Archibald Mitchell’s illicit still in 1828. It is one of the last surviving distilleries in Campbeltown, a place that once housed more 30 distilleries.

          Short History of Campbeltown and Springbank Distillery

          Picture Credits: www.springbankwhisky.com

          In 1591, Campbeltown was first associated with whisky in official records. By 1601, it became a popular whisky smuggling centre as well as the place to produce illegal whisky. The Mitchell family (founders of Springbank) moved to Campbeltown as settlers from the Lowlands with skills as maltsters in 1660s.

          Archibald Mitchell became a partner at Rieclachan Distillery in 1825 and was later joined by his brother Hugh Michell. When the laws were eased with the registration of whisky distillery, the Mitchell brothers founded Springbank in 1828. Built on the site of Riechlachan Distillery, Springbank became the 14th licensed distillery in Campbeltown.

          The family continued to expand their whisky outreach. In 1834, Archibald’s sister, Mary Mitchell, founded Drumore Distillery. By 1837, Archibald’s sons, John and William Mitchell, took over the distillery. The two brothers worked to expand the family’s whisky business, with William founding Glengyle Distillery in 1872.

          The family still owned many of the distilleries today. Currently, the 5th generation of the family is in charge at Springbank. He is the great, great grandson of Archibald.

          The whiskies of Springbank

          Picture Credits: www.springbankwhisky.com

          The distillery produces three types of peated and unpeated malt whiskies. Most of them are single malts that are sorted into one of the three distinct brands of Springbank. A small percentage are sold to large blenders or made into Springbank’s own blended scotch labels.

          The three distinct brands of Springbank single malts are

          1. Springbank Single Malt
            This is possibly the most popular variation that bears the namesake of the distillery. The standard bottling is a 10 years old that is medium-peated and distilled 2.5 times. It is bottled at 46% abv. There are also cask strength Springbank bottles of 12, 15, 18 and 21 years old. This brand also releases wine cask editions on a regular basis.
          2. Longrow Single Malt
            Longrow is a name that was taken from the mothballed distillery founded by John Ross in 1824. Springbank revived the brand and bottled the first Longrow in 1973. The standard bottles are no-age statement editions, heavily-peated and doubled distilled. Nevertheless, there are some rare age-statement bottles such as the 16 years old. Longrow also has a Red edition that uses a different type of wine casks each year. Longrow won Best Campbeltown Single Malt at the 2013 World Whiskies Award.
          3. Hazelburn Single Malt
            This is the newest edition to the Springbank Distillery. It is also named after another mothballed distillery in Campbeltown. The liquid is first distilled in 1997 and bottled as a 10 years old. A 12 years old expression was released in 2009. Hazelburn is a non-peated, tripled distilled whisky.

          Springbank’s whisky making process

          Springbank is the only Scottish distillery that completes 100% of their production process on site. They malt 100% of their barley using the traditional floor malting methods. They also used many old pieces of machinery that were preserved and maintained over the years.

          The whisky making process for Springbank is as follows:

          1. Malting – Traditional floor malting methods are used in this stage. Barley is steeped in cold, clean water and allowed to swell up to 3 days. After that, it is laid out in a 6-inch deep even layer on the malting floors where the Springbank team turns it at regular intervals.
          2. Kilning – Once the malt is ready, they are moved to a kiln where they will be dried over a peat fire, hot air or a combination of both, depending on the brand being produced. Kilning takes between 30 to 48 hours.
          3. Milling – When kilning is completed, the barley is crushed into a fine powder called grist.
          4. Mashing – Grist is then placed into a mashing tun where hot water is added. This process extracts all the sugar into a liquid. The team rakes the liquid 3 times during mashing.
          5. Fermentation – The liquid drained from the mash is known as wort. It is transferred to wooden wash backs and yeast is added to convert the sugars into alcohol over a period of 80 to 110 hours of fermentation.
          6. Distillation – The liquid from the wash back passes through the 3 copper stills of Springbank – the wash still, the low wines still and the spirit still. After that, the liquid is transferred to the spirit safe when the stillman monitors the progress. The different brands go through different distillation processes to differentiate their distinctive styles.
          7. Cask Filling – The new spirit is then transferred to empty casks specially selected for Springbank.
          8. Maturation – The new casks are then sent to the dark, moist warehouse and left for a minimum of 3 years in maturation. Most whiskies are matured for a longer period under the watchful eyes of the Distillery Manager.
          9. Bottling and Labeling – All Springbank whiskies are non-chill filtered with no artificial colours added. During bottling, the team inspects the whisky at key stages to ensure the consistency of high quality and correct labelling.

          Choice of Campbeltown

          Springbank is indeed a great choice if you are looking at sampling Campbeltown whiskies. WhiskyGeeks have tried 2 rare whiskies from them. One of them is a Longrow 16 Years Old while the other is a Springbank 8 Years Old. Both are exceptional!

           

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