Tag Archives: TAIWAN

Eat Stay Love | A Brave New World by Nikhil Agarwal

November 14, 2018 All Things Nice Leave a comment

This is a fascinating time for whisky enthusiasts. Gone are the days when the entire world of whisky would be broken up into what the folks in Scotland made or what the Americans drank. In fact, even in Scotland and America, people are choosing rebellious artisanal brands over well-known commercial labels. Malt lovers are wandering off the beaten path to explore the more exotic and the unknown. And they haven’t been disappointed. Stellar quality whisky is currently being produced across the world from Japanese brands that have taken the world by storm ever since the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 won the title of ‘World’s Best Whisky 2015’, granting it a cult status; to its neighbour, Taiwan, who has introduced Kavalan, an instant favourite amongst collectors since its launch in 2008. India too has had its own tryst with whisky. Some distilleries have gone and done what would have been considered impossible—making single malts that are truly world-class using local ingredients. And then there is Australia’s island state of Tasmania where several distilleries have started creating magic, taking advantage of the gifts given to them by nature. A word of advice to venture capitalists looking to invest, put your money here. As for whisky lovers, they can now explore this sacred water of life from different parts of the world just like wine connoisseurs have been doing for decades. I, for one, am eager to see what we discover on this journey. Here are some labels that have caught my attention in the last year or so from my travels around the world.

The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland Recently launched in India, this coveted bottle is for the collection. It offers sweet and crisp floral fragrances with notes of vanilla and oak. On the palate, it leaves a hint of honey, warm vanilla and spicy oak, and ends with a smooth finish.
$53.00

Woodford Reserve, USA Woodford Reserve is a Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey crafted from 51 percent malt. It is aged in charred oak barrels, which lends it a rich flavour and amplifies its nutty characteristics found in the original Woodford Reserve.
$43.00

Amrut Rye Single Malt, India
Amrut Rye Single Malt is the first Indian whisky to be elaborated exclusively with European rye. With this, Amrut has become one of the few distilleries to be producing with rye. Aged for five years in American oak casks, this is a fruity and delicate dram. On the nose, it is white peach, caramel, roses, bread dough and cassia buds, while on the palate, it leaves notes of cherry, papaya, sauerbraten, cocoa, lemon and caramel bite candies. The finish is refreshing with subtle flavours of lemon, melon, dry sand, quince, honey, wood shavings and lime.
$190.00

Kavalan Soloist, Taiwan
Owned by King Car Group and named after the indigenous group that inhabited the region, Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength is a delightfully complex, multidimensional single malt whisky with vanilla, fruit and coconut highlights. Matured in hand-selected fresh American ex-Bourbon casks, the whisky is available at cask strength. Unlike some distillers, Kavalan does not control the climate during maturation and adds no colouring for consistency, which leads to greater evaporation, giving a lower yield and making the final product even more valuable.
$98.00

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old – Scotland
A personal favourite, this 14-year-old single malt is matured in traditional oak casks for 14 years, and then ‘finished’ in barrels that previously held Caribbean rum. Rich, sweet and creamy toffee on the nose combines with fresh fruit notes. On the palate, the malt is rounded with vanilla and sweet oak essence with a fruity character that develops with time.
$75.00

Yamazaki 18 Years Old, Japan
The award-winning Japanese single malt features a rich flavour of mature autumn fruit. The nose has raisin, apricot, café au lait, Mizunara (Japanese oak) with blackberry, strawberry jam and dark chocolate. The finish is long, spicy and smooth. We suggest you savour this exquisite elixir by itself, either neat, or with a splash of water or ice.
$1230.00

Lark Single Malt Whisky Classic Cask, Australia
Celebrating the distillery’s use of quarter sized casks, this complex tipple is distilled with Tasmanian (Franklin) barley and malted at the Cascade Brewery. The lightly-peated brew resembles a Scottish Speyside or Highland whisky in flavour. It is double distilled in locally-crafted copper-pot stills and aged in small, 100-litre oak casks. The spirit is matured for five to eight years in these small barrels, which have a much larger surface area-to volume of liquid. This allows a faster rate of evaporative losses and a considerably shorter maturation period than that required by the larger barrels commonly used in Scotland.
$145.00

Rampur Vintage Select Casks, India
Distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Rampur is a non-chill filtered single malt, refined and matured in the foothills of the Himalayas. It features rich fruity top notes, which are toffeeflavoured in the background with hints of honey, dried fruits and balanced spices. This handcrafted potion offers an all round balanced taste with malty and creamy vanilla. Shining in all its glory in beautiful golden amber, Rampur will leave your taste buds with a rich and long finish.
$60.00

Longmorn 16 Year Old, Scotland
The master distillers have used the perfect balance of first, second and third fill ex American oak and ex-sherry casks aged 16 years or more to infuse this premium malt with natural ingredients, including local spring water, barley from Moray and peat from nearby sources. It is fresh and green on the nose with notes of ripe pears and sweet vanilla, as well as hints of creamy chocolate. On the palate, the whisky is rich and compact thanks to the high level of tannins that develop with a vinous character and spice.
$110.00

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The Man – The World Beyond Scotch

June 19, 2018 All Things Nice Leave a comment

The Man – The World Beyond Scotch

New world whiskies are racing up the popularity stakes. Nikhil Agarwal shortlists some of the finest around.

The world of whisky has evolved. For one there is more demand. The Scots never imagined that Asia would develop such a thirst for their age statements that they would actually be a shortage. Hence the release of non age statements from the giants. They probably didn’t also imagine that there would be the beginning of a small threat to their whisky fiefdom coming from all corners of the world. Whisky drinkers who have done it all are besoted by the exotic and new. For the first time ever in whisky history there is access to quality stuff from around the world giving enthusiasts an opportunity to set forth on a voyage of discovery like never before. Much like wine actually.

Japanese whisky for one has become a thing of legends with prices to match, demand clearly out pacing supply. Some of it is undeserved though I might add. Tasmania in Australia is steadily finding its space in the whisky world, Taiwan has created a malt whisky that achieved cult status and even in India we have two distilleries that are taking on the world. The USA is now producing malt whiskies over above their delicious ryes and bourbons. Here are a couple that have caught my attention lately –

DALWHINNIE 15 YO – HIGHLAND, SCOTLAND

Gold with a crisp, dry and very aromatic with hints of heather and peat on the nose. Light to medium bodied with a smooth and lasting flavours of honey sweetness & vanilla followed by deeper citrus flavours

BUNNAHABHAIN 18YO – ISLAY SCOTLAND

A rich mahogany Single Malt Scotch Whisky, this is one of the Bunnahabhain family favourites. It is intensely warming; with dried fruit, sherry, toffee and spices leading to a delicious honeyed nuttiness and the slightest hint of sea salt.

PAUL JOHN BRILLIANCE – GOA INDIA

The six-row barley for this whisky comes from the foothills of the Himalayas. Brilliance is matured in bourbon casks, to give you absolute sensory delight. The demerara sugars give off a whiff of sweet fragrances, with a hint of cinnamon, dash of honey and faint spices. The honey-like smoothness is offset by the crunchy-bar-like crispness. Somewhere, there is also a tinge of cocoa.

YAMAZAKI 18 YEARS OLD – OSAKA JAPAN

Rich with mature autumn fruit, with a deep amber colour. The nose has raisin, apricot, cafe au lait, Mizunara (Japanese oak) with blackberry, strawberry jam, dark chocolate on the palate with a long, spicy, smooth finish.

KURAYOSHI 18 YEAR PURE MALT WHISKY – CHUGOKU JAPAN

A deeply complex spirit derived from extensive aging. The sweet taste of honey, mixed with smoke, spice and mint, lingers on the palate, carried and lifted by this 18yr whisky’s higher abv.

KAVALAN EX SHERRY – YILAN, TAIWAN

An award winning Sherry Solist reduced to 46% alcohol volume with Kavalan spring water, this is a perfect introduction to the outstanding new world whisky. This rich and complex whisky opens onto notes of dried fruit and walnut with some marzipan and vanilla touches to it. The palate is smooth, with rancio red fruits (raspberry, red currant) and spices.

HELLYER’S ROAD PINOT NOIR – TASMANIA AUSTRALIA

The nose is immediately drawn to crisp summer citrus, lemon and orange that obediently withdraws on the palate to manifest a sweet, gentle layer of pepper and spice – a persuasion of the red wine cameo. Burnt blackberry sauce lingers in the aftertaste foreclosing a treasured confusion of the senses.

COMPASS BOX HEDONISM – SCOTLAND

A celebration of that ideal marriage between distilled spirit and high quality oak maturation. The aromas and flavours hint of vanilla, caramel, a delicate fruitiness, accented by flashes of coconut in the finish. This is a whisky that will appeal to both the ardent whisky enthusiast and newcomers to whisky alike.

MCCARTHY’S SINGLE MALT – OREGON, USA

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is distilled in a Holstein pot still using one pass distillation and is non-chill filtered. It is then barrel-aged in air-dried Oregon Oak barrels. The result is remarkably smooth for a 3-year-old whiskey. In the Whiskey Bible’s review of the world’s whiskeys, McCarthy’s was recognized as the “Best Small Batch Whiskey” in 2004 and 2006.

DAD’S HAT RYE WHISKEY – PENNSYLVANIA, USA

Floral and spicy on the nose with a well-balanced mouth feel and flavor — up-front and back-end spice, cinnamon on the mid-palate. Underlying notes of dried fruit and black cherry with hints of tobacco, vanilla and oak.