Chinese edition is here.

Recently, the Taiwan exclusive whisky bottlings are getting popular amongst whisky connoisseurs. The rich favors and package design with Chinese elements attract not only the local Taiwan customers, but also win the appreciation of other Asian and even the western markets.

The Taiwanese market is mature and big enough to sustain a stable still growing status quo that allows the presence of many of these exclusive bottlings. Many people see Taiwan as a whisky paradise in Asia.

Whisky is becoming a trend in Hong Kong in recent years. The growth of “true" connoisseurs and collectors is very significant by which can be peeked from some activities, such as the lively whisky auctions and keeping on new opening of whisky specialist shops and bars, for examples.

Though the market size of Hong Kong cannot compete to Taiwan and Japan by now, she has good potential. Some Hong Kong whisky connoisseurs have already owned their exclusive casks, for purposes of personal interest, collections, group members & etc. Here is one of the examples, an exclusive cask for a Hong Kong newly established whisky specialist shop, The Rare Malt.

The Rare Malt

Amazingly this new whisky shop can partner with Mr. Tiger Huang who is a famous whisky industry practitioner in Taiwan. This exclusive cask bottling is allowed to bear the brand “Tiger Selection" which represents the reputation of Mr. Tiger Huang. The whisky itself is a well aged 24 years old single malt from GlenDronach. It is not easy to acquire such an old cask at present as in the fact that the insufficient supplies of mature stocks that the most distilleries prefer to retain the old casks for their own use.

Mr. Tiger Huang

Just curious about the outcome of the reaction by a new player The Rare Malt x famous Tiger Selection x well aged cask from GlenDronach. Let’s take some drams right now!

GlenDronach 24 years, 1992/2016, C# 95, 700 ml, 57.6%
Bottling: The Rare Malt and Tiger Selection
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Butt
Distilled: 15 May 1992
Bottled: November 2016
No. of bottle: 34/589

Sample from a friend of mine and I further tasted it again at the shop direct from original bottle.

Nose: Dried ginger, condensed milk, toffee, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood
Palate: Dried ginger, dark coffee, toasted wood, cinnamon, clove, herb, brown sugar
Aftertaste: Long aftertaste, coffee ground, toasted wood, compound spices
Comments: Quite spices, sweetie condense milk and toffee held, hints of sandalwood appeared overtimes. Solid body, not oily as expected but crispy instead, still dried ginger and spices, much toasty. Long toasty and woody aftertaste, chewing bitterness. This bottling is quite crispy and refreshing rather than those greasy and sweetie Taiwanese counterparts, and hence, details of tastes can be well identified, plus seasoning by species, making you glass after glass. Not a big dram, but instead it is balancing and layering, rich and detailing, love it.

Look forward to see more Hong Kong exclusive casks in future.

The first lot of this cask 95 will be available at The Rare Malt soon. You may contact them for details.

GlenDronach 1992 C# 95

English edition is here.

台灣包桶的威士忌近年在香港賣得成行成市，口味方面很個人那就不說，包裝上則充滿中國元素，如三國呀戲劇呀等。正所謂藝術既嘢我識條鐵，默默的看過便好。

那有沒有想過，會有香港的選桶包桶呢？

近日有老友堅持要我去一間開業於觀塘的酒行(酒專)看看，基本上我已很厭倦公關式的吃喝活動及坊間的買賣，但老友堅持，那順意去看看吧，那便是標題的 The Rare Malt ，一間新開業的香港酒行(酒專)。這店的店長我應該認識亦可能之前有見過面，說實在的香港所謂的"酒界"活躍的來來去去總是那幾批人，就算我多宅也好，總也會識到些人的。年青的店長說有參加過我的講座和"自細"便有看 Sipping Malt 的文章 (自細? ^%$&xo&^;^%^%(^*&….)。店面裝潢平實中見心思，尤其喜歡那酒架設計，酒款由數百元的多納十五年到珍藏級的輕井澤和古董酒也有，正是豐儉由人，店長年青亦青靚白凈….(哦~~~~ 你賣廣告!) OKOK，入正題。

The Rare Malt

這新開業的酒行竟然和台灣酒業名人黃敏恭先生合作推出香港限定的 The Rare Malt x 虎之選 x GlenDronach，還要是近年難求的二十四年老酒，真的意想不到! 雖然有不少香港人時興說甚麼"識人好過識字"，但以一間新開業的酒行，能否單憑人際關係就能打動虎哥黃敏恭先生出動"虎之選"的金漆招牌呢? 市道上很多人呢說則天下無敵，其實一出手便知有沒有! 喝喝看會一會吧！

虎哥黃敏恭先生

GlenDronach 24 years, 1992/2016, C# 95, 700 ml, 57.6%
Bottling: The Rare Malt and 虎之選
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Butt
Distilled: 15 May 1992
Bottled: November 2016
No. of bottle: 34/589

樣本由老友提供，他從 The Rare Malt處取得。其後到訪該店時，有從原瓶倒了一杯再喝確認。一如以往，你敢提供樣本給我，我便敢照直寫。得罪你以後再無"樣本"送上? 那請便吧，反正市面上有大堆專家達人，不愁招不到人寫時興的"抄考"文章歌功頌德哦!

又是廢話，真正再入正題了，喝吧!

氣味: 乾薑，煉奶，拖肥，肉桂，丁香，檀木
口味: 乾薑，黑咖啡，烤木頭，肉桂，丁香，藥草，啡糖
餘醞: 悠長，咖啡渣，烤木頭，複合香料
結論: 香料氣味明顯，煉奶和拖肥香甜的氣息持續，檀木的幽香慢慢沁出。酒體結實，沒有預想中的油感，但清脆，還是乾薑和香料的延續，更多烤炙和草本的味道。悠長的餘蕰，柔和的烤炙和木質苦味，好些香料作調味。對比起以往喝開的部份台灣多納包桶的濃厚甜美，這款兩地合作之選喝起來較清脆和明淨，內涵可細緻地表現出來，加上香辛料的調劑，喝起來不膩。這不是一款大嗚大放的酒，需要慢飲細嚼，才能欣賞到她的細緻，平衡和層次上的優良表現。不腻，耐喝，令人想再添杯，好酒。

“虎之選"招牌還真是靠得住。期待未來還會有更多優秀的香港或兩地合作選桶，讓我們享享酒福。

聽聞這款酒的首批瓶裝將於 The Rare Malt 限定發售，有興趣的朋友請自行向店家查詢。

(文未還有些"彩蛋"，但玻璃心的人可不要看啊！)

GlenDronach 1992 C# 95

後記: 只有無料扮四條無自信的人才會將"識人好過識字"這句說話經常掛在咀邊，還要邊說邊表現出洋洋得意的樣子。我還是堅信"識字"最重要，做好自己本份，專注學習鑽研，造出成就，待那些依賴"識人好過識字"的閒人來巴結吧。做被人"識"的那主角，一定好過要死命去"識"人的那些茄呢啡。

後後記: (你又得罪人了，你無得免費吃喝是自招的)

後後後記: 我不仰人鼻息不求人自然串得起，你去識人吧! 我要專心的去"識"字呢!