We never add neutral grain spirits to stretch our Unblended American Whiskey. That’s why Michter’s US*1 Unblended is the most richly flavored American Whiskey we have ever tasted. Cooperage: Bourbon-soaked American white oak barrels.
Style: Bourbo
Full-bodied rye whiskey from the ever-excellent Michter's, bottled at cask strength - this time, it's a robust 56.2% ABV. Enjoyably toasty stuff, more than suitable for post-dinner drinks, and should make an excellent Manhattan.
ABV: 56.2%
Monkey Shoulder was originally created to make perfect whisky cocktails and has been getting in the mix ever since.
Get a lovely whiff of zesty orange, vanilla, honey and spiced oak before tasting mellow vanilla with spicy hints as you enjoy a cheeky sip
Sweet and spicy. Medium to full bodied mouth texture. Notes of demerara sugar, dark chocolate, cherry jam, light tobacco. Classic characteristics of Mortlach meatiness.
ABV: 43.4%
Official bottlings of Mortlach have been few and far between in years past, but in 2014, that has changed. This is the 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky from Mortlach, released in 2014 as part of a new range from the distillery, alongside the Rare Old
Predominantly made from corn, whisky distilled in a Coffey still is matured in old casks such as re-filled, remade and re-charred casks originally made from American oak to deliver the sweet and mellow flavors of Coffey distillates.
ABV: 45%
This affordable, non-age statement, single malt is perfect for those wishing to try out the wonderful whiskies that come from the Miyagikyo distillery. Every whisky connoisseur will surely love it.
This is a blended malt named in honor of Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky. He is the first Japanese who mastered whisky-making in Scotland and produced the genuine whisky in Japan. Masataka learned that the natural resources surrounding a
This is a blend of multiple types of malt and grain that Nikka reserves. Nikka From the Barrel was created to deliver full flavors and richness of whisky "from barrels" which only blenders can sniff and taste. As the whisky contains so many characteristic
A very well made single malt from Japan, Yoichi is the jewel in Nikka's crown, their 10 year old offering notes of vanilla and fruit. One batch of this received 93 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible. Elegantly peaty single malt from Nikka's beautiful Y
This is a single malt from the Yoichi distillery, Nikka's first distillery built in 1934. The founder Masataka Taketsuru chose Yoichi in Hokkaido because of the similar environmental conditions to Scotland, where he learned whisky making. Yoichi single ma
Flavours of orange peel, smoke, sea salt, and honey distinguish this full-bodied highland malt.
ABV: 43%
A 2007 Glenlossie single malt from indie bottler Douglas Laing, matured in a single refill cask for 12 years before being bottled as part of its Old Particular series. Aromas of buttered toast, vanilla fudge and juicy barley fill the nose. The palate offe
Matured wholly in air-dried, hand-selected ex-bourbon casks, the 'unashamedly excellent' Old Pulteney 12-years-old is the definitive expression in the Old Pulteney family.
Traditionally crafted using techniques that other distillers have long abandoned,
An Old Pulteney single malt from 2006, which was left to age in first fill American oak bourbon barrels selected by Malcolm Waring, distillery manager. The no age statement whisky was bottled in 2017 at 46% ABV, presented in the recognisable Old Pulteney
Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and then triple distilled in copper pot stills, Redbreast 12 boasts the flavour complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey. Matured in a combination of Bourbon seasoned American Oak barrels and
Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky has a storied past with a heritage that commemorates Philadelphia's famous Rittenhouse Square. Bottled-in-Bond, today's Rittenhouse carries the distinct, spicy flavor that is long associated with the brand. Rittenhouse is t
Let me echo last year’s thoughts... Glenlivet is as synonymous with whisky as James Dean with the Sixties, Grease with the Seventies… or Duran Duran with the Eighties. When something is identified so strongly as part of a movement, an era, a country or a
2020 Release Shenk’s is a Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey made with a substantial amount of rye. Following the success of the 2019 Shenk’s release, where some Chinquapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) barrels were utilized during maturation, the 2020 release utilizes
For this bottling, a couple of hogsheads of Ben Nevis have been selected by the fine folk at Signatory Vintage. After many years under the radar, Ben Nevis is starting to turn heads of many whisky drinkers with its intriguing flavour profile not found in
This bottle of heavily peated Bunnahabhain takes the moniker of Staoisha in honour of Loch Staoisha on the Isle of Islay. Perfect for fans of Islay peat with a coastal influence too. This bottling is part of Signatory Vintage's Un-Chillfiltered collecti
From the Un-Chillfiltered Collection indie bottling range comes a 13 year old Linkwood single malt, matured in a pair of hogshead casks. This whisky was distilled back in March 2008, and then placed into the aforementioned hogshead to rest for a dozen yea
Distilled at Speyside’s most prestigious distillery, close to the banks of the River Spey, just outside the village of Aberlour. This full bodied, richly sherried single malt whisky was matured in a single 1st fill Oloroso Sherry cask, before being bottle
14-year-old single malt from Inchgower, distilled in 2008 and filled into a trio of hogsheads to mature. In 2022, those casks were opened by Signatory, and the whisky bottled up without added colour or chill filtration for its Un-Chillfiltered Collection.
Whisky in Hong Kong has a mythology of glamour, sophistication, class, and so much more. Much of this is the creation by our pop culture, Macallan Whisky in Suits, Dalmore Whisky in Kingsman, Old Forester Whiskey in Kingsman II, Jack Daniel Whiskey in The Shining, Canadian Club in Mad Men, Macallan in two separate Jame Bond movies Spectre and Skyfall, and who can forget “for relaxing times, make it Suntory time” in Lost in Translation. The latter movie probably had the biggest impact on the rise of Japanese whiskey, arguably creating the worldwide shortage in its supply we still see today.
The list of available whisky in Hong Kong is wide ranging, our whisky culture is Scottish dominated, but in recent years, Irish Whiskey in Hong Kong has been impactful, given their amazing value for money in price point and quality. Japanese Whiskey in Hong Kong on the other hand, has taken a very different path, with supply very short, and demand overwhelming. Meanwhile, American Whiskey in Hong Kong is undervalued as always, given its amazing flavours, rich culture, and very pervasive appearances in popular culture. We need some Wild Turkey time, or Jack Daniel time please!!!
A very interesting point about whisky and popular culture is that it has divided drinkers of whisky into different corners. Sometimes we see arguments between Japanese whiskey and Scottish whisky, other times between American Whiskey and the rest of the world; and so on. Of course, there are key differences between the flavour, character, and history, for different countries (even regions of the same country). First of all, the raw ingredients are different, corn, malted barley, rye, and so on; and their different combinations and levels make very different whisky. Second, the ageing process, and the vessel in which they age the whisky or whiskey, also makes a huge impact. Thirdly, the weather and climatic conditions where the whisky (and whiskey) are stored, creates an even bigger difference. Therefore, while most people assume that whisky should have a particular profile, or one whisky is more superior to another, in reality we should appreciate whisky from different countries as they are. For example, some may scoff at the “lack of cultural and historical richness of the American whiskey, yet in actual fact, whiskey in America has been a key actor throughout the dramatic events of the nation’s past 400 years.
Whisky is made from the distillation process of alcohol, its raw ingredients are grains. Which grains are used depends on the country where the whisky is made, and the market the distillery is targeting. Whilst we think Scotland is the O.G. of whisky producing nations; interestingly the tradition of whisky making is as old in Ireland (some argue older) as in their northern neighbour Scotland. Copper stills are normally used in the distillation process as it removes sulfur-based compounds that would contribute to off-flavours. In most parts of the world, whisky must have an alcohol of 40% abv, and must have had a minimum period of time aged in wooden casks for it to be called a whisky.
The age of a whisky is the time it spends in wooden casks. Most importantly, the number of years denoted on the whisky bottle (its age) indicates the number of years the youngest whisky had aged in the cask. What does that mean? It is not uncommon for a whisky to be a blend from different whiskies of the same distillery, some perhaps from a 15 year old whisky, a small amount from a 30 year old whisky, and finally some from 10 years. For this particular blend of single malt whisky, the label would denote this whisky is a 10 year old single malt whisky; given the youngest whisky in this bottle is 10 years. The age of whisky denotes only the time it’s aged in casks, once it has been bottled, its age is locked, no matter how long the bottle has been left unopened. Think of a bottled whisky as immortalised, a 10 year old single malt whisky will forever be 10 year old.
Drinkers of whisky in Hong Kong often believe that the older a whisky is, the better its flavour. This is simply not true, a lot of relatively young whisky tastes amazing compared to their older siblings. The science behind whisky ageing includes extraction, evaporation, oxidation, concentration, filtration, and finally colouration (yes, some whisky has caramel added to it to produce a more attractive colour). Extraction perhaps is the most critical process given the whisky extracts flavours from the cask it’s aged in. As you can imagine, the flavour profiles of a whisky therefore comes from the type of cask it’s housed in. Some common casks include sherry casks, bourbon casks, new oak charred or toasted casks, port casks, wine casks like Sauternes casks, and so on. All these casks come in different sizes too, which changes their whisky to cask surface contact ratio and therefore, creates a lower or higher extraction.
There are many terms attached to whisky that can confuse many people, below are some very basic terms one can get familiar with before committing to a bottle of whisky in Hong Kong.
· Malt Whisky: whisky made primarily from malted barley
· Grain Whisky: Made from combinations of grains
· Single Malt Whisky: a blend of malted barley whisky (unless it denotes it’s a single cask whisky) from the same distillery.
· Blended Malt Whisky: a blend of malted barley whisky from different distilleries.
· Single Cask Whisky: a whisky bottled from an individual cask, with no blending at all (apart from water being added)
· Cask Strength Whisky: a blend of whiskies undiluted, or only minimally diluted to achieve the character and flavours most closely loyal to how they tasted in the casks.
Whether you’re buying whisky online or in store, it’s best to experiment with different types of whisky. It’s actually a good idea to have multiple whiskies in your home so that you can taste them side-by-side, and note their differences. Most whisky drinkers have 5-10 bottles at any given time for this purpose. There’s a wide range of Scottish whisky in Hong Kong, we’re spoilt for choices in this category. But for others, such as Irish, and American whiskey in Hong Kong, you may find the choice limited; especially when you’re looking for whiskey online. This is why we strive to have a decent selection of whisky online and in our store, whether it’s the Scottish variety, American, Irish, or Japanese whiskey. Our whisky delivery is prompt, usually the next day if you order before 3pm for Standard Delivery. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, let us know and we’ll look into it.