A perennial favourite and a must-try for anyone interested in discovering Japanese whisky. Hakushu is owned by Suntory, founders of the first Japanese distillery, Yamazaki. The original Hakushu distillery was built in 1973, with another distillery buildin
It’s hard to pick a winner from Hakushu’s varied range, but the 18 Year Old has to be right up there. This is a whisky that is so smooth, well-balanced and complex that it comes incredibly close to perfection. Made up from a selection of carefully matured
From Suntory’s mountain forest distillery, nestled deep in Mt. Kaikomagatake, Suntory Single Malt Whisky Hakushu® is the fresh and gently smoky single malt whisky with herbal notes that is the revelation of Japanese single malts.
Straight from the unto
Hibiki 21 was named World's Best Blended Whisky at the 2014 World Whiskies Awards and was awarded 96 points in Jim Murray's 2014 Whisky Bible. Dr. Whisky says it's 'Unbelievably balanced, and dangerously drinkable'. So basically, it's pretty good stuff!
Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a blend of Japanese malt and grain whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita. Presented in the brand's trademark 24-faceted bottle representing the Japanese seasons, this is light, approachable and moreish with enticing notes of
The first single grain whisky from the House of Suntory Whisky. With versatile flavours and exquisite balance, Chita grain whiskies have traditionally been used as the "dashi" or broth that enhances the harmony of Suntory blends.
Toki means "time" in Japanese.
It's a concept rich in meaning the world over, but particularly in Japan where respect for tradition and reinvention sparks a powerful creative energy.
Inspired by that interplay, Suntory Whisky Toki™ brings together old a
This 12 year old from Yamazaki first came onto the market in 1984 and was the first seriously marketed Japanese single malt Whisky.
Good body with plenty of nut oils and zest, a pleasant floral character with a little tropical fruit and a rooty note. You
Yamazaki is Suntory’s flagship single malt, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aroma.
From Yamazaki was born the surprising, delicate yet profound experience of a Japanese single malt. Spiritual and deep, its signature multi-layered taste is highly
A fresh and fruity whisky from Yamazaki, full of red fruit and a touch of sherry cask. It's also got some mizunara (Japanese oak) matured whisky in the mix, which comes through as a complex spicy and almost incense-like note. A well put together and deep
A classic Island dram from the Isle of Skye. Aged for a minimum of 10 years in American oak casks, this welcome member of Diageo's Classic Malts series has been recognised numerous times for its excellence.
It was an Editor's Choice at Whisky Magazine,
This 8 year old expression was aged in ex-pot still Caribbean rum casks – a first for the distillery! The result is brilliantly balanced, with smoke, fruit, peppery spice and even a touch of meatiness to it.
ABV: 57.9%
Single Grain – Recently Awarded World’s Best Grain at the World Whiskies Awards, 2014. This award-winning addition is one of only a handful of Single Grain Bottlings in the world.
It is fully matured in Californian red wine barrels resulting in an inte
Third release in the Premium range of Teeling expressions completing our full range of non aged Irish whiskeys. Made from 100% Malted Barley from a range of different ages including Malt whiskey distilled in 1991. Aim to produce the most flavoursome NA Ir
This small batch bottling consists of hand selected casks which are given further maturation in ex-rum barrels imparting extra character and smooth flavour unique to Irish whiskey. By bottling at 46% with no chill filtration completes an Irish whiskey of
One of the world's most popular blends, and the best-selling Scotch whisky in Scotland. Famous Grouse is a very nicely balanced, malty blend which was first made in 1896, and would go on to be known as The Famous Grouse, with the name registered in 1905.
Founded 1825 by Charles Colville, a travelling cartwright who partnered with four other local businessmen. Dalaruan was an integral part of the rise of Campbeltown into a ‘Whisky Capital.’ Dalaruan produced a triple-distilled Campbeltown Malt whisky which
Lossit Classic is a blend of several malts with a peaty profile and notes of pears and almonds. It is the most robust blend in the Classic range. The Lossit distillery was founded in 1817 by Malcom MacNeill on the Isle of Islay and closed its doors perman
The Towiemore Distillery was built in 1897 in the parish of Botriphnie just outside of Dufftown where it distilled for just thirty years. In this time it garnered a fine reputation as an excellent pure malt whisky. Owned and supported by renowned whisky e
The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old forms part of our Double Cask range which marries the classic Macallan style and the unmistakable sweetness of American oak. This is a fully rounded single malt in perfect balance, with flavours of honey, citrus and g
The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old forms part of our Sherry Oak range which features a series of single malt whiskies matured exclusively in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity. A matured character, the 12 Years
The Macallan Triple Cask Matured 12 Years Old forms part of our Triple Cask Matured range; a series of single malt whiskies crafted in a triple cask combination of European and American sherry seasoned oak casks and American ex-bourbon oak casks. This com
The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old, 2023 Release forms part of our Sherry Oak Collection which features a series of single malt whiskies matured in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity. A full bodied palate of mat
The oldest of The Singleton distilleries and the only Highlander in the family, Glen Ord is the product of the White Burn’s water and the Black Isle’s barley.
The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky is rich, smooth and perfectly balanced.
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.