Top four must-try premium Japanese whisky brands

Japanese whiskies have, in recent years, risen in ranks in steep competition against widely loved Scotch, bourbon, Islay and Canadian whiskies — winning over the hearts of whisky aficionados the world over for its unique lightness and sweeter tones. From award winning bottles like the Yamazaki 12 and Hibiki 17, both products of the now internationally renowned Japanese distillery Suntory, premium whiskies are in-demand, and are increasingly hard to get your hands on given the supply shortage. Though if you’re looking to discover a new world of flavours through Japanese whisky, here are the top four bottles you must try…

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1. Yamazaki 12 Years Old Single Malt Whisky
Almost a decade ago, this bottle put Japanese whisky (and Suntory distilleries) on the map. Offering a new flavour to traditional scotch distillation, the Yamazaki 12 years is an excellent introduction to Japanese whisky given its floral, vanilla and fruity notes.
Price: HK$2,880 / bottle
Available at thebottleshop.hk.

2. Hibiki 17 Years Old Blended Whisky
Suntory’s flagship bottle, Hibiki, truly shows off the distillery’s mastery of blending. The Hibiki 17 years in particular is an aged whisky blended grain and malt whiskies. It boasts a silky smooth and fruit-laden flavour that offers whisky aficionados a versatile bottle to serve neat or in a highball.
Price: HK$6,980.00
Available at thebottleshop.com.

3. Hakushuku 12 Years Old Single Malt Whisky
Expressing scotch influence in Japanese whisky making, the Hakushuku 12 years is a smokey single malt, also owned by Suntory, produced in the Japanese Alps where the water used to craft the distillery’s whiskies run deep in the forest nearby. Yet, it boasts a unique lightness that contrasts the more peated scotch whiskies, while offering sweeter notes of fruit and honey.
Price: HK$2,580.00
Available at: hkliquorstore.com.

4. The Akkeshi Usui (2021 bottled) Blended Whisky
The Akkeshi Usui by Hokkaido Akkeshi Distillery is a blended whisky from a combination of bourbon, sherry, mizunara and wine casks which explains the complex notes this bottle offers. Although aged relatively young (three years), this vibrant and harmonious blend of sweet, fragrant and peaty flavours that feature custard, cacao and raisins with citrus overtones makes for a deliciously refreshing tipple.
Price: HK$3,480.00
Available at hkliquorstore.com.

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Johnnie Walker Blue Label: The perfect gift to give this Father’s Day

Bourbon: Exploring the charming history of America’s native spirit

Johnnie Walker Blue Label: The perfect gift to give this Father’s Day

Decadent yet nuanced, powerful yet palate-pleasing, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label stands at the very pinnacle of fine blended whiskies. So exacting are the standards
of its production that only one in every 10,000 casks in Johnnie Walker’s expansive reserves are deemed worthy enough to be bottled under the illustrious ‘Blue Label’ name.

Masterminded by award-winning Master Blender Jim Beveridge and his team, this delicious tipple boasts an exceptional combination of flavour and character. Every sip
reveals fruity, citrusy notes punctuated with spice and vanilla sweetness that round out in a smoky chocolate finish. A masterclass in the art of blending, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the perfect gift to show your appreciation for whisky-loving
dads this Father’s Day.

To make this celebration even more special, the famed distiller is even offering a complimentary engraving service for any bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label purchased between now until 27 June. This affords lucky buyers the opportunity to
customise this delicious Father’s Day gift by engraving it with one of eight pre-set messages and a name of up to 16 characters – a memorable means of ensuring each bottle is as unique as the delicious amber ambrosia within.

To purchase click here.

Alcoholiday: The unstoppable rise of herb-infused, alcohol-free spirits

It’s a situation many of us are only too familiar with. You’re out on the razz with assorted chums and there’s alcoholic allure on every side. This time, though, you decide it’s best to demur. Maybe your medication makes it unwise, perhaps you’re down for a spot of designated driving or it could just be that over-indulgence is off your agenda for a little while. Whatever the spur, chances are you’re wondering what the best non-intoxicant is to help you while away the night.

Thankfully, over recent years, there has been an explosion in the options open to those with a self-imposed booze ban, most notably in the form of a wide variety of alcohol-free spirits. All but unknown even just six years ago, these sin-free spirits are now ubiquitous in many high-end bars and five-star leisure locales. The whole sector, though, owes a considerable debt to Seedlip Spice 94 – an aromatic distilled non-alcoholic spirit characterised by notes of bark, citrus and all spice – that debuted in Selfridges, one of London’s most upmarket department stores, in November 2015.

This intriguing beverage was created by Ben Branson, the founder of Seedlip, a London-based distiller of non-alcoholic spirits. Taking his inspiration from the The Art of Distillation, a 17th-century guide to distilling curative brews from sundry natural preparations, Branson purchased his own still and experimented with various self-grown herbs. Two years later, he’d mastered a six-week process – a blend of maceration, distillation and filtration – that yielded alcohol-free spirits with unique herbal flavourings.

“All but unknown six years ago, sin-free spirits are now ubiquitous in all the best high-end bars”

His first commercial venture was an instant – if unlikely – hit. Indeed, the first run of 1,000 handcrafted bottles of Seedlip Spice 94 sold out in three weeks, the second in three days and the third within half an hour.
Reflecting on those early days, he says: “It was surreal to see how demand grew. I launched it from my kitchen and I was the delivery driver, accountant, salesman, marketer, and manufacturer. Six years, later we sell in 37 countries, while there are now more than 125 products in the non-alcohol spirit category globally.”

Over the intervening years, the proverbial flood gates have well and truly opened, with the upstart herbal brand giving rise to a whole new drinking category. Inevitably, this has seen several other brands – notably fellow Brit brewer Lyre’s and US-based The Ritual – launching their own zero-alcohol herbal spirits.

The arrival of so many brands in the sector, however, does not mean that creating these distinctive beverages is in any way straightforward. Typically, it involves macerating the chosen botanicals – whether flowers, herbs, plants or seeds – until a base spirit has been produced, with the resultant mixture then distilled until all of the alcohol has been removed. At this point, the flavour-enhancing extracts are added in order to deliver the required tang. All in all, it’s a delicate process and one that necessitates keen judgment when it comes to ensuring both optimal flavour and a truly authentic drinking experience.

For those that manage to successfully steer their way through the many challenges of the production process, the rewards on offer are, indeed, substantial, In fact, according to data from Nielsen, the UK-headquartered market research giant, the no-alcohol beverage sector has grown by a massive 506 percent since 2015, with total related revenue expected to be some US$280 million over the next 12 months.
Inevitably, Hong Kong’s more discerning drinkers are among the many to have become beguiled by these ingeniously-crafted quaffs. With long-term teetotalers, the sober curious and the merely hangover-averse all on board, meeting the demand for pseudo-alcoholic beverages, with a full-flavour palate but no cognitive consequences, has become de rigueur for drinkeries throughout the city.

Is this, however, merely just a blip, with full-strength spirits just waiting in the wings, ready to resume their (seemingly) rightful centerstage spot? Maybe not. With wellness and health-consciousness looming increasingly large on the leisure landscape, it could well be that an alcohol-free libation truly is the spirit of the age.

Read more articles by clicking the below titles:

Sinlessly Delicious: These zero-alcohol cocktails are not to be mocked

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Monky Puzzle: The true secret of Chartreuse

When, as occasion has it, all thoughts turn to green-tinted tinctures, chances are that the mighty absinthe will be the tipple to ripple through your reflections. A very different emerald embrocation, however, has steadily been gaining global recognition, largely on account of its spicy herbal flavours and the fact its 400-year-old recipe remains shrouded in mystery. The concoction in question, of course, is Chartreuse, the French vegetal brew, the make up of which is supposedly only known to the Order of Chartreuse, a society of taciturn monks devoted solely to prayer, meditation and distillation.

It’s a backstory that has frequently excited a degree of scepticism. After all, various spirit brands have all too frequently titivated their origins in order to add extra layers of intrigue and allure for less worldly-wise consumers. While such tales stretch from minor embellishments to full-on heritage hoaxes, Chartreuse may just be the exception.

Its – apparently true – origins date back to 1605, a time when Duc Francois Hannibal d’Estrées, a French nobleman, gifted an ancient manuscript supposedly detailing the constituents of an ‘Elixir of Long Life’ to a Chartreuse monastery in a suburb of Paris. Many years later, the manuscript was dispatched to La Grande Chartreuse, the order’s head office, secreted away in the picturesque Grenoble mountains of southeastern France. There, an exhaustive study began in a bid to decipher the document.

It wasn’t until 1764, however, that Jerome Maubec, the monastery’s apothecary, finally uncovered its secrets and promptly set about putting the formula into production. It was a triumph of the time and particularly impressive in that the recipe stretches to a staggering 130 herbs, plants and other botanicals, all of which need to be precisely macerated and blended in order to achieve the perfect balance of flavours. Today, Maubec’s decoded recipe is still followed to the letter, yielding the spirit’s 68-percent alcohol content and, less assuredly, producing a cure-all tonic that can remedy a wide range of ills and grant regular imbibers a longer life.

Across the many intervening centuries, the monks have, admittedly, adulterated the recipe somewhat to create milder, more palatable brews. In 1840, for instance, they released Green Chartreuse, which came with a gentler 55-percent alcohol content. Along the way, there was also a Yellow Chartreuse”, a sweeter iteration with an even more abstemious 40-percent alcohol level. As with the original, their exact recipes remain shrouded in mystery, supposedly known to only one or two designated monk any given time.

These offshoots, however, remain two of the brand’s most iconic incarnations and, have been embraced the world over. The former French president Charles de Gaulle, for example, enjoyed his hot chocolate with a spot of the herbal liquor, while a character in Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 slasher film Death Proof even went as far to state: “Chartreuse, the only liqueur so good they named a colour after it.” Today, the spirit’s various manifestations are all but ubiquitous in high-end bars, while also being utilised in any cocktails looking to impart a spicy herbal zing and delivering a potent punch.

Keen to try the green? This particular cocktail comes highly recommended:

A refreshing, high-octane cocktail fueled by the herbal heat of chartreuse.

Ingredients:

1. 1½ oz green chartreuse

2. 1 oz pineapple juice

3. ¾ oz lime juice

4. ½ oz falernum

5. Garnish: Mint sprig and lemon wheels

Instructions:

1. Pour ingredients into a shaker and stir. then transfer into highball glass.

2. Fill crushed ice and mix until the outside of the glass is frosty.

3. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wheels.

Mad for Moutai: China’s iconic baijiu rides a new high

Moutai, the most popular liquor in China and the country’s best-known alcoholic export to the world, has recently been riding on a wave of renewed vigour and vitality. Once solely circulated in rarefied political and business circles as a must-have high-value gift, its recent popularity among a broader audience has seen its brewer, Kweichow Moutai, the country’s largest liquor producer, become one of the largest corporations in the world, comparable in size to Japan’s Toyota Motor.

The company has achieved outstanding milestones both in China and internationally, getting ranked the largest listed corporation in China’s almost-US$10 trillion stock market and one of the world’s largest with a market value of over US$300 billion.

Kweichow Moutai’s great fame and fortune stem mainly from its various unique qualities, principally its complex aroma and taste. Every drop of this brew is an amalgamation of more than 155 different flavours and aromas. Some of these aromas include wheat, grain, soy sauce, ripe bananas, malt beer, yeast, citrus, strawberries, mango, coconut, chocolate, caramel, tobacco, smoke, a grassy-green spiciness, floral aspects, roasted walnuts and mint.

Moutai is an organic distilled spirit produced under very stringent and meticulous conditions on a government-protected brewing environment on the eastern bank of the Chishui river that rises between 420 and 550 metres above sea level. Because of its unique geological location, with a special micro-climate and the presence of the clear and pure Chishui water, the Moutai spirit gets its distinctive and multi-dimensional flavour.

The unique climatic production conditions in the town of Moutai in Guizhou province are found nowhere else in China. Due to its restricted regionality, and inability to be replicated anywhere else, Moutai is a limited and highly sought-after natural resource. The Chinese government protects the Moutai region by ensuring that no chemical factories are set up near the ‘Fine Wine River’ that runs through the town, particularly as the water from this river is deemed very crucial to the distillation process of the spirit.

Currently distributed and sold across the world, including North America and Europe, Moutai is a pure organic product the production of which involves a very stringent and meticulous process. Its unique raw ingredients are harvested according to the lunar calendar and distilled with a technique similar to perfume making. The process involves nine distillation sessions, eight filtration sessions, seven fermentation sessions and numerous maturation and blending traditions. It is this intensive and unique distillation process that bequeathes the spirit with its lingering aftertaste and long-lasting fragrance.

Moutai’s long and distinguished history dates back over 2,000 years, but it was during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) that Chinese distillers first introduced the unique, advanced techniques for processing the modern incarnation of this distinctive type of liquor, eventually leading it to become the first Chinese brew to be produced in large volume. The government then consolidated the numerous distilleries into one state-owned company, Kweichow Moutai, in Guizhou in southwest China, where liquor distillery has been a long-celebrated tradition.

Moutai’s top-notch quality is amply recognised in the international market for decades. In 1915, the Chinese brew notched the gold prize at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California, and it shares the title of the world’s top three distilled liquors, with Cognac brandy from France and whisky from the Scottish Highlands. Moutai, though, stands out from cognac and whisky as yeast is distilled during its distillation process and it is the only one that uses solid grain material in the fermentation process that makes it more special and unique.

Back home, Moutai has garnered different distinctions, including getting adjudged in 1951 as China’s superior liquor. Over the years, it has emerged as the ultimate gift for special people and occasions, and it enjoys the rare privilege of being the only alcoholic beverage presented as official gifts by Chinese embassies in foreign countries and used on many official occasions with foreign heads of state.

Moutai pairs well with any Chinese cuisine, but it also compliments culinary dishes like Korean grill, Japanese sashimi, and caviar. The first exposure of many Westerners to baijiu, or distilled Chinese liquor, often comes through a pairing of Moutai with food, a practice particularly advisable for first-time baijiu drinkers. The strength and potency of the spirit can be intolerable when consumed as a straight shot. Combining baijiu with food softens the strength of the alcohol, and enables an unaccustomed stomach to digest it better.

Baijiu and food are linked very closely to the territories in which they are produced. Different Chinese provinces will have different preferences toward baijiu. Depending on where a meal is taking place, Strong, Light, Rice or Sauce Aromas baijius will be served, accompanied by a range of traditional dishes from this same area.

With Moutai’s continued popularity, it is very likely to achieve more milestones in the coming years.

Wine storage solutions for your prized collection

Hong Kong boasts of being Asia’s biggest market for wines, second to China, it also enjoys the distinction of being the region’s wine hub. But as any wine connoisseurs know, collecting wines is not as simple and easy as gathering decorative items and putting them on display. Specific conditions need to be met to create the ideal environment to store and age wines, especially the premium ones.

Temperature

Heat and wine is the worst combination that makes the city’s climate far from ideal for ageing wines. The taste of wine can be tainted if it is not kept at the perfect temperature range of seven to 18 degrees Celsius. Wine fridges offer a solution to concerns over regulating temperature for wine storage and ageing.

Humidity

Humidity is a key factor to achieve the optimal environment for wine storage. Humidity above 70% could cause labels to mould and degrade while any level below 50% will cause the corks to dry, causing oxidation and ultimately affecting the quality of the wine. Keeping a dehumidifier running will allow constant humidity regulation for your storage room.

Lighting

Lighting is also a significant factor to create the optimal environment for storing wine. Wines must never be exposed to sunlight. Even a brief exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause a chemical reaction with sulphites in the wine which can affect the taste. Dark spaces in underground cellars are ideal for wine storage. But with the city’s architecture, underground storage is not common. Alternatively, low-intensity lighting in places with LED light bulbs is a harmless solution to achieve sufficient illumination in storage spaces that won’t affect the quality of wines. Alternatively wrapping the bottles in towels and keeping them in their original cases also extends the ageing process.

Store wines on its side

Storing wine bottles, laid on its side, allows for the corks to be in constant contact with the wine, keeping them moist and preventing them from drying out, thus prolonging the quality of your precious vino.

Store wines in a cellar

Ideally, wines should be kept in underground wine cellars which provide the perfect combination of dark spaces, low humidity and temperature as well as ample space to collect your vino assets. However, space is often a challenge and problem that wine collectors face in Hong Kong. But worry not as there is a growing demand of wine storage facilities in the city that provides the ideal conditions and security system for oenophiles to pursue their love for wine collecting while having the peace of mind that their valuable vino are protected.

Here are some of the city’s strictly-regulated and highly-secure wine cellars:

The perfect wine storage for collecting valuable vino gafencu magazine feature image wine vault — (Image from Wine Vault)

The Wine Bank

Location: Tsuen Wan

Cost: $3,880 to $6,380 /month

This wine storage facility caters to the needs of customers’ fine wines and can only be accessed with staff supervision. A mere 30-minute drive from China, this private wine storage facility serves as a conveniently-located solution to the hefty tax charges that wine collectors in China are subject to.

Wine Vault

Location: Wong Chuk Hang

Cost: $2,780 Up /month
$198 / year (customers who buy from Wine Vault)

A retailer of Burgundy and Bordeaux wines, it also provides 24-hour access to wine cellars and a fully-fitted kitchen for customers’ wine tastings and catered events.

13 Degrees

Location: Aberdeen

Cost: $4,980 Up /month

Created with the standards of wine collectors, this storage facility features full customer-focused service with available inventory check-in and facilities to ensure optimum temperature, humidity and lighting for wine ageing.

Hip Cellar

Location: Tin Hau

Cost: $2,888 /month

A wine storage facility that highlights the experience of great wines. With a fully furnished lounge and private kitchen complete with a comprehensive audio and visual equipment to host catered events.

The perfect wine storage for collecting valuable vino gafencu magazine feature image crown wine cellar — (Image from Crown Wine Cellar)

Crown Wine Cellars

Location: Deep Water Bay and Tuen Mun

Cost: up to $176 per case of 12 bottles /year
(other charges might apply)

Reputed to have the best security and safety systems with the most ideal conditions available in the city, this underground concrete chamber holds a large collection of high-value wines.

John Walker & Sons XR 21: The Legacy Blend

Sponsored by Johnnie Walker

Renowned Scotch whisky maker Johnnie Walker has many iconic vintages in its expansive back catalogue, but the John Walker and Sons collection stands apart as something truly special. Painstakingly crafted with the finest of ingredients and aged in rare casks to heighten their flavours, these luxurious whiskies embody the very best of the distiller’s work.

Speaking of this illustrious line, Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge says, “The John Walker & Sons collection is the pinnacle of our work as whisky makers. Inspired by what has gone before us and dedicated to giving whisky lovers an experience like no other.” The latest expression of the collection – the John Walker & Sons Aged 21 Years – continues this storied legacy, building its lush flavours through the rare three-stage blending process using 21-year-old single malts from such iconic Speyside distilleries as Mortlach and Cardhu.

John Walker & Sons XR 21 The Legacy Blend gafencu magazine (2) — (image courtesy of Johnnie Walker)

The result is a rich whisky replete with layers of intense toffee and fruits, with hints of creamy vanilla, rounded out with a smoky finish. For the best experience, imbibe the John Walker & Sons XR Aged 21 Years neat, accompanied by chilled soda water. For an added dimension, you can also pair it with chestnuts, which enhances its flavours even further. So whether you’re seeking the perfect gift for the whisky aficionado in your life this Mid-Autumn Festival, or if you just want to treat yourself to something special, why not opt for the sumptuous John Walker & Sons XR Aged 21 Years. Go on. You know you want to…

For more information click here

Stock up on top quality wines now!

There are many reasons to stock up on your favourite bottle of vino. Since the temporary suspension of bar service in the city, people have gotten into the habit of ordering online and drinking at home. But with the changing landscape of the wine industry, from climate change to even a possible post-pandemic shift of wine imports and taxes, whatever the reason, wine prices have gone down now, and its the perfect time to stock up your cellar on a selection of wines that will last you several months or years to come. Here are a few online shops that are offering special offers on top quality wines:

Ponti Wine Cellars

This long standing cellar has been providing wine connoisseurs with premium wines from around the world since 1988 and are now offering a bulk discount on any six bottles and more of Italian wines. Among the selection are vintage choices between 2006 to 2015 from the regions of Veneto, Tuscany and Piemonte.

Fine Wine Experience

Behind the brand stands a full team of experts and specialists to ease your purchase decisions as you go through their wide range of wine selections. For a limited time, as long as stocks lasts, you can stock up on 12 bottles of any wines from their selection at a discount which also includes a 2009 Rippon – Mature Vines Pinot Noir and Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent – Moulin-a-Vent ‘Champ de Cour’.

Bidvino

Founded by Links Concept and some of Asia’s most reputable wine collectors, experts and sommeliers. This brand exclusively represents family-owned labels such as Louis Roederer and Louis Latour and are offering a subscription based selection of a mixed lot of six 750ml bottles of red and white that were curated specially for the taste of sophisticated wine enthusiasts at a monthly price of only HK $1,999.

Why sustainable wines are worth pouring over

Hong Kong has always had a taste for great things whether it is great food or great wines. Which is why the city remains as Asia’s largest wine market, after China. However, in recent years, there has been a growing concern that climate change poses as a threat to wine production, leading many wine makers to shift to sustainable wine making.

Conventional wine making as we know it today started in the 20th century when it introduced synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides, into vineyards to maximize yield. Organic wine, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on growing grapes naturally with organic fertilizers and without the use of chemicals. But neither practices put great importance on waste management. In light of the growing concern of sustainability, many wine makers have made it a point to minimize green house gases produced in wine making by mitigating and reducing unnecessary waste that is produced in the process.

However, sustainable wines are difficult to regulate. Because of the different climates in each wine making region, it becomes difficult to set a global standard for sustainable wine. Although there are various certifications that set a standard for different wine production practices, the certifications are based on contrasting principles. While some certifications regulate holistic practices of wine making, some may regulate only vineyards but not winery facilities. For example, although bio-dynamic wine makers grow their grapes organically, their wines are not necessarily considered organic wines due to the amount of sulfite included in wine ageing. Regardless of the variables, sustainable wine makers are ultimately concerned with water and wildlife conservation, and the use of green facilities and transportation in reducing green house gases and managing waste.

In any way wine is produced, its quality would depend on various factors from the region of where the grapes are grown, soil quality and the complex wine making process of fermentation and ageing. Sustainability adds to the narrative of how the wine was produced, giving consumers a better understanding of the product. What makes wine “good” may differ from the complexity of flavor profiles that wine connoisseurs seek to the ethical practices that was involved in production. Nonetheless, sustainable wine makers add to the market options for businesses and consumers who prefer to adjust to sustainable habits, and as the significance of climate change garners more attention, so will sustainable wine.

Two Moons x Room 309 Presents Limited Edition Craft Gin: Five Flowers Tea Dry Gin

Taking full advantage of the city’s renewed love of all things gin, two of Hong Kong’s leading F&B names, Two Moons and Room 309, have come together to craft a very special limited-edition Five Flowers Tea Dry Gin. If that weren’t enough, they’re also offering three lucky buyers the chance to win a luxurious stay at the boutique hotel, The Pottinger Hong Kong.

Two Moons, Hong Kong’s first gin distillery, and Room 309, an exclusive bar within The Pottinger Hong Kong, come together in a unique partnership to combine the distillery’s award-winning Signature Dry Gin with an ancient remedy, Five Flower Tea, to incorporate a rich cultural heritage into the premium gin. The quality of its production is a reflection of the two brands’ pursuit for artistic elegance and sophistication. The formulation of the 12 selective botanicals in Two Moons’ Signature Dry Gin and the detoxifying Five Flowers Tea fuses into an experience refined for the palette.

The two sought-after brands have also generously offered HK$5,530 worth of exclusive giveaways to three lucky winners upon purchasing the limited herbal flavor-inspired spirit with a chance to win a premium experience of a lifetime at The Pottinger Hong Kong. The prizes included:

Grand Prize: A one-night staycation for two at The Pottinger Hong Kong, inclusive of an in-room service of two cocktails and snacks with compliments by ROOM 309 (worth HK$3,000)

2nd Prize: A private distillery tour for two at Two Moons Distillery in Chai Wan (worth HK$2,000)

3rd Prize: A 700ml bottle of Two Moon’s Signature Dry Gin (worth HK$530)