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2021 March
Savor the Magic of Whisky

Whisky-tasting is certainly gaining popularity. All ofa sudden, friendly conversations are now filled withwhisky jargons. Your friends may now seek your help in acquiring a good bottle as soon as they find out you are travelling! Witnessing how whisky has taken its admirers by storm, connoisseurs of the industry, naturally, feel strongly about this latest trend.
 

 

 

In the Japanese drama Massan, the lead role decided to learn about whiskymaking after he had incidentally tasted genuine Scottish whisky. He even married a Scotswoman! “Massan” was inspired by the true story of renowned whisky maker Taketsuru Masataka.

 

From karaokes to auctions

While he has not been as passionate as Massan about Scottish culture, Daniel Lam, Bonhams’ Director of Wine & Spirits, Asia, has a strong connection with the liquor, and has established a career around wines and spirits. Last summer, his department set a new world record for a single bottle of Japanese whisky at an auction with the renowned “The Yamazaki 55 years”, which was sold at HKD 6.2 million.

 

Lam recalled that wines were more popular in Hong Kong at the beginning, and whisky was less widespread than how it is today. “Blended whisky was once more popular in Hong Kong. Many young people were first exposed to whisky in karaoke rooms, where black label was mixed with green tea!”

 

A pop culture with finesse

Subsequently, single malt whisky began gaining popularity in Hong Kong. Consumers came to know that the unique character of a distiller can be tasted from the beverage. Lam also said that as Hong Kong people love to travel, many spirits lovers visited distilleries in Taiwan and Japan. As they become more knowledgeable about whisky, various types of whisky became more popular in Hong Kong.

 

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami is a famous whisky lover, who had published a book entitled If our language was whisky. It was a collection of essays about his liquor tasting experiences in Scotland and Ireland. Many young local culture and literature lovers are exposed to the world of whisky because of this book.

 

An unmatched tasting experience

Although there is much to learn about whisky, the vast volumes of books and videos are always helpful. In fact, the materials available can be overwhelming. Lam reckoned that instead of reading textual description, tasting is an inevitable step in learning about the liquor.

 

“Beginners could visit a bar to taste different types of whisky. This is a more economical way to expand one’s tasting profile.” He added that many whisky lovers would organize private gatherings, during when a few close friends could bring a few bottles from their personal collections and share with each other to enrich the whisky tasting experience of the whole company in an evening.

 

Under current pandemic circumstances, however, these whisky gatherings are unavoidably affected. Lam said that COVID has not stopped whisky lovers’ determination to taste good samples. “virtual whisky tasting sessions” are gradually becoming the answer to their urge. These sessions are made possible by whisky lovers, who pack their collected liquors into small bottles and have them delivered to other whisky buddies. Through video conferencing, they are still able to share what moved their tastebuds in the virtual space.

 

Be a smart and knowledgeable whisky taster

Lam also revealed that the whisky industry has grown at an accelerated rate, and a surging number of whisky lovers is recorded in the Mainland over the past five or six years. The whisky expos held in Changsha, Chongqing and other cities, for example, have demonstrated their unique local characters. Featuring the presence of many famous whisky personalities, these events are highly worthy of attending. Lam candidly shared that he had visited many such events before the COVID outbreak.

 

Speaking about collecting whisky, Lam suggests that those intending to do so should first “do their homework”. They should pay attention to the news about the records of whisky auctions, and in time, buyers would have a good grasp of the value of a certain collection. Furthermore, buyers should also take note of the public’s rating of merchants or auction houses. Purchasing through reputable organizations mean there is less to worry about acquiring counterfeits by mistake.