Elixir

27/04/2022

Back in Singapore for a very special evening with Bruichladdich at The Cooperage 🥃

27/03/2022

Content that's totally whisky-related. Scenes (or lack thereof) in Bangkok yesterday regarding the launch of Swatch and Omega's highly-anticipated collaboration.

Scalpers looking to make a quick buck in the Land of Smiles were definitely not grinning after reading this notice 😉

25/03/2022

If you're travelling through Changi Airport Terminal 1, this is the selection of Japanese whisky that's currently available. The non-chill filtered Miyagikyo and Yoichi look really good! Shame about the Yamazaki 12 Year Old's price, but it is what it is 🤷🏻

16/03/2022

Campari Group has followed in the footsteps of Diageo and William Grant & Sons in unveiling an invite-only space for its top customers and on-trade partners. Here's all you need to know about it.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-campari-group-opens-invite-only-space-in-singapore

Italian conglomerate Campari Group opened an invite-only space in its Singapore headquarters. Here's what its top customers and on-trade partners can expect when paying a visit.

11/03/2022

UPDATE: Got word from The GlenAllachie this this should be available in Singapore 'in the next couple of months'.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-the-glenallachie-launches-10-year-old-cask-strength-seventh-edition

Single malt Scotch whisky brand The GlenAllachie has unveiled the seventh edition of its popular 10-year-old cask strength bottling. Find out all about it here.

08/03/2022

Another year, another batch of The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Cask Strength. This fan-favourite bottling has continued to improve ever since its first iteration in 2018 and there's no sign the independent brand will stop releasing this anytime soon. Hit the link for the full story.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-the-glenallachie-launches-10-year-old-cask-strength-seventh-edition

Single malt Scotch whisky brand The GlenAllachie has unveiled the seventh edition of its popular 10-year-old cask strength bottling. Find out all about it here.

04/03/2022

This limited edition Kilchoman expression was delayed by a year no thanks to a bottle shortage, of all things. Hit the link to find out more about this Madeira-cask matured single malt!

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-kilchoman-launches-madeira-cask-matured-expression

Single malt Scotch whisky brand Kilchoman has launched a limited edition bottling matured solely in Madeira wine casks. Here's all you need to know about it and how you can purchase a bottle for yourself.

03/03/2022

The ground works phase for the Komoro Distillery has been completed and the production facility itself is now being constructed. Unfortunately, Karuizawa Distillers has pushed back the production date of its distillery to Spring 2023.

Expect the first single malt to hit shelves in 2026, assuming that there will be no further delays.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-karuizawa-distillers-to-open-komoro-distillery-in-2022

Newly formed Karuizawa Distillers Inc. aims to set up the Komoro Distillery in Nagano, Japan and start producing whisky by 2022.

01/03/2022

Whisky of the Month is back in 2022 after a short hiatus in 2021! The first expression in the spotlight this year is a limited edition bottling from popular independent distillery The GlenAllachie. Hit the link in the bio and discover why this particular one's so special, with amazing photos by

24/02/2022

Anddddd this limited edition Glen Grant is finally available in Singapore. I estimated that it would cost over $41,000 when it arrived in the Lion City but the official retail price has been set at $39,888.

Just 10 bottles are available and you'll need to get in touch with a Campari Group or Remy Cointreau rep to make your purchase.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-glen-grant-releases-60-year-old-whisky

The Glen Grant has announced its oldest bottling till date. Here's just how much The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition Aged 60 Years will cost.

22/02/2022

The Campbeltown region has good reason to cheer, with two distilleries set to join the trio that are currently operating. Here's who they are and what you can expect from them.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-two-distilleries-to-be-constructed-in-campbeltown

Two new whisky distilleries are set to be constructed in the Campbeltown region of Scotland. Find out what they are and what you can expect from them.

17/02/2022

Whisky of the Month is back and this time, popular indie brand The GlenAllachie is in the spotlight. Released in October 2020, The GlenAllachie 12 Years Old Chinquapin Oak Finish is part of the limited edition Virgin Oak trio and the subject of this month's feature.

By this point, you might be asking what Chinquapin oak is. The answer to that and much more in the link below!

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/whisky-of-the-month-glenallachie-chinquapin-oak-finish

The GlenAllachie 12 Years Old Chinquapin Oak Finish hails from the brand's Virgin Oak series. Here's all you need to know about this single malt Scotch whisky from a famed independent producer.

08/02/2022

Caol Ila just launched a 24-year-old bottling to commemorate its 175th anniversary in 2021. Only 3000 bottles of this were produced and they are distributed across select specialist retailers and the Lagavulin distillery's store. It bears an ABV of 52.1% but is chill-filtered and sports caramel colouring. No word on the casks it was aged in either.

A bottle will set you back approx. $538, before factoring in shipping costs and Singapore's own customs & duties tax. And don't bother with malts.com; it's long sold out there. In Singapore's Diageo Rare & Exceptional webstore, it's bundled with the Caol Ila 25 Years Old and sold at $860 but you'll need to make an enquiry first.

If you're wondering why this expression isn't sold at the Caol Ila distillery itself, that's because its visitor centre is currently being renovated. It's slated to reopen next year and by then, leisure travel will be in a much better place.

06/02/2022

Maker's Mark is now among three whisky distilleries in the world to have attained B Corp Certification. Here's what it entails and what the bourbon brand did to achieve it.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/news-makers-mark-achieves-b-corp-certification

Bourbon brand Maker's Mark has achieved the much-vaunted B Corp Certification. Find out what it entails and what the company has been doing to earn it.

30/01/2022

Three months on and the name of Ardbeg's latest Committee bottling has been revealed. Dubbed the Ardbeg Fermutation, the expression will be released from 1st February onwards. Set a calendar reminder if you're keen on purchasing a bottle.

It bears an ABV of 49.4% and is non-chill filtered. Unfortunately, it does have caramel colouring added. Hit the link for more details about the Ardbeg Fermutation.

Also, you'll need the assistance of your preferred forwarding service because Ardbeg hasn't made this bottling available to Committee members worldwide. The closest countries to Singapore would be Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and China.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-a-recap-of-the-ardbeg-committee-agm-2021

The Ardbeg Committee AGM was held on September 30th. Here's all you need to know about what you can look forward to from the brand in the coming months.

28/01/2022

Something a little different again yesterday. A huge congratulations to Offtrack for getting off the ground! Amazing cocktails, food, and ambience.

P.S Give the jackfruit curry a go when you're there 😉

25/01/2022

Earlier this month, I got the opportunity to sample Bruichladdich's latest Black Art bottling and Octomore's 2021 releases. Here's how the tasting session went down and my impressions of the four bottlings.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-an-evening-with-bruichladdichs-and-octomores-new-releases

Bruichladdich released several new whiskies in Singapore right before the Lunar New Year. Here's what you can expect from the new Octomore 12s and Bruichladdich Black Art.

23/01/2022

Something a little different for today Brass Lion Distillery 😉

19/01/2022

Last year, Suntory unveiled virtual self-guided tours of their Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. However, the actual production facilities were curiously omitted. Earlier this week, I found out why. Suntory held a virtual tour of the actual Yamazaki distillery in the morning.

I attended and here's my takeaway after the (virtual) visit.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-a-virtual-tour-of-the-actual-yamazaki-distillery

On 17th January 2022, the Yamazaki distillery held a virtual tour in the morning. Here's how it went and what you can expect when visiting the production facility in person post COVID-19.

17/01/2022

Just hopped off Yamazaki's tour of its actual distillery on Zoom. Looks like it was intentional that this virtual tour of its distillery's museum omitted the production facility altogether. If you missed the tour held earlier today, don't worry. Suntory has recorded it and will upload it at a later date!

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-a-virtual-tour-of-the-yamazaki-distillery

Being a whisky fan in Asia is a double-edged sword. On one hand, visiting a whisky distillery often means taking an international flight before sitting on a train, bus, or car for a little while more. That means you’d be more likely to weave a distillery visit into your holiday itinerary rather th...

11/01/2022

Pernod Ricard's THE CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery is planning to accept visitors only from 2023 onwards. In the meantime, there's the virtual tour to tide you over.

Here's what you can expect from the company's first Chinese whisky distillery!

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-a-virtual-tour-of-the-chuan-malt-whisky-distillery

Pernod Ricard's first whisky distillery in China was announced in November 2021. A virtual tour was launched with the announcement. Here's how THE CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery looks like and what you can expect when paying a visit.

06/01/2022

Honestly, this article was largely just for me to vent my frustrations regarding the restrictions levied on F&B establishments in Singapore. Still looking forward to see what 2022 has to offer once Omicron is dealt with, though!

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/opinion-reflections-on-2021-and-wishes-for-2022

A very happy new year to everyone! As we dust off 2021 (or 2020 Part 2, as I like to call it) and kickstart 2022, there’s no better time to look back…and look forward. COVID-19 might still be a problem for many countries around the world, but Omicron appears to be the last variant of concern. Fi...

29/12/2021

Heading over to the Yamazaki distillery in person might not be possible right now, but at least there's this. As the post says, the virtual tour is completely free of charge and it's great way to start your week.

We’re excited offer a free virtual tour of our Yamazaki Distillery. The live broadcast will walk through the Malt Whisky production process and provide an inside look at the birthplace of Japanese Whisky. Register to learn about the history and craftmanship of Yamazaki single malt whisky: https://bit.ly/31PoVQj

23/12/2021

I had the opportunity to get reacquainted with Irish craft spirits producer Origin Spirits during a masterclass with the firm's Managing Director, Patrick Shelley. Here's what went down that evening.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-sampling-origin-spirits-with-patrick-shelley

Patrick Shelley, the Managing Director of Irish craft spirits producer Origin Spirits, dropped by Singapore for a masterclass. Here's what he had to share.

15/12/2021

Unpacking my thoughts on Johnnie Walker's latest Blue Label Ghost and Rare bottling and how it pairs with the food at the newly-opened Caviar in Palais Renaissance.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-evening-with-johnnie-walker-blue-label-pittyvaich

Johnnie Walker Blue Label's Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich meets fine dining at newly-opened Caviar in Palais Renaissance. Here's what went down that evening.

12/12/2021

If you happen to be in Shanghai right now, The Macallan Experience has made its way to city's Museum of Contemporary Art and will be running till 16th January 2022. From the photos and videos I've gathered so far, it's a grander affair than the one held in Singapore last year thanks to the larger footprint of the museum.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-the-macallan-experience-at-the-raffles-hotel-singapore

Here’s the full low-down on what you can expect when heading down to the Raffles Hotel Singapore from Monday afternoon onwards.

09/12/2021

At the newly-opened Caviar in Palais Renaissance for the launch Johnnie Walker's latest Blue Label Ghost and Rare bottling. Thoughts in a bit!

08/12/2021

A very hearty congratulations to MO BAR for being featured in this year's World's 50 Best Bars list! Whisky Thursdays might not be running anymore, but I had an excellent time when I was there in late-January, with world-class cocktails and top-notch service.

https://elixir-sg.com/latest/features-whisky-thursdays-at-mo-bar

MO BAR at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore launched Whisky Thursdays on 22nd January 2021. Find out how this weekly whisky tasting experience is like.