Robin Lynam reveals the best places to enjoy a dram in Asia-Pacific.
Scotch whisky has been popular in Asia since arriving in the 19th century with British traders and colonists. Only recently, however, has Scotch – and whisky from numerous other countries now producing the spirit – become a focus for serious connoisseurship throughout the region.
In 2014, Singapore was the world’s third-biggest market by value for Scotch (after the US and France), with Taiwan fourth, South Korea eighth, India 11th and Japan 16th. Singapore is a re-export hub for the spirits trade, so much of the whisky going there is most likely distributed throughout South East Asia and to China. Collectively, the market is huge.
Whisky culture took off first in Japan, and one reason the country is not further up the Scottish imports list is that it produces excellent whisky of its own. Distillers, following a broadly Scottish style, have been active here since the 1870s, and in the past 30 years have produced whiskies achieving international recognition. Jim Murray, author of the widely circulated Whisky Bible, pronounced Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 “the world’s best whisky” in the 2015 edition.
Taiwan – one of the only markets in the world where consumption of single malt Scotch whiskies exceeds that of blends – is also making first-class spirits, although so far in much smaller quantities. Tasted blind against competitors from around the globe, including Scotland and Japan, Taiwan’s Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique was named the best single malt at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards.
From being on the fringes of the world of whisky, Asia is now right at its centre, with producers in Europe, the Americas and Australasia all keen to break into the market. In the region’s smarter bars, a wide selection is now viewed as a minimum requirement, and venues with a specialist whisky focus – until recently a rarity outside Japan – now proliferate.
“Every city in Asia now has a small coterie of decent whisky bars,” says Martin Newell, Hong Kong brand manager for Diageo’s Reserve range, which includes Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Platinum Label and Gold Label Reserve Scotch. “Many are in the small, intimate Japanese style, where you sit at the bar and choose from a generous selection.”
Newell says the Australian bar scene has also had a significant influence on the new generation of drinking establishments. “You can’t talk about whisky bars in Asia-Pacific without referring to the Baxter Inn in Sydney [thebaxterinn.com],” he says. “Often copied, it has a tall back bar with ladders going up it, and bottles are impressively displayed. That has had a big influence on places like Stockton in Hong Kong [stockton.com.hk].
“The other trend that’s happening comes from the Boilermaker House in Melbourne [boilermakerhouse.com.au], which also has a bar in New York. It has 700 whiskies and about 70 craft beers, and will pair a dram of whisky to a beer.”
Perennially popular is the clubby, classic style of whisky bar that reflects Asia’s colonial past, such as the Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. Once home of the Shanghai Club, it is now noted for its collection of rare bottles.
Charlene Dawes, owner of the traditionally styled Angel’s Share whisky bar and restaurant in Hong Kong (angelsshare.hk) – one of the few bars in Asia to serve whisky from the cask – says: “I think when people come in, if they see the right glassware and the bottles displayed properly, they get a good feeling about the place and confidence in the drinks. People like that sense of order.”
But for some, the less formal the environment, the better. “One of my favourites in Shanghai is Constellation [86 Xinle Road, Xuhui district],” Newell says. “It’s not particularly fancy, but that’s one of the nice things about whisky bars. They are about the enjoyment of the whisky. It’s a humble spot – just a narrow bar with an eclectic range of Japanese and Scottish whiskies.”
Visitors to any major Japanese city need only consult their hotel concierge to get a long list of recommendations. Top picks in Tokyo include Bar High Five (barhighfive.com), which has just reopened in a new location with a much bigger selection, and Star Bar (starbar.jp), famous for its ice carving – creating perfect spheres of ice to cool the spirit without diluting it is a Japanese speciality.
The New York Bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo is popular with movie buffs – parts of Lost in Translation were shot there. The whisky list isn’t that long, but you can emulate Bill Murray and nurse a glass of Hibiki 17 Year Old while taking in the 52nd-floor city views.
Taiwan also has its fair share of serious whisky bars, although they often seem to have relatively short life spans. Alchemy (2F, No.16-1 Hsin-Yi Road Section 5), owned by star bartender Angus Zou, is considered to be one of Taipei’s top cocktail bars. It has a fine range of artisanal spirits, including American bourbons and rye whiskeys.
Zou himself heads for Backyard (also called L’Arrière-Cour; No. 4, Lane 23, Anhé Road Section 2, Da’an district), a dark yet welcoming bar with an extensive “library” of around 400 whiskies at any one time. The list changes regularly, and thousands of different expressions have been served since it opened in 2000.
Elsewhere in Asia, independent fine whisky bars are thinner on the ground than in Japan and Taiwan, but a number can be found in international hotels. Hyatt maintains good collections in several properties, including Brix at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, the Timber House at the Park Hyatt Seoul, and Chin Chin Bar at the Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong.
In Thailand, the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok’s Bamboo Bar is noted for its collection, while the Chinnery at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong was a pioneer in promoting single malts here. Its gentleman’s club atmosphere and “whisky wall” make it a pleasant place for a quiet dram.
Hong Kong’s longest whisky list is to be found at Safe Bubbles and Malt (facebook.com/safebubblesandmalt), which serves more than 1,000, mostly from Scotland and Japan, with many rare bottles that are generally no longer commercially available. “People come here to enjoy whisky but also to learn,” says whisky consultant Eric Huang, who curates the collection. “Maybe you like a particular whisky but you haven’t tried it from the 1960s or ’70s, or even earlier.”
Singapore has two particularly noteworthy bars – the Auld Alliance (theauldalliance.sg) and La Maison du Whisky (whisky.sg). The latter is a branch of the famous Paris emporium; the former, at the Rendezvous hotel, boasts one of Asia’s largest collections (about 1,500).
There are bars dedicated to other drinks, but no other spirit offers quite the same breadth of choice. In the words of Hong Kong-based wine and spirits educator Ron Taylor: “You can have 400 whiskies in a bar. You can’t do that with vodka – or it would be pretty boring if you did. Whisky has got cachet. There’s a lot of history behind it, but primarily I think single malt whiskies, along with top-end rums, are the most complex spirits out there.”
