Show whisky some respect

If you’re offered whisky, you just upend the bottle (or the glass if your host is being fussy) and gulp it back, right? No, no, no. For Heaven’s sake, show a little class. Fortunately, the “global brand ambassador” of Scotland’s Glenlivet whiskey was in Bangkok last week to impart some finesse.
Darren Hosie broke out the travelling tippler’s kit (though not a kilt) at Whisgars Ploenchit, sharing tips on how to enhance your whisky-drinking experience.
    What you have with “The Glenlivet”, as it’s reverently called, is “the single malt that started it all”. The first batch magically appeared 200 years in a town named Glenlivet up in the hills of Scottish Speyside. One must say “magically”, because distilling whiskey was illegal at the time. But this stuff was extraordinary, so much so that England’s King George IV requested a taste while on a state visit to Edinburgh.
The royal palate was pleased and the royal nod given. The Glenlivet went on to become not only the favourite single malt of George IV’s distant descendant Prince Charles (might as well mention such celebrities as Frank Sinatra and Michael Jordan), but also America’s biggest-selling single malt and the world’s second-biggest seller.
    “Single malt” means the whisky is produced at a single distillery and solely with malted barley, Hosie explained at Whisgars as an uncommon thirst rose among the crowd. In Scotland you’ve got the whiskies of Speyside, Islay, Campbelltown and the Highlands and Lowlands, each offering its own unique taste and character.
To properly get at that taste and character, Hosie said, you first need the right glass. It makes a big difference when it comes to touch, taste and smell. Single malt is best enjoyed in a “tulip-shaped” glass – bulbous at the base and tapering out at the top from a “neck” – so you can swirl it around without fear of spilling a drop. And the aroma is “focused” at the neck.
Yes, the best way to enjoy single malt is the same way you enjoy wine. Pour a little in the glass and breathe in the fragrance. Then take a sip, just enough to coat your tongue. Swirl the whiskey in your mouth. Swallow while letting in air via mouth and nose. The tongue gets a proper reading of the sweet smoothness from first sip to last and on to the aftertaste.
    Now pour another shot and add a few drops of water to further smoothen and enhance the flavour. The water lifts the aroma as well. Some aficionados like it on the rocks, creating the same effect. Cup your hands around the glass to warm the whisky, which intensifies the scent even more.
    Having heard someplace that it’s unwise to drink on an empty stomach, we asked what food goes best with the Glenlivet. Hosie digressed somewhat by pointing out that single malt is best enjoyed with a cigar, but allowing that a cigar isn’t precisely “food”, he said healthier accompaniments might include fresh pears, pineapple and cherries, or even dark chocolate and fruitcake.
    Hosie was keener to point out that, contrary to popular belief, you can’t tell the age of whisky by its colour. “Don’t let anyone fool you into believing that the darker the colour, the older the whisky.
“The colour depends of the type of casks in which the whisky matured. Naturally, sherry casks give it a deeper, darker colour, while bourbon casks tend to make the whisky golden brown. Each type of cask gives off different characteristics, too. If you want to gauge the age of a whisky, one way is to have a sip. Older whiskies tend to be mellower and more complex.”
    At long last, and with what might have been the Scottish national anthem piping in the background, Whisgars patrons got to taste the four main Glenlivet labels. We sampled the vivaciously spiced 12 Year Old, the well-rounded 15 Year Old matured in French oak, the rich and honeyed 18 Year Old, and finally the 21 Year Old, which has won multiple awards thanks in part, no doubt, to its long, sweet finish.


To your health
Find out more about fine boozing at www.TheGlenlivet.com.