Lagavulin 16 year old (OB, 43%, 70cl) at Obervatory Hotel

It was a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon before the mid year holiday ends; Me, Susan and Will were marching down to the Observatory Hotel located near The Rock. It was a farewell High Tea for Kevin, our university friend who is going back to Hong Kong after the graduation. It is a delicate, boutique style like Hotel and so was its restaurant.

As I have promised Kevin, I drew out two Romeo Y Julieta No.2 from my pocket and handed one over to him. We have enjoyed the Cuban cigar while chatting about its history and flavours. I must say that puffing into the clear sky, smelling the aromas of burnt Cuban tobacco with a couple of good friends couldn’t have been anymore enjoyable. What I like about No.2 is that it doesn’t leave too much bitterness in mouth, but still gave me that fine crafted tobacco of Cuban.

The whisky I enjoyed in the Observatory Hotel bar (after smoking the cigar) offered by Kevin was Lagavulin 16 year old. I must say that there were a trace of tobacco remained in my mouth but I have rinsed it enough to clear off as much flavours as possible.

Taste Note
Colour: Deep golden
Aromas: Peat, salty and medicinal embrace by creaminess, trace of sweet from sherry
Palate: Sweet at start; followed by peat and smokiness and finished with punch of saltiness, oily and chewy. Medium-bodied
Finish: Lingering of saltiness and peat, medium long finish, dry
Comment: A surprisingly smooth Islay dram, very easy to drink. Peat is not too heavy on its own and also well balanced.

Kevin and other friends were watching me mysteriously trying to figure out what I was doing while I took photos of the drink and dropping notes down on the tissue paper borrowed from the waitress. I have tasted Lagavulin 16 year old before but have never surprised me as much as today. Was it because of the cigar I just had before the dram? Or was it due to the mythical flavours induced to "this glass" by the farewell emotions to our beloved friend who is about to leave us?

Scapa 14 year old (OB, 40%, 1L)

As night approaches I am again, staring at my whisky shelf thinking, hm... which one of you should I re-visit tonight. It came across to my mind that Scapa 14 year old had a wonderful honey note the last time I try it; I am keen to know if it still expresses the same way after a couple weeks of time.

Located in one of the most remote island of Scotland, Scapa distillery was built on the shore of Scapa Flow near the town of Kirkwall (The Mainland of Orkney). It is apparently one of the only two distilleries who still survive on the Orkney Island (apart from Highland Park). A rather small distillery, Scapa consists only two stills and produces only 40,000 gallons a year (660,000 gallons by Highland Park).

Scapa was founded in 1885 and built by John Townsend. Alfred Barnard (a British brewing and distilling historian) described that it's "one of the most complete little distilleries in the Kingdom". Scapa was closed for mothball reason at 1994 and was re-opened again a decade later. It is certainly a more of a boutique style distillery that produces only whisky in small volume. It is not surprised that Scapa whiskies expresses a bit of sea salt flavour due to its geographic location.

Scapa 14 year old was first released as the replacement of the 12 year old version. I have read an article somewhere saying that the 14 year old is now being replaced by the 16 year old version; though I don't see any sign of this.

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Taste Note
Colour: Golden Honey
Aromas: Dominate by strong sense of money and embraced by butter scotch. Hint of orange and heather. Clean
Palate: butter scotch, malty, honey, and dark chocolate at end
After taste: salty, smoky and trace of spiciness, short and clean
Comment: very easy to drink, very distinctive and dominant honey notes on aromas and palate

To all whisky lovers

I guess there is no one formate to start the blog,

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here is mine...

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I am a whisky advocate and to explore the world of whisky is one of my great loves; it's mysterious and immense. Derived from the Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic, the word whisky orginally means "the water of life". The history of whisky can be traced back as early as Middle Ages where myths and fairy tales were told, it is not difficult to imaging that many legendary stories exist in the whisky history.

I wish to share my experience as well as my passion to anyone who showed similar interest...



here we go...

My world of whisky