Inside Asia’s Largest Whisky Bar

(Read the article at Luxpresso.com here)

A few months ago Singapore saw the opening of the Quaich Bar at Resorts World Sentosa. The two-storey bar is spread over 8,000 square feet and has the title of ‘Asia’s Largest Whisky Bar’ firmly tucked under its belt. It’s no wonder then that this is one place whisky lovers are making a beeline for. I asked CEO Chua Khoon Hui for a low down on all that this whisky heaven has to offer (for Luxpresso.com).

 The Labels:

The whisky list at the Quaich Bar covers 1,000 labels! In quantity and quality, the range here is remarkable, with over 95% of the whiskies from Scotland and the rest from Wales, Japan, India, America and South Africa. The bar stocks the classic everyday tipples as well as those incredibly rare ones that connoisseurs would give an arm and leg for, like the Bowmore 1964 Fino Sherry. The oldest Bowmore, a 1957, in a similar crystal bottle, was very recently sold at the Scottish distillery for GBP100,000. The ’64 is the second oldest Bowmore to be released and can be savoured at the bar for S$68,000. Of the 72 bottles produced, Quaich Bar holds the prized bottle numbers 1, 2 and 3.

Master Blender Experience:

For those who are new to the world of whisky, the Master Blending Experience is the perfect introduction. Participants are guided through a tasting of 12 different styles of whiskies taken from different distilleries, and from a variety of casks type. They then get to blend these according to their preferences. Each personal blend is recorded in the database so that guests can ask for it each time they visit.

The Singapore Blend:

There’s a special whisky blend available which was created by CEO of Quaich Bar, Chua Khoon Hui and Nicholas Fang, a whisky lover, a former Singapore national fencer, and currently a nominated Member of Parliament. The Singapore Blend can be purchased in a 60ml miniature bottle, 200ml small bottle, or the 500ml bottle. Tasting notes: Tropical fruits with hints of sea influence. Sweet and creamy on the palate at first, and ends with a lingering salty finish.

The Specials:

Monthly promotions at the bar feature different whiskies. This February, the limelight is on Springbank, the oldest family owned distillery in Scotland, and the most hand crafted whisky in Scotland. Springbank is a small distillery, but is constantly ranked top 5 as the most traded whiskies in auctions.  It is also the only distillery in Scotland to produce its whiskies entirely in the distillery, from 100% floor malting to bottling.

Cigar Lounge:

For connoisseurs the only marriages made in heaven are that of single malt with a cigar. The Quaich Bar has about 100 different cigars, from the popular Cohiba and Montecristos, to limited editions vintage cigars.

Golden Cask Lounge:

On the second storey is the more private Golden Cask Lounge for the serious aficionados. The exclusive Archive Bar are for those who value rare and vintage whiskies and are willing to pay for the finer things in life. There’s even a private club called the Golden Cask Order where membership is by invite alone. Members of the Order are privy to a host of benefits including exclusive tastings and personal meetings with visiting producers.

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