If there were any doubts that Singapore is firmly on the world’s whisky radar, then this should dispel them.
Woodford Reserve has announced that it will make a whisky just for Singapore. For a tiny dot in the middle of the South China Sea, this is quite the achievement!
Riding the Derby
For those unfamiliar with Woodford Reserve, it is a highly respected bourbon maker, noted for its small-batch whiskey. While relatively young- it launched in 1996- it has caught the world’s eye.
While part of that fame comes from sponsoring the annual Kentucky Derby, from whence the Mint Julep was popularised, the bourbon itself is quite excellent indeed. We took a quick look to get acquainted with the “base” of the distillery’s spirits.
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Nose: Gentle notes of vanilla and wood. We smell pine and cedar, but they’re soft and inviting, not harsh. There’s quite a bit of honey, dried orange, and we get black pepper and clove as well.
Palate: Fairly sweet. We get rich, thick honey, followed by ginger notes. Plenty of orange and cocoa, oats and green pine.
Finish: A mild spiciness, for a bourbon. There’s still a good helping of clove and pepper
Overall, we find it elegant, refined and nuanced, yet still presenting rich, delicious flavours. As the “basic” bourbon in Woodford Reserve’s lineup it acquits itself very well.
Selecting for Singapore
Now, Woodford has experimented with personalised whisky before. Master Distiller Chris Morris introduced the Woodford Reserve Personal Selection in 2003s, and even today, discerning consumers can buy a barrel of bourbon made to their taste.
Now, this has been going on for a while, but there aren’t that many barrels of personalised bourbon running out there; Morris admits there is far more demand than supply. The work of personalisation is quite involved and labour intensive, requiring the personal attention of the blenders at Woodford.
The client, too, pays an important role. To personalise the bourbon, one can fly to Kentucky and pick out four casks of bourbon. The nascent bourbons within will then be batched into a sextet of two-barrel combinations, and one then chooses their favourite of the lot to be bottled.
If the flight to Kentucky seems impractical, one can also have Woodford Reserve send to them a set of three two-barrel-combination samples with different flavour profiles. One can then select the sample which suits one’s taste, and Woodford will then create a bourbon with a similar taste profile for bottling.
In either case, after waiting 24 weeks, the lucky client will then receive the finished products, complete with the client’s name on the bottles (180 1 litre bottles of Woodford Reserve Bourbon Personal Selection, or 240 750ml bottles of 750ml of Rye Personal Selection or Double Oaked Personal Selection).
Well, what has that to do with the Singapore selection?
Choices, Choices, Choices
Well, we didn’t get to fly to Kentucky, but along with other writers and bartenders, we got to perform the second selection process.
Our three samples were:
Batch A: A heavy nose of pine and spice, with some sweet grain notes. The liquid was rich, starts with a good dose of tannins, green spice and pine which sweetens to a lighter maltiness. There’s substantial vanilla and dried cranberry in it, as well.
Batch B: The nose is also heavy on pine and spice but there was also caramel, popcorn and honey, with a nice helping of orange peel for good measure. Compared to A, the palate was sweeter, but also sharper. There was a strong citrus, vanilla, honey and sweet black tea, with a finish of light spice, pine and pepper.
Batch C: A nose that was strong on pine and green notes. We found it quite peppery and dry, with a bare amount of sweetness. Despite all that, we found chocolate and cream in it as well.
Well, our personal pick was Batch B, and the luminaries present largely seemed to agree- though the vote was certainly not unanimous.
Coming Soon (TM)
Sample B will be the base for Woodford Reserve’s selection, and we can expect a similarly flavourful, fruity bourbon to arrive in Singapore in January 2020, with the name “Singapore”.
While we do cringe slightly at the profoundly literal naming, on reflection, nothing could be more Singaporean.
Echoes of the “Budget Terminal” naming exercise abound- in which the folks at Changi put the new name of a new airport terminal meant for budget airlines up for public suggestions…and the judging committee chose “Budget Terminal”. If you can think of other names, we’ll be happy to hear your suggestions.
Still, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. What matters most, in the end, is the liquid in the bottle, and if the final product is anything like what we selected, then there’s plenty to look forward to.
We’ll be sure to let you know when they finally reach our sunny shores. They’ll be available at Malt & Wine Asia.
