Western spirits currently account for around 2 percent of the Chinese alcohol market. In a country where baijiu and other local spirits dominate, however, cognac and whisky have been making headway in the people’s hearts and minds. Hoping to capitalize on this, Drinks99, a company which specializes in introducing high-quality spirits to China, is in the process of bringing over a fresh brand.
The English Whisky Co., based in rural Norfolk, England, is the first distillery to make single malt in ol’ Albion in over a century. Set up by local Andrew Nelstrop and his father James in 2006, it’s a place totally devoid of computers, screens, LEDs or anything remotely “technical.” As opposed to the ubiquitous Johnnie Walker, Jameson and Glenfiddich with their NASA-sized hangers, the British business wants to maintain a much more hands-on approach.
After just a few years, the company can already boast a catalogue of prestigious whisky accolades, including IWS certification, a place in Buxton’s 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die and a Liquid Gold Award in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Clearly, they’re doing something right.
Part of that may be that the Nelstrops leave nature alone to do its stuff as much as possible. For instance, they don’t add artificial coloring to their whisky, a common practice with many well-known brands that has arisen from the misleading images of executives knocking back mahogany-colored liquor. Unless it’s been left in the oak (or sometimes sherry) casks for a very long time, whisky is hardly ever dark brown when ready to bottle.
During my flying visit to the headquarters, Nelstrop tells me he doesn’t believe there’s any one approach to drinking whisky, no matter if "you wanna add loads of coke, green tea, whatever. It's total snobbery to say you must drink it this way or that way." For those that want to savor the undiluted taste, however, it’s best to avoid mixers or ice; the latter will chill the whisky, preventing the bouquet from being fully released.
One of English Whisky’s most popular beverages for the more finely tuned palate is the Peated option from the Black Range. It's whisky that contains barley smoked over burning peat – that brownish, muddy matter that’s found on boggy ground and in Irish poetry. Given the fact that smoking of the barley is done early on in the whole process, it’s remarkable to think it stays in the flavor right through until bottling, a process that’s done by hand at the distillery.
“English Whisky bottle on average 200 to 400 each distillation,” notes Drinks99 co-founder Daniel O'Connor, “and if you compare that to the 5,000 a day the big companies are doing, it really is an exclusive product.”
// English Whisky is available at Loft Bar, Mandarin Oriental, 389 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区天河路389路文华东方 (020-3808 8888, www.drinks99.com)
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