What kind of whiskey do Chinese people like best?

In June, I and a few friends together to Scotland, about ten days, visited nearly twenty wineries. This is the best season to see Scotland winery, in May when the cold has not disappeared, you have to carry the luggage down jacket, mobility, fat; 7, August summer vacation accommodation, tickets expensive do not say, too many people, many wineries will give - and seems to domestic counterparts and wine my idea is the same, so we encounter different times in the local wine, whiskey bar owner and severe whiskey lovers.

Still not counting the Chinese practitioners who have not met, but have known through their circle of friends that he is already here. This scene, like a Bordeaux ten years ago, five years ago, Burgundy, can let a person suspect is the local industry association opened a charter, the relationship between the China with imported wine people back.

The smell of profit is the most sensitive of the businessmen, and the smell of profit is the fastest. Therefore, whiskey is becoming more and more popular in china. According to the latest customs data of China's imported wine, the total import volume of whisky in the first half of 2017 was 7 million 730 thousand liters, an increase of 11.2%.

Whiskey from Britain is the absolute big head, accounting for 85.5% of the total imports, while in the drinking circle of the huge Japanese whiskey, its imports only a fraction of the United kingdom. This brings us to a serious question: what kind of whiskey do Chinese people like? And the answer is obvious - blended whiskey.

In a whiskey drink a mouthful of drink, compared with Islay and Sbeise have similarities and differences, the debate which is more suitable for the taste of the cigar collocation peat single malt whisky, nightclub in their Manyao bar in shaking dice cup, with ice, ice, and even Green Tea pulse, the whole do the whole cup cup blended whisky. The blended whisky giants such as Chivas, Johnnie Walker and Ballantine's have made great strides in this market, and have paid a lot of fees to get into these huge potential clubs.

According to customs data, the average price of imported Chinese whiskey is only 7.84 US dollars, which also confirms the strong performance of blended whisky with high performance price ratio.

But there is no need of single malt fans pessimistic, look next to the island of Taiwan. It is the world's only a single malt and blended whiskey flat sales market; with similar tastes and aesthetic, coupled with Taiwan on the mainland, domestic consumption proportion of fixed single malt whisky will the rising.

What's more, the proposition that "single malt whisky is superior to others" is not in itself. One reason is because the birth of blended whisky, nineteenth Century single malt flavor is rough, and the difference of the products is large, is not conducive to wine sales, so wine merchants to single malt spirits and rough and dull tone and grain whisky, whichever is the longer.

It is after this blended whisky birth, and was quickly accepted by the public, visa bogey before in the world market began to slowly erode and originally belonged to take cities and seize territory, the share of brandy. With the progress of brewing technology, and the understanding of wine gradually deepened, the single malt winery can do is stable and has its own specialty, but it is still with the blended whisky togetherin, complement each other.

Scotland country hotel will be equipped with their own bar, this is our winery visitor a drink after dinner every night will place. Here, you can see that even the Scots don't have a single malt. For them, a strong drink after dinner, then choose whiskey - as for single wheat or reconcile, that depends on the mood. In the town of Elgin (near GlenMoray and Glen Elgin two wineries) in a bar, I with a drinking whiskey aunt talk, she told me that his most love the whiskey is Ballantine's 17 years and Famous Grouse, if you want to drink a little heavy smoke wine, then choose the Johnnie Walker black label; single malt whisky, I'll let it go.

When I told her that a lot of Chinese first cup of Single Malt Whisky usually from Islay, she stared at me: "this is why? Oh, I think only Islay those farmers will love such a heavy taste. "

My first cup of single malt, also from Islay Rafg, taste is the place in Cai Hao's Restaurant (then still Youxuan, instead of good wine and Cai studio). Cai Hao was one of the first pioneers of popular single malt whisky in the country, and later was elected to the cup association because of the promotion of meritorious service. Will always be the first choice of peaty wine as the first single malt in the cup he provided to visitors, although it does not comply with the order of tasting from light to dense, but to achieve a better effect, the reason is that you could love, may not love, but in any case, in such a strong impact and you will remember the taste of it, and thus began a strong impression of single malt.

Peat whisky distillery

Many people have been so inspired, including myself, to fully understand the introduction of single malt whisky, most of the time I will pass each other a cup of wine taste heavy peat. So I can confidently say: "a lot of Chinese first cup of single malt is peat flavor. "

A lot of first contact with the peat people do not necessarily describe it out of its taste, only know that stocks Sao Sao smell. And more people, especially whiskey connoisseurs, will describe it as: the smell of disinfectant in the hospital. Each a whiskey peat flavor is different, some more like iodine peaty taste, in addition, which is similar to the horn pill is open.

It sounds strange, but tastes good, Haruki Murakami is to describe him and Islay peat whiskey Jieyuan: "first, what the hell is this? Second, a little strange, but not bad. Third, has become a whiskey fan. "

So many people go to find a peaty whisky to early adopters, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig of the Islay peat heavy Sanjie try like Octomore, peat monster, as well as island area Talisker that mixed with peat flavor salt. But drink to a certain extent, peat enthusiasts will now falter towards -- after all, so thick and heavy burden to the taste, the tongue is great, you will feel tired.

Then return to Scotch Whisky real hinterland, Sbeise, after all, here is a diverse style of whisky, and at the same time, you will never feel tired of the style, that is light sweet aroma.

This time I travel in Scotland, most of the time in the Speyside around here, winery intensive, a day around three or four, a variety of different styles of wine tasting. In such intense taste bombing, not only profound taste each wine characteristics, at the same time, gave me a deep impression, with each winery tested more and more products and market, producing different Scotch Whisky are tend to disappear.

Traditionally, Scotland each region has its own iconic features: low, extremely light flavor; Sbeise, fragrant flowers and fruits; high, strong flavor; Islay peat. But in the first Sbeise winery Tomintoul we visit, drink to their home 10 peat whisky distillery manager; Robert told us, now the annual operating winery, about a month's time will taste the wine production of peat, in order to meet the market demand for peat whiskey. In a group of prestigious drink Longmorn, we tasted its leading products: three barrels of wine mixed distillers of single malt, with bourbon barrels, barrels, barrels of wine Shirley PigHead has a very complex mixed flavor, has not quite like the traditional Sbeise fruit fragrance.

Scottish whisky, traditionally from the Internet

The original flavor is very light Glen Moray, started in the warehouse with Fino Shirley barrel, Sauternes, sweet white wine, Bordeaux French red Wine barrels, barrels of cider these uncommon experiments of barrel aging, hope to get more rich product line.

See a few extremely expensive Japanese water you cask I was at Strathisla warehouse. This is the Chivas blended whisky a special edition of products has been aging barrels, can bring the delicate tropical fruits and sandalwood scent for the wine, let the Scotch Whisky with Japanese style.

Although cannot go up to producing style whiskey features in writing and consumer education, will be less convenient, but when the single malt is becoming more and more rich, more and more to meet the diverse needs, this is not only a drink of happiness, but also it is possible to go beyond the blended whisky the opportunity.

What kind of people drink what kind of wine?

Liang Xin, writer

21 years of blended whiskey

700ml / price varies depending on Supply

Some people say that like to coordinate different solo instruments, produced a mixed whiskey is a higher sound art, 21 years is such a kind of "art", the use of more than ten kinds of malt and grain wine and a combination of rich flavor, with ripe fruit, caramel and honey, and incense long, in this year's international spirits challenge again harvest award. Recall the year after winning the Yamazaki demand, want to start, must as early as possible.

David Hong, bartender

Sugden Glenn Odeh 41 years of cellaring Limited Edition

700ml / 21200 yuan

As the brand so far the year the highest single malt whisky, singleton 41 years using the oldest winery a batch of wine, in addition to Shirley in the old oak barrels, in North America in the golden ratio of old, in addition, from the natural lake water near the winery, the winery and the spontaneous and dried malt this ancient craft to make this wine more mellow and fresh. What? Is the price of the 20 thousand piece a little scary? You know, it's only 600 bottles in the world.

Jasin, model

25 years of Scotland Single Malt Whisky

700ml / 9999 yuan

This wine is aged in the United States is to become an independent school, old Bourbon oak, then into the Shirley barrel with a history of twenty-five years, and in 1980 the Bourbon oak casks continue to aging, Potter finally from Portugal's final ripening, which is almost a taste whirlwind, you can the wine feel orange, truffles, liquorice, plum and currant flavors.

Sadyr Diouf, DJ, music producer

Single malt malt whisky

700ml / 800 yuan

Perhaps many people do not know that India also produces whiskey, even if you know, may also be suspected of India whiskey water source. This India whiskey will rewrite your stereotype of India whiskey. The Himalaya Range snow water from river irrigation basin under the barley brewing, small batch distillation, non condensing filter, color is very natural golden, smell aroma and dry pepper rich malt, honey flavor will conquer you in a moment of the entrance.

Cold collar, freelancer

25 years Glenlivet Single Malt Whisky

700ml / 4588 yuan

The unique flavor of the Glenlivet whisky has been produced in Speyside has: fragrant flower and fruit, so is the 25 single malt whisky, rich plum flavor and fruity characteristics is dominant, the wine liquid is brewing on the whiskey in 80s century, Shirley in barrels infected with nuts the smell of, at the same time, a wax seal and bottle produced batch numbers are on the packaging highlights.

Chen Xiaoxiao, photographer

31 years after Clay Gia Beh

750ml / price varies depending on Supply

This wine has attracted much attention because of the world's best single malt whisky in the 2017 WWA global whisky awards, and the prices of various channels have been very high. It uses fuel fire kiln dried malt, and the wine into a certain wine smell of sulfur, oil, full, strong taste. Want to buy it? Just see if you've done enough.

Author, photography, Mount Huangshan / editor, Wang cola, He Kun

Photography FOTO FACTORY / makeup hair wear

Illustration Pencil Bryan / Assistant He Guofeng

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Scotland

India

Japan

Chivas

Johnnie Walker