Single or blended whisky? What’s in an age? Hong Kong expert distils myths
Drinks consultant and trainer Eddie Nara breaks down misconceptions about whisky and reveals what type Hongkongers seem to love most
Despite Hong Kong’s dynamic drinks scene, there are still two big misconceptions when it comes to whisky, says Eddie Nara, Asia’s first Certified Spirits Educator licensed by the Society of Wine Educators.
“The first one is the age statement. I don’t think it’s just Hong Kong, but a lot of people think the higher the age statement, the better it is,” Nara explains.
“It’s more complex than that. Even the difference between a 10-year-old and an 11-year-old is worlds different depending on the cask, the label and where it’s from.”
The second is the perception of single malt whiskies being superior to blended – a combination of two or more types of whiskies, which can even be from different distilleries.
“Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Ballantine’s, these are blended whiskies. [By law], you have to use the word ‘blended’ when it is, but when people see the word ‘single’, they think that’s better.
“That’s why when I do tastings, I’ll have four or five samples of whisky with one of them blended. I let the participants do a blind taste test, and the funny thing is, when I ask them which one their favourite is, people almost always pick the blended one.