Advice from a top whisky collector: Don’t buy spirits you haven’t tried before
Listening to Garreth Anwar expound the finer details of cask-ageing and whisky regional styles is similar listening to a whisky maker himself. Except the human isn't. The 28-twelvemonth-old Chinese Indonesian, who grew up in Jakarta before moving to Los Angeles in the belatedly 1990s, works in the finance manufacture, and splits his time between Hong Kong and Singapore. He reckons his whisky collection numbers "somewhere in the thousands".
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"I tin't compete with my dad'southward wine collection, so I decided to collect whiskies," he quipped. Wine, however, was what led him to whisky in the showtime place. During his higher years, he was into wine appreciation, a pursuit influenced by his wine-loving father. He shortly realised that whiskies could be kept for a long time even after they were opened, and also easily stored without a chiller. "I didn't have to terminate [the whisky] all past myself in one sitting," he added.
He began exploring Japanese whiskies – this was in the 2000s, earlier they became highly coveted – and then moved on to Scotch, developing a liking for unmarried malts. Eventually, he looked at auctions in Los Angeles and Hong Kong to acquire rare whiskies for personal consumption and investments. The oldest whisky he has in his drove is a John Walker Masters' Edition 50 Twelvemonth Old, a blend of whiskies from six distilleries.
In recent years, Anwar has been collecting rare editions from Port Ellen, a shuttered distillery known for its smoky whiskies; a manner that he enjoys. "The smokiness adds another dimension to the whisky," he said. "In that location's this progression in your mouth, from the sweetness in the beginning, to the smokiness at the stop."
His favourite Port Ellen is the 1978 equally it offers "a deep flavour profile". The whisky is the 16th edition of a special release serial from Diageo, the drinks giant that owns the distillery. Anwar has the unabridged serial – the 1st to the 17th edition – a collection he caused through Diageo equally a Diageo Private Client customer.
Launched in 2018, Diageo Private Client is a service that gives whisky lovers access to rare whiskies from Diageo's portfolio, which includes those from Caol Ila and Lagavulin distilleries in Islay, and Brora, a shuttered distillery due to reopen in 2022 (a highly anticipated event by fans of this make). Customers can social club from events organised past Diageo or at the Diageo Private Client suite in the company'southward office on George Street.
Diageo Private Client likewise offers Casks of Stardom, a programme that lets you own a cask of whisky selected by Diageo's chief blenders. From a sampling session, you pick a cask that y'all like, after which you lot accept upwardly to v years to canteen it.
Anwar volition exist bottling his very first cask of Caol Ila 1997 in February 2022 via the Casks of Stardom option. "This Caol Ila has been aged in a first-fill sherry cask, so it has a nice balance of circuitous flavours: Yous get the sweetness [from the sherry], some woody notes on the mid-palate, and the smoky finish of Islay," he said.
For those who are new to whisky, Anwar suggests starting with sweeter whiskies, before trying the smoky or peaty ones from Islay. "Generally, the ones from the Highlands region offer the sweeter styles – the easiest to drink. The Lowlands region offers something calorie-free and aromatic, while those from Speyside are a little spicier and woodier. And so the Islay ones would give you the smoky flavours," he said. "But yous can try the different types all at in one case and figure out which is your favourite. Whisky enjoyment is very personal."
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He cautions against buying – every bit well as investing in – whiskies you haven't tried before. "Don't buy it for the sake of the brand or how old it is. Just because it has an historic period argument doesn't mean information technology should have a high cost. Some of the ones I really enjoyed are actually less than 20 years old," he said. "If you purchase a big amount of whiskies purely as an investment or financial goal, it may be difficult to offload such a quantity. I'm lucky I bought the ones that I enjoyed drinking."
Gathering like-minded friends is another way to deepen your whisky appreciation. Anwar runs a group chosen Abbott Whisky, an informal club of friends and family unit members who take a dear for the dram. "Nosotros pool our money to buy [the spirits]. They besides trust me to selection unique whiskies such equally express editions," he said. "A big cask can produce 400 bottles – that's a lot to drink in my lifetime. At the end of the day, whisky enjoyment is about sharing."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/how-to-start-a-whisky-collection-177001
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