Part 4 of Reviews from The Single Cask Singapore
Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Singapore is one of my favorite places to visit, and I leapt at the chance to finally return again during my summer conference schedule. I resolved to do a bit more whisky tasting while I was in the country and use my extended stay to drop by new places and meet new people.
One of the bars I was recommended a few times was the Single Cask, an antipodean outpost of the UK-based bottler. The cozy bar and shop sit right inside the historic Chjmes complex, the main chapel of which was the filming location for the wedding scene in Crazy Rich Asians. The owners and staff were amiable, generous, and ready to talk whisky or soccer with anyone.
We visited right when they opened to avoid the evening crowds that show up when the air cools, and people venture out for dinner and fun. We mostly let the knowledgeable crew pick out the flight for us after they asked about what we liked and what we had had before. Hard to argue with their selections— all the whiskies below were quality, and a few were absolute standouts. We will no doubt be back, perhaps taking advantage of their set Happy Hour flights next time!
Distillery: Tobermory Ledaig
Bottler: The Single Cask Ltd.
Region: Scotland/Island Single Malt
ABV: 58.9%. Cask strength.
Age: 10 years. Distilled on 23 Oct. 2010. Bottled on 27 Oct. 2020.
Cask type: First-fill Oloroso Hogshead Finish
Price: $16/20ml at The Single Cask Singapore.
Nose: Caramel and nougat surfed in on a wave of smoked caramel with hints of chrysanthemum tea, gradually sweet cured Mears joined with tobacco smoke, hints of menthol, the dry fallen leaves and sweet decay of Autumn, maritime salt and iodine.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, salted caramel with a sweet ribbon of smoke, red fruits, grilled peaches, maritime and salty toward the end, artificial cherries and medicinal herbs, iodine and medicinal antiseptic funk at the end.
Finish: Medium to long with salted caramel, smoked salt, and sweet peppers.
Mental Image: Salted Caramels by the Sea
Conclusion: The flavor evolution of this whisky was excellent, with caramel holding court at first before smoke and grill char gradually came forward. Rich and full-bodied, the gradual reveal of additional complexity offered up maritime iodine, medicinal cherry, and, increasingly, medicinal herbs. I was a touch hesitant at first to include this in our tasting lineup at the Single Cask, the missus has not always been a massive fan of sherried Ledaig, but once the fine folks there opened the bottle and let us have a teasing sniff, she was ready to commit.
My initial impression was not great— caramel and nougat seemed to roar over and dominate in a rich but pedestrian manner. But every time I returned to the whisky, something new stood out— it was the sort of slow reveal of character worthy of the greatest RomCom in which your first impression of a character turns out to have been shallow and ill-formed. That is, of course, a trope of Rom Coms; I am less used to the slow reveal on whiskies— at least for a single glass.
The missus thought the whisky was beautiful and rated it 9/10 on her mental scale. She was insistent that grilled snail was a note on this whisky, and while I have never had such a thing if it tasted anything like this, I certainly look forward to eating it!
Final Score: 86.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 