Part 12 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.
We returned to The Single Cask many times in Singapore; the first time was to check out the place (found in parts 1-4). However, the half dozen other trips, usually just for a dram, resulted from that great first experience. No doubt, the fact that we stayed half a block away for part of the visit and walked by Chijmes, the complex in which the bar sits, just about any time we left the hotel, also played a role.
Our last night there was emblematic of the heart and community shared through whisky. We stopped by the bar shortly after opening for one last hurrah before heading to Changi airport and our very late red-eye flight. We tasted the happy hour special flight, including the whisky below, and, over a couple hours, found ourselves with pours from regulars who happened to stop in with their own bottles and offered to share, adding social media friends and swapping more stories about travel and whisky. We never made it to all the bars or places were hoped to, but it is never bad to have a few good reasons to return again.
Distillery: Mannochmore
Bottler: The Single Cask
Region: Scotland/Speyside Single Malt
ABV: 54.5%. Cask strength.
Age: 9 years. Distilled on 12 Nov. 2012. Bottled on 7 July 2022.
Cask type: First fill Tawny Port Barrel. Cask 12486.
Price: $73/80ml flight of four whiskies at The Single Cask Singapore.
Nose: Sweet pickled plums, ume, with licorice, shiso leaf, anise, and hints of crème brûlée, raspberry coulis, jammier with time, a kiss of salt and citrus.
Palate: Full-bodied and thick with ume, leather, stewed stone fruits, baked peaches, cinnamon, floral sweet sakura cream, red cherries, touch of melon at the end, more cream over time or with water.
Finish: Medium to long and drying with concentrated fruits and more mellow hints of melon and leather.
Mental Image: Rhino Dressed as a Ballerina
Conclusion: Lovely and thick, the texture of this whisky enveloped the palate in a lovely warm blanket of fruits and subtle spices. Ume, or pickled plums, popped on the nose and the palate to give the whisky a beautiful tart and occasionally slightly salty quality. Time to rest, or a few drops of water, brought out more mellow cream and hints of sakura. The effect was an unctuous malt whose bold and subtle sides came through at different times. The casking played a central role; though oak remained a constant, it was never bitter or overly tannic. Much like the first malt in the tasting, it was a relatively simple affair, though with a touch more depth to it. I am not wild about heavy casking or port maturations, so if you are, this might have even more appeal, but I still enjoyed it.
Final Score: 81.
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 