I recently found myself returning to the comforting embrace of Samsu Huay Kuan (三蒸會館), a snug specialty spirits bar sitting in a quiet corner of Concorde Hotel Singapore. I like this place because it offers a quiet setting amid the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, a space with good spirits and where the chatter is subdued enough to allow for light conversation.

Word around town was that they had recently introduced a fresh line-up of bottles from Blackadder – a well-known Scotch whisky independent bottler that focuses on unfiltered single cask whiskies. For those unfamiliar, the owner of the bar is Interco-MLE which is also the official distributor for Blackadder in Singapore. As a whisky enthusiast, I felt it was almost my duty to give them a try.

Here's a 10-year-old Auchroisk, from a relatively younger Scotch distillery that was established in 1974,. Worrying that the Gaelic name of the distillery would trip you up (it’s “awr-thrusk”, by the way), in 1986, the owners rebranded their whisky as "The Singleton", before changing their minds in 2008 and reclaiming its original name.

The distillery was originally established to provide malt whisky for the popular J&B blend. After all, many distilleries founded in that period were workhorse distilleries, focused only on the thriving blended Scotch industry. Unlike these distilleries, Auchroisk was one of the earliest distilleries to wade into bottling single malts in 1978.

The typical Auchroisk is said to be light, aromatic, floral and citrusy. Some drinkers even describe Auchroisk as the Chablis of whiskies – because like Chablis wine, Auchroisk single malts often carry a crisp and distinct mineral-driven character.

Let’s give this a taste.

2008 Auchroisk 10 Years Old Single Malt, Blackadder, 46% ABV – Review

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Fresh and crisp. Opens with an interesting blend of sweet earthiness and caramel, with prominent minerality and petrichor coming through, melding with a pleasant biscuity-earthy clay note. It really evokes memories of wet clay, the sort I experienced while throwing pottery. Rounded off by the comforting aroma of brown sugar cookies.

Palate: Clean, crisp and sweet, with bright caramel and honey notes taking the lead. There's a light candle wax aroma that emerges, and as it unfolds, notes of brown sugar as well as that minerality making its presence known. There’s not a lot going on but palate unfolds very smoothly and gently, with barely any sting from the alcohol.

Finish: Clean and short. It leaves you with the same light waxiness, fading into the soft bitterness of grapefruits (finally some fruits) and a hint of herbs.

My Thoughts:

🥂 Clean, refreshing and austere. The Chablis of whiskies indeed!

This is a fantastic 10-year-old Scotch. It’s strikingly refreshing – a light body, subtle sweetness, a unique minerality and just some grapefruits peeking in right at the end.

This one’s especially appealing if you're in the mood to step away from the more typical scotch flavours, and fancy a palate adventure that's just a touch different. Solid stuff.

@CharsiuCharlie