Talk about the new whiskies I’ve recently tried
When it comes to whisky, Hong Kong drinkers mostly stick to Scotch or Japanese bottles. Beyond those two main countries, I was invited last week to a Premium Whisky Tasting in Tasmania, where about ten distilleries poured nearly 30 Tasmanian whiskies. Tasmania is an island south of mainland Australia and now hosts more than 60 distilleries. Its pure water and larger temperature swings during maturation—greater than Scotland’s—have become defining features of the region’s whisky style.
I tasted many expressions that day; the ones that left the deepest impressions were:
Old Kempton Distillery (Tasmania)
Old Kempton Single Malt — The Old Stables (40.5% ABV) is very approachable, with rich malt character accompanied by dried fruit and dried-flower notes. The pear-cask influence is clear and everything feels well balanced. This expression was finished in pear casks and also matured in Pinot Noir wine barrels, which is unusual.
Old Kempton Cask Strength — The Coachhouse (60% ABV) followed the Old Stables. The cask-strength version bursts with aromatic intensity: concentrated malt, chocolate, dried fruit and toffee—many complex layers—and a very long finish.
Hellyer’s Road Distillery (Tasmania)
Hellyer’s Road American Oak 20 Year Old Single Cask (52.8% ABV) — the 20‑year American‑oak single cask was presented in an eye‑catching wooden box. On the nose it shows fruit—Australian peach—and floral notes; on the palate it is full-bodied and the finish is very long. It’s rich yet elegant, more refined than a typical bourbon‑cask profile, thanks to high‑quality casks and long maturation (photo included). According to the distillery, over 90% of their stocks are aged 20 years or more in Australia, so it’s no surprise they can release multiple 20‑year expressions.
Lawrenny Estate Distillery (Tasmania)
Lawrenny Homestead Triple Cask Single Malt (41.5% ABV) uses American and French casks and offers tropical fruit and floral aromas. It’s very easy to drink; beyond the fruit you can sense sherry‑cask caramel and later cherry/red‑fruit notes from the bourbon cask (photo included). Lawrenny is the island’s only distillery that grows its own barley and is one of the few single‑malt producers in the world that controls the process from its own fields to the bottle. The distillery is very new but clearly carving its own path rather than copying Scottish styles. The founder told me Lawrenny has already launched in Taiwan and will appear in select high‑end APITA stores in Hong Kong before Christmas—definitely one to watch.
Beyond Tasmanian whisky, I also joined the HKTDC International Wine & Spirits Fair trade tour last week. After last year’s reduction in spirits duty, Chinese producers have been very active at trade shows, promoting local spirits including baijiu, sauce‑aroma baijiu, and huangjiu. An interesting example is Tsingtao: while many know the brewery for beer, Tsingtao has also launched a whisky brand. In 2022 they entered a new phase, aiming to create high‑quality Chinese whisky. At the HKTDC fair they poured several expressions—sherry cask, bourbon cask, and Mongolian oak (the Japanese term is Mizunara). I tried Tsingtao’s single malt and was pleasantly surprised: very approachable, with the pear‑cask character Hong Kong drinkers like and a fragrant oak presence. Reportedly it won gold in the spirits (whisky) category at the 2024 Frankfurt International Spirits Competition.
Speaking with Tsingtao’s whisky marketing rep, they said the distillery now offers guided tours by appointment in Qingdao, making it one of the closest whisky‑tour options to Hong Kong. Tsingtao also plans to launch in Hong Kong next year.
講威士忌，香港酒友最主流喝的都是蘇格蘭 或 日本威士忌，除了這兩個主流國家，上星期應邀到業界塔斯文尼亞 (Tasmania) 舉辦的 Premium Whisky Tasting, 當中有大约 10間酒廠，接近 30 款塔斯文尼亞威士忌酒款試飲，塔斯馬尼亞是位於澳洲南面一塊島嶼, 目前有超過60個蒸餾廠. 水質純淨, 、熟成時有著比蘇格蘭更大的溫差變化，成為此地的製酒特色。(有圖)
本人當天試飲了在場酒廠多款威士忌酒款, 以下其中較深刻
Old Kempton Distillery (Tasmania)
Old Kempton single malt whisky the old stables 40.5% A.b.v 是一款易入口, 濃郁的麥芽味道 , 伴隨著乾果同乾花香. 雪梨桶味,各方面好協調。這款酒用了雪梨桶, 還有黑皮諾葡萄酒桶(Pinot Noir) 熟成 ,很特別.
Old Kempton Cask Strength Whisky The Coachhouse 60% A.b.v. 試完前一款the old stables 後, 再試這一款原酒 , 能感到芳香撲鼻香氣, 入口濃郁的麥芽味道 , 朱古力, 水果乾, 太妃糖味 好多層次複雜, 餘韻極長. (有圖)
Hellyer’s Road Distillery (Tasmania)
Hellyer’s Road American Oak 20 Year Old Single Cask 52.8% A.b.v. 試了它的 20 年美國波本橡木桶, 酒木盒包裝精美, 十分吸睛. 從Nose有水果味, 澳洲桃, 花香味, 入口威士忌醇厚, 餘韻極長, 味道濃郁但優雅. 比起一般傳統美國桶更優雅, 來自優質木桶及陳年熟成. (有圖)
翻查酒廠資料, Hellyer’s Road Distillery 原來擁有超過九成以上在澳洲20年以上陳年威士忌, 難怪酒廠可以出產多款20年以上威士忌.
Lawrenny Estate Distillery (Tasmania)
Lawrenny Estate Distillery Homestead Triple Cask Single Malt whisky 41.5%
這款酒用上了美國及法國桶, 有熱帶水果及花香氣. 好易入口, 除了水果味, 也可以感受雪莉桶的焦糖味，波本桶隨後的櫻桃紅果味。 (有圖)
Lawrenny Distillery 是全島唯一使用自種大麥的酒廠，亦是世界上少數僅有從自家麥田到瓶子的單一麥芽威士忌酒廠. 此蒸餾廠非常新，但明顯有走出自己的路而不是複製貼上蘇格蘭威士忌，蒸餾廠負責人說台灣已推出, 香港今年聖誕節前也會在一些高級百貨超市 APITA 推出, 值得期待。
除了塔斯文尼亞威士忌, 另外上星期也参加了香港貿發局國際美酒展業界導賞團. 在去年減免烈酒稅加持下, 大家可見在各大酒展, 不乏各中國酒廠大推中國烈酒, 包括中國白酒 , 醬香型白酒及黃酒等
有趣的是青島啤酒, 大家可能聽過也飲過. 但其實除左啤酒, 青島酒廠也有出威士忌品牌. 係2022年, 進入了全新的时代，打造了中國人自己的高品質威士忌. 青島酒廠在貿發局國際美酒展, 安排了其中幾款威士忌試飲. 包括有雪莉威士忌 (sherry cask),波本桶 (Bourbon cask) 及 蒙古檪橡木桶 (日本出產的叫水楢木桶 Mizunara cask). 個人試了它的青島單一麥芽威士忌, 有驚喜, 好易入口, 是港人喜歡的雪梨木桶,木桶味好香. 據報在2024法蘭克福國際大獎賽, 榮獲金獎大賽烈酒(威士忌)類別最佳酒款 (有圖)
同青島威士忌營銷代表閒談, 他們現在青島也有提供威士忌廠導賞團, 可供客人預約參觀, 可算是距離香港最近之一. 青島威士忌也表示計劃明年在港推出.
