for the rest of my Whisky Journey 2020 posts, do check out the collection label here.
Whisky Journey 2020 was so well-received by the community (and enthusiastic travellers) that as things turned out, some of the bars actually ended up running out of stock of a few of their offerings during this period. it wasn't an ideal situation to have happened, but it was also a good testimony in itself of the level of interest surrounding the event. more importantly, it was also a great sign of customer service to see how well this little snafu was managed by those bars, such as the approach taken by Grace from The Cooperage.
like most of my planned routes for Whisky Journey, i had called a few days in advance to make reservations for The Cooperage, so it didn't come as too much of a surprise to later receive a call from them on the morning of my slot to confirm the reservation. Grace (who had taken my initial reservation) informed me that unfortunately the bar had run out of the Cù Bòcan Signature which was their free pour for Whisky Journey, and that she would be expecting a new delivery to arrive later that afternoon but there was a risk that it wouldn't be before the timing of my reservation. i had the option of cancelling the reservation to come back another time, or to drop by to try the other bottles and come back another time for the free pour. in the end, i picked the latter and decided to check out the other two Cù Bòcan creations available, a decision i don't regret.
for Whisky Journey 2020, The Cooperage offers a selection of three whiskies from Cù Bòcan - there's the Signature which is the free 10ml pour for this location, together with Creation 1 (matured in Black Isle Brewery Imperial Stout and Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setúbal wine casks) and Creation 2 (matured in Japanese Shochu and virgin European oak casks). i like the unique design of the bottles, which stand out among the others on a bar shelf and make the whisky really come alive even in the bottle.
i wasn't able to redeem the free pour of the Signature when i visited, though i did enjoy trying both Creation 2 and Creation 1 in that order as recommended by Grace.
we began with Creation 2 (46% abv) which was quite a pleasant pour - the nosing was a sweet blend of a bright and zesty orange marmalade combined with a sticky maple syrup, both of which developed with a smooth vibrancy on the palate. the tasting also revealed the oak influence beneath, a well-blended combination that provided a good contrast to the fruity sweetness. the finish was on the shorter side with the additional emergence of some mild pepperiness. overall a nice whisky that i was glad to have tried at Whisky Journey prices, though less inclined to do so again even at the same discounted prices.
next up was Creation 1 (46% abv) which featured a similar bright citrus on the nose with a touch of smokiness, though it turned out to be much more woody and less sweet on the palate. this one was interesting, with some leather notes and an interesting mix of acidity and bitterness that was reminiscent of freshly-ground coffee beans. the coffee combined with a dry tobacco smoke closer to the tail end of the palate and into the medium-length finish, which was a nice touch though just not to my personal preferences. an interesting experience especially for those who take their coffee black, and i was glad to have had the opportunity to try this one at Whisky Journey prices though it's not a compelling repurchase for me even at discounted prices.
all things considered, i enjoyed my visit to The Cooperage and am looking forward to coming back, not just for the Whisky Journey Signature pour but also to check out their range of whiskies and other spirits available.
slàinte!
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of purchase and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with The Whisky Store, The Cooperage or any of the other participating bars / distilleries, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
The Cooperage is at 42 Hongkong Street, Singapore 059681.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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