some goodies are just an ubiquitous part of the lunar new year landscape that the celebrations just wouldn't feel the same without them, like bak kwa (sweet dried meat, a sort of Asian counterpart to the Western jerky).
it's technically not the exact same type of alcohol, but for the first whisky wednesday of the lunar new year, i decided to enjoy a pour of the Kalak Peat Cask Single Malt Vodka (40% abv) from Origin Spirits Ireland.
i had first tried this on one of my stopovers during Whisky Journey 2020 and even though it was the first ever vodka i had experienced neat, i had liked it so much that i kept an eye on it and was rewarded when The Whisky Store held a sale of their Origin Spirits stock last month.
when i had first tried this during Whisky Journey 2020, i was immediately struck by how vividly the Kalak reminded me of bak kwa. if i had been asked to wear a blindfold to smell this, i would never have guessed that the substance before me was liquid - that's how close its aroma was to the actual smoked meat. with the nosing and palate, the vodka had an exquisitely-sweet caramelisation balanced well with the umami and smokiness from the peat cask; i also liked how this spirit was uniquely able to feature a great smoky char evocative of wok hei (the signature charred aroma that comes from skilful use of a cast iron wok at high temperatures).
interestingly though, it seems that the Kalak only develops this flavour with the benefit of time and some tender loving care. when i opened my new bottle for the first time, i was surprised (and i'll be honest, slightly disappointed) to find that it wasn't anything like the smoked meat that i had been expecting. instead, the smell and taste of this was muted and more reminiscent of smoky ash and burning paper, ironically the opposite vibe that i was hoping for from a lunar new year pour.
still, i'm clinging strong to the memory of that first experience i enjoyed so much, and am fully optimistic that this will eventually turn out to be a lovely pour. it's also given me the opportunity to break in my new decanter (do-it-yourself vodka experiments... what could go wrong?) and i'm looking forward to trying my first decant soon-ish.
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 Origin Spirits Ireland or The Whisky Store, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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