The Chinese market for Scotch whisky is growing rapidly and is showing no signs of slowing down. For several years now, analysts have been forecasting the potential of a boom in whisky sales in the Far East. With a population of 1.4 billion and a rapidly expanding middle class who have money to spend on luxuries such as whisky, further growth is expected in China throughout 2022 and beyond.
How to choose whisky
- Know yourself first.
Know your taste and alcohol tolerance. As the alcohol content of whisky is usually very high, it is recommended that you don’t drink whisky at the beginning if you have a bad capacity for liquor. You can exercise your capacity for liquor first and then try again, so as to avoid that you can’t bear the strength of whisky and feel that you are not suitable for all of whiskies.
Because whisky has many flavors, you can only find the whisky you want if you find the one that suits you. If you like lighter taste, you can choose Irish whisky, Canadian whisky, Japanese whisky and Scotch whisky. If you like heavy taste, you can choose Scottish single malt whisky, American bourbon whisky and American rye whisky.
- Secondly, understand whisky.
Whisky, like wine, is extremely diverse in its flavour, colour, smoothness, and aroma — all of which is subject to where and how it is made. With varying flavour profiles, it appeals to a wide range of palates. Whisky can be categorised by region (Scotch, Irish, Japanese, Bourbon, Tennessee Whisky), by grain (Malt, Rye, Single Grain), its age (straight bourbon), and by the process before bottling (blended, single barrel, single pot still, cask strength. Let’s start with blended whisky
- Light and smooth–Japanese whisky
- Light and accessible–Irish whisky
- Full and easy to drink–Scotch Blended Whisky
- Soft taste with some spice flavor–Canadian Whisky
- Rich flavor and sweet taste–American Bourbon Whisky
- Significant Spice Flavor–American Rye Whisky
- With a special peat flavor–Scottish single malt whisky (mainly produced in Islay Island.
Recommended Whiskies for Beginners
Practice is the sole criterion for judging truth. Novices who want to drink the whisky that suits them best can only find the answer by constantly trying. Here are some recommended entry-level whiskies for you to choose.
According to the purchasing level of different consumers, here are some whiskies in different range.
1. Price range ￥100-￥300，Click the picture to BUY NOW
（Canadian Club）
Canadian Club is the renowned Canadian flagship whisky is where most folks begin their whisky journey. Often overlooked as being cheap or below standard, this bottle really is a great entry point into the world of whisky. Drinkable neat but more popular as a mixer on the rocks.
Evaluation of most whisky lovers: “ It’s a smooth and sweetish whiskey w notes of barley (not cereal) and corn (a little) and nearly zero rye spice. It may actually have smoothed from decades past.
It is a tremendous value, the best of all whiskies today by some margin, probably, meaning classy smoothness and elegance vs dollar spent. It mixes extremely nicely from a splash to half w/ the best of the value bourbons, EW and Benchmark, but absolutely do not ever tell anyone you did that. Would love to see it honestly (blind) compared w uppity whiskies of any sort. ”
（Vat 69）
Vat 69 is a famous and very popular blended whisky and comes with a great deal of history. Blended using forty different malt and grain whiskies, this is a smooth, balanced spirit and a perennial favourite with blend drinkers.
Comments from whisky lovers：“For the price, I don’t think you can buy a better whisky, nice complex flavour great easy-drinking whisky. To me, the Japanese blends are the only ones better than this but they are mostly double the price, it’s certainly better than the cheap rubbish in our supermarkets(Jura, Glenfiddich, Abelour). “
（Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years）
Johnnie Walker Black Label is a true icon, recognised as the benchmark for all other deluxe blends.
Comments from whisky lovers：“I’m a big fan of Johnnie Walker Black Label. I often have quite a few bottles of some mid-to-high end single malts on hand. Depending on my mood and what my mouth is craving, but good old Black Label gets poured in my house more than any other. It’s always the right blend of smoke, light peat, good aroma, and a wonderful finish that seems to empty my bottles quicker than I mean to. You just can’t go wrong with this classic. It never disappoints.”
2. Price range ￥100-￥300，Click the picture to BUY NOW
（Glenfiddich 12）
Glenfiddich 12 is the signature single malt from the Glenfiddich Distillery. Matured for at least 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon casks and some sherry casks, this is a bottle that pretty much defines the Speyside style of scotch. Interestingly, between 2002 and 2008, the Glenfiddich 12 used to be called Caoran Reserve.
Comments from whisky lovers：“Not a bad whisky at all. The nose is very pleasant with a lot of apple coming through, underneath a bit of vanilla, though not much else going on there. It has very creamy mouth feel with flavors of apples (maybe pears) taking center stage. I also get a pretty noticeable honeysuckle sort of note from this. Though not many people seem to mention that so it might just be my imagination. What’s more, the finish is very bright with a medium length. Overall, it’s nice but a bit predictable, almost to the point of being boring. Definitely a great introduction to the world oh speyside scotch, even as this really is a classic scotch experience.”
（Singleton 12 of Dufftown）
Singleton 12 of Dufftown, a straightforward, nutty and malty single malt from Speyside. The Singleton of Dufftown was released to replace the Singleton of Auchroisk. It’s aged in a high proportion of European oak casks.
Comments from whisky lovers： ” I can’t think of a whisky that is as carefully balanced as this one. It’s not too vague, but also not too pronounced. It manages to keep you in the ‘sweet spot’. It never bores, never disappoints, never offends. By far THE best bang-for-your-buck whisky out there!”
（Glenfiddich 15）
This isn’t just 3 more years maturation on their standard 12-year-old. This is something so much more.
Comments from whisky lovers：” Wonderful. “Smooth” and “rich” are words that will often appear in whisky reviews. But for this offering from Glenfiddich, I can’t think of any more apt words to describe it. The sweetness is the full and rich kind, with those sherry/bourbon caskings offering up some fruitcake flavours, but stopping short of cloying or sickly. The finish is also reasonable and remarkably smooth.
Although this could easily appeal to whisky fanatics, I would also heartily recommend this to beginners or as one to offer those who wouldn’t normally make scotch their first choice.”
It takes a lot to explore and find your favorite whisky. As a beginner, we recommend trying a couple of single malts and blended whiskies from different distillers before choosing the best one.
Choosing a special whisky means you must pay attention to age, color, taste, flavor, aroma, and most importantly, the origin. It means you have to get tipsy as you taste a variety of drinks your bartender has to offer. With this simple guide, you can always identify your ideal whisky and never look back again.
