As both a country and a city, Singapore tries to keep its talent by appealing to a sense of national identity and rootedness, but wants its people to also reach out to the world and be global citizens who fly Singapore's flag. These are difficult tensions to hold together without a primordial past in which an identity can be built upon. There is only that many times you can use "Home" to generate feelings of being home. Tough task.
National Day coincides with the Olympics this year, and, there's nothing like a good sports tournament to ignite national pride, yes? Well, in Singapore, not really. Several of the sportsmen representing Singapore are naturalized citizens, and the table tennis team, in particular, has come under public scrutiny for the past decade or so. The women's table tennis team has actually been pretty successful, with players ranked in the top 10 internationally. However, most of the team are naturalized citizens from China, and this has led to some criticisms of Team Singapore's talent recruitment and development strategy. Thus, despite its recent successes, the Singapore Table Tennis team hasn't been the galvanizing force for nationalism that sports is in other countries.
And, our top seed, a naturalized citizen naturally, has lost to a player from Japan in the Quarter Finals in straight sets. Feng did not play at the standards that she is capable of, so that's a pity. What is this long preamble setting up for? Well. Japanese whisky, of course! And no slouch either...
Yamazaki 18 (abv 43%)
Colour: It camouflages well against my teak furniture. So that's teak-ish amber?
Nose: This whisky is deeply sherried, and it shows on the nose. Sultanas and raisins at first nosing, but this is a complex whisky. With a little time in the glass, some leathery notes float up, and with it comes some nice spices - the usual sherry stuff, I think. Cinnamon, cloves, and maybe a touch of lemongrass? Malty and slightly porridgey, but well within limits.
Palate: Rich sherry entry, then slight sour notes - grape skin, I think. The whisky turns a little bitter, then the oak makes a big entrance. Spices - I think cinnamon, cloves and a little bit of ginger - reminds me of the pickled ginger you get when ordering sashimi. Some menthol or eucalyptus as well. This spicy development is pretty neat. Wood tannins, and the whisky doesn't lose its malty feel. A little leathery still, which, I think, is a sign of a good sherry cask, since it is both fruity and leathery at the same time. The texture is a little drying, but on the whole, this is gentle on the tongue. The drying feel reminds me of concentrated black tea.
Finish: Ooooh. A whiff of smoke on the finish. Wood tannins, and warming spices - more clove than cinnamon. A little drying and leathery, but the long lingering spices keeps the finish fresh. Some fruitiness hangs around as well.
Overall: I really like this whisky. It's smooth, rich, complex, layered. A great balance between fruitiness, spice, and a more complex leathery and drying texture that I like in sherried whiskies. I think the finish is what pushes this up - the whiff of smoke at the end that I did not anticipate until it appears was delicious. A very pleasant surprise. That the fruitiness and spices stay till the end is really worth savouring and waiting for.
Of course, the catch with Yamazaki 18 is the price...some shops are selling this at almost $900. Madness. Complete madness. So, many, many thanks to DW's dad, who gave this to me as a gift for helping out at DW's wedding...A most generous gift... yum...Though, between this and the Hakushu 18, I think I actually prefer the Hakushu - more distinctly Japanese. This feels too much like a Speyside. A very good Speyside, but a sherried Speysider nonetheless. The Hakushu's a bit more unique.
And yes, this makes it onto the hall of fame...
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