It has been a while since I did one of these, so here’s a roundup of some of the latest spirit launches in the Klang Valley, from the welcome return of The Glenlivet to some new gins and even a vodka from Kazakhstan.
The Glenlivet recently launched the second edition of its Small Batch Collection in Malaysia at a media event at the Private Chamber in Kuala Lumpur.
The collection features whiskies made up of a combination of hand-selected casks that shape each expression’s distinct character. It comprises three single malts – 17YO Wildflower Honey, 19YO Indulgent Chocolate, and 20YO Orchard Fruitiness, all cask strength and non-chilled filtered.
Exclusively matured in first-fill American oak, the 17YO Wildflower Honey has a nose that lives up to its name, with vanilla and oak at first, followed by a nice floral and honey note. This segues nicely onto the palate, with a streak of honey sweetness on the mid-palate, followed by a sweet, toffee honey finish.
My favourite of the three was the 19YO Indulgent Chocolate, which is a combination of first-fill American oak, first-fill Sherry, and second-fill ex-Scotch barrels.
On the nose, there are prominent sherry influences of dark fruits and cherries, alongside chocolate notes. It’s on the palate that this whisky shines though – with sweet raisin notes enveloped by the silkiness of chocolate, then finishing long with bittersweet dark chocolate.
The 20YO Orchard Fruitiness is probably the most “Glenlivet” one of the three, with the signature fruitiness reminding me of the core 15YO expression.
A blend of first-fill American oak, second-fill ex-Scotch, and second-fill American oak hogsheads, it has a prominent vanilla and fruity nose, with the fruitiness continuing on to the palate alongside honey, umami in the middle, and a simple, apples and pears finish.
Roku Gin recently introduced its Noryo Tea Edition, a limited- edition expression inspired by Noryo, the Japanese tradition of seeking moments of refreshment and tranquillity during the height of summer.
This is the second of its Seasonal Festival Collection limited editions, following the debut of the Sakura Bloom Edition in 2024.
Each of these seasonal limited editions are crafted with Roku’s signature commitment to Shun – the Japanese philosophy of celebrating ingredients at their seasonal peak.
The Noryo Tea Edition highlights two of Roku Gin’s six signature Japanese botanicals – Sencha tea and Gyokuro green tea, both harvested at their seasonal peak to create a refreshing summer expression.
On the nose, I found it softer than the core Roku, but with more pronounced notes of tea, and the juniper standing out a little more as well. The palate also leads with the tea, followed by juniper and floral notes, ending with a mouth-coating, slightly tannin finish.
I quite like this expression of Roku, mainly because it is a little more robust than the core expression, and also the previous Sakura Bloom edition. A big plus point for me is that it actually does really well in a dry martini.
Hendrick’s Gin launched Another Hendrick’s, its first new permanent expression in nearly a decade, a few months ago with an immersive “Anotherland” garden event at Kwai Chai Hong in KL’s Chinatown.
Following the original drink’s unusual use of cucumber and rose petals, this time around, it is orange blossom and cacao that take the spotlight in Another Hendrick’s.
Presented in an all-white bottle (in contrast to the original’s all-black look), Another Hendrick’s was inspired by Hendrick’s Master Distiller Lesley Gracie’s love of chocolate and flowers, and she decided to try and “solve the creative conundrum of creating a gin containing cacao”, according to a press release.
On the nose, it is a bit more juniper-forward than the original Hendrick’s, helped perhaps by the brighter notes of orange blossom. The cacao really comes through on the palate, providing a velvety touch to the classic gin flavours, with the floral hints of orange blossom lingering in the background.
Initially launched in 2024, Gin Malaya finally got its big Malaysian launch last month, with a media tasting at RC Bar at The Ritz-Carlton KL.
Made in Scotland using distinctly Malaysian botanicals, it currently has two different expressions – Original and Kantan. The Original is distilled with Scottish highlands juniper, Malayan wild pandan, West Indian lemongrass and Bentong ginger.
It has a nice pandan nose, with the lemongrass on the background, and subtle juniper, while on the palate, the ginger takes charge, followed by juniper. The pandan and lemongrass come in mid-palate and linger on the finish.
The Kantan expression is made with juniper, bunga kantan (ginger torch flower), and rose hip botanicals.
On the nose, you get an immediate kantan aroma, with some floral notes. The bunga kantan influence is strong on both the nose and palate, and overpowers the juniper somewhat, though it gets a little citrusy on the mid- palate, followed by a long, er, kantan-y finish.
The Kantan expression came through more prominently in the more richly flavoured cocktails we were served, while the Original worked better in a gin and tonic and cocktails with lighter flavours.
I do like a good vodka, and believe that it should not be just about how pure or clean the spirit is. A good vodka has flavour, and how those come out in an otherwise “neutral” spirit is where the magic of vodka lies.
Enter Xaoma, an award-winning premium vodka from Kazakhstan, that officially made its Malaysian debut with a launch event at Lavantha KL last month.
Crafted using water sourced from the Kazakhstan side of the Tian Shan Mountains, the brand draws inspiration from “Haoma”, the ancient ritual drink that symbolised courage, wisdom and strength throughout Central Asian civilisation.
The brand aspires to be a vodka that is different – inviting people to discover what vodka can truly be. It has two expressions currently – Xaoma Gold and Xaoma Ice, both made with a base of wheat.
Supposedly “built for highballs, long drinks and nights that run past midnight”, the Ice expression is what you’d expect a premium vodka to be – crisp and clear, slightly minty and citrusy, with an easy finish.
It’s the Xaoma Gold that stood out a lot more to me though. On the nose, it’s clean and bright with citrusy lemons and a hint of coffee, while on the palate you get a nice creamy mouth-coating texture with cereal grains and a hint of sweetness.
Michael Cheang does enjoy getting into the spirit of spirits. Follow him on Instagram (@mytipsyturvy) and Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy).
