Expert Recommended Whiskies: Kris Ong
For today’s blog, we sat down with one of our resident whisky experts Kris Ong to give you guys his personally recommended bottles.
Kris is the founder of Drambox Ph and a Scotch Malt Whisky Society & Single Cask Liason for the Philippines. He has a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the State University of New York in Delhi. When it comes to whisky, he has been tasting and learning about whisky for over 8 years and just like you guys, he is a whisky fan and would love to share his passion for whisky to the world.
We recently asked him to give us some unique bottles that will definitely help you elevate your drinking experience. Here are the bottles he had in mind:
Recommended for beginners: Glengoyne 10
We asked him the perfect bottle for starting someone’s whisky journey. A bottle that whisky newbies haven’t heard yet.. Something that will make their starting experience unique!
Lo and behold, he gave us the Glengoyne 10 year old:
“I want beginners to start off with a light, clean, and well-balanced whisky. I’m also looking at bottles with a sweet finish so as to not overwhelm newbie drinkers. The Glengoyne 10 year old is an exceptional bottle for starters because it has sweet aromas and flavors while still giving malty and oaky characteristics.
Another reason why I chose this bottle is that it is proven to be good by other whisky experts. The amount of awards that the Glengoyne 10 holds is very impressive.”
You guys can get a taste of the Glengoyne 10 here.
For those who want to get started on Japanese Whisky: Nikka from the Barrel
If you have been drinking whisky for a reasonable amount of time now, you might be craving for something new. Of course you may have heard other enthusiasts rave about Japanese Whiskies but you just don’t know where to start.
You’re in luck because we asked Kris the best Japanese Whisky for you to try for the first time:
“I know Singlemalt Ph Fans have high expectations so I want them to start with a highly awarded bottle and something that I would definitely pick up anytime from a store. The Nikka From the Barrel jap whisky is definitely a bang for the buck if someone wants to dip their toes into Japanese whiskies.
It’s affordable and yet encompasses all the great Japanese whisky qualities like the complexity and the rich spicy flavor profiles that come with it.”
Try the Nikka from the Barrel bottle here.
For those who like it Strong: Ardbeg 10 and Ardbeg Uigeadail
You know your spirits and you know what you want.. You like your bottles hard and strong. Well, you may have heard of the peaty and smoky whiskies from Ardbeg.. but which one should you get? Here’s what Kris had to say:
“When it comes to Ardbeg, let’s have our Singlemalt Ph fans have a classic. The Ardbeg 10 is something that I think should always be present on a whisky lover’s shelf. There are just days where you’re craving for a strong peaty bottle and the 10 year old always does the trick. It’s very Islay and it has the perfect balance between peaty and full-bodied.
For those people who already tried the 10 year old and wanna try something new, the Ardbeg Uigeadail is the first bottle that comes to mind. I remember this bottle because it was once voted as the Ardbeg Committee’s favorite bottle. If you love peaty and sherry, this bottle perfectly combines them both.”
You can grab the Ardbeg 10 here and the Ardbeg Uigeadail here.
Leveling up your drinking game: Glenmorangie Nectar D’or
So you’ve been in the whisky game for so long.. and you wanna be impressed. No need to say more because we asked Kris for a bottle that will definitely level up your drinking game:
“Oooh that’s a tough question because I have so many bottles in mind. But the first bottle that I thought of is the Glenmorangie Nectar D’or. Glenmorangie is known for bottles that take you to certain memories. And when I first tasted this bottle it definitely did. As someone who has been working with food for the longest time, my initial tasting of the Nectar D’or definitely took me to a nice day at a French Pastry shop. Ans I want other whisky enthusiasts to experience the same thing.”
Tase the Glenmorangie Nectar D’or here.
Recommended Limited Edition: Aberlour Abunadh Batch 60
This one is for our whisky collectors and for those of you who want nothing but the finest things in life. We have many limited editions to cater to your needs but here’s a bottle that is highly recommended by Kris:
“Now we’re talking! The Aberlour Abunadh Batch 60 Limited Edition, if I remember correctly, this specific batch was released in 2017. I got to taste this from a friend’s personal collection and it took my breath away. What amazes me about it is knowing that the cask strength I’m tasting is definitely the same as those that existed in the 19th century. Crazy, right?”
Get your own limited edition Aberlour Abunadh Batch 60 here.
Want more recommendations? We compiled all our expert-recommended bottles in one place just for you guys! Click here now.
