The Malt Affair Vol. 3 will feature well over 260 bottles from the collections of whisky collectors as well as new independent bottlings that will hit Singapore soon.
A tribute of sorts to renowned whisky festivals like the Limburg Whisky Fair, where the attention is placed solely on the whiskies and whiskies alone, The Malt Affair (TMA) is an event that whisky buffs owe to themselves to attend.
Unlike expansive whisky festivals like Whisky Live, The Malt Affair is a close-knit affair, in the sense that its exhibitors are mostly collectors (one collector will be flying in from Hong Kong, so this is kind of, international?) or enthusiast-collectors who have gone into the business side of things as well, like The Swan Song and SimplyWhisky.sg. If previous iterations – or volumes, if you want to be pedantic – are anything to go by, it’s an excellent time as any to mingle with rabid whisky fans and pick up tips and knowledge about whisky that you typically can’t find even with the help of the almighty Lord Google. If you’re in the business of hunting down old school bottles as well as exceptional modern indies, you’ll meet plenty of like-minded people who are happy to share their knowledge and whiskies there.
Although the entry ticket doesn’t get you a free flow of whiskies, you can expect to try many hard-to-find whiskies for very reasonable prices. In fact, a large number of the whiskies listed will be available for less than $30 nett a pour. The list of whiskies has been curated by TMA for variety, rarity and price. Anything that’s not fairly priced is rejected, unless they’re really, really rare, in which case, you should consider trying if you feel that you’re willing to pay. #whyiswhiskysoexpensivesigh
However, you’d be disappointed if you’re expecting to see legendary stuff like the Bowmore Bouquet. But, how about old school, 1958 and 1963 Macallans? Or bottles from the Hanyu Cards series for a very reasonable price – which, at the point of writing, has been confirmed to at $95-$125 for a 20ml pour. Other lesser-known (publicly) gems that will grace the event include a 1967 Glenugie and more, pending confirmation. (UPDATE: you can view the confirmed list of whiskies here)
But if all of this feels like gobbledygook to you and you’d prefer to ‘work your way up’, there are modern and affordable independent bottlings on offer as well. The Single Cask, among other familiar names, will be taking part for the first time and they’ll be bringing 25 bottles to the event, and almost all priced below $20 (four of them will cost $20) per dram. If Taiwanese bottlings are something you’re interested to know about, Spirits Castle carries a variety, such as HNWS, The Drunken Master and Spirits Salon.
In a homage to special bottlings for whisky festivals, TMA Vol. 3 will also feature two exclusive bottles available only at the event (though they will be available at the Swan Song thereafter). They are only available for sale by the bottle, although we understand some samples should be available in limited quantities.
The first featured bottle is a dependable Caol Ila that you can do no wrong with and the second is a Tennessee bourbon that eschews syrupy sweetness for elegance and depth – the bourbon is a winner while the Caol Ila is the perfect (peated) comfort dram. The third bottle (a 1993 Irish) that you see in the pics is technically not official as it was a celebratory bottled for one of the founder’s children, but maybe if you ask very nicely…
More event details here.
*Updated to reflect the revised prices for Hanyu and The Single Cask as of 12 Nov
