KY drinks – The Glenlivet Alpha

I may not be a huge whisky drinker, but I do enjoy an occasional glass or three, so when I was invited to join The Glenlivet Guardians in one of their tasting sessions, I agreed immediately.

The Guardian program often hosts members-only access to private tastings, limited edition releases, exclusive downloads and invitations to unique events, this was one of such events held at Barn Thai, Plaza 33.

the Glenlivet Alpha, 12, 15, and 18 year old single malt whisky

The invitation simply states “A mystery to taste” – join us to unlock the secrets of a truly rare and enigmatic single malt with your senses in the dark. We really didn’t know what to expect at first.

KY, Horng, and Lance in the “blind tasting” of Glenlivet Alpha

As it turned out, we were treated with Glenlivet Alpha, a limited release by Master Distiller Alan Winchester with only 3,350 bottles in the world, 42 of which allocated to Malaysia.

plenty of Glenlivet Alpha to go with some tidbits from Barn Thai

On the night of this event, we consumed 3 of the 42 bottles. The whisky has been matured in ‘first-fill Scotch whisky casks; that is ones that had only previously held Scotch, without any prior influence of Bourbon or sherry. There isn’t any other information available on the Alpha except the 50% alcohol strength.

Lionel, Michael, and Chris with Glenlivet Alpha

We put up our blind folds and started tasting the whisky, removing the sense of sight to put more weight on the sense of smell and taste. The Glenlivet Alpha has a somewhat subtle but fruity nose, with orange, cherry, and a bit of a toffee tinge. On the palate it is smooth and supple, with more fruit and a trace of almond and cloves.

We certainly enjoyed it a lot, having kept asking the wonderful servers to keep the glasses coming, and it was so good that one of my friends immediately have two bottles booked, although I’m not allowed to disclose his name lest his wife complains.