In my life, I’ve been to Bali 5 occasions.
The first was as a 13 12 months previous within the early 90’s on a household vacation. I returned in 2000 with a mate on a 3 day stopover en path to the UK for a working vacation. In 2013, I went with my spouse again within the (good previous?) days when it was simply the 2 of us. Lastly, in 2018 and 2022, with a household of my very own.
It shocked me considerably when accounting for the variety of occasions I had visited Bali to see that it had been so many. I chuckle after I see or hear commentary from different nations idealising Bali as a non secular remote get away. For us Australians, over time Bali has primarily been the place to go to that has low-cost flights, low-cost food and drinks, low-cost inns, and heat climate. It’s party-central for Australian sportspeople of their off season to debauch themselves and is often overrun by Australian households throughout our faculty holidays.
We didn’t even need to go to Bali this time round, nonetheless we left it late to guide and Fiji was all however full up, and the climate in Thailand and Malaysia solely appeared so-so. So, with a resigned shrug, Bali it was once more.
This was the primary time I’d left Australia because the onset of COVID-19. Our borders being closed for the very best a part of two years didn’t assist, however having reopened in February, I used to be itching to hop on a airplane wherever requiring a global flight.
For the whisky connoisseur, worldwide flights may also imply trying to refill on responsibility free. Maybe it’s the identical wherever you might be studying this, however when leaving Australia you should buy your responsibility free for the return journey and go away it on the airport to gather whenever you return.
Having been absent from the responsibility free scene for over two and a half years, I used to be eager to dive again in and see what was accessible at Melbourne Worldwide Airport. The reply is – for a man who loves his indie bottlings, single casks, restricted small batch releases and cask power releases – not a complete lot.
The responsibility free at Melbourne Airport is awash with a choice of largely Diageo stablemates: each conceivable Johnnie Walker, varied NAS Taliskers, Singleton of Glendullan, Oban, and Lagavulin. Then there was the choice of low-cost blends: Royal Salute, Chivas Regal, and Grants… largely bottled at 40% ABV and none shifting the needle sufficient to warrant my funding. There was additionally a superb whack of Bowmore, however its current-day popularity leaves me chilly. I keep in mind on earlier events discovering Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain choices, however they appear to have disappeared. Most intriguingly there’s a vary of Caperdonich responsibility free exclusives which appear misplaced on the duty-free crowd. Perhaps these will filter into common launch in time.
We departed for Bali with no whisky bought to gather on the way in which again, however with a few bottles of gin secured to sip by the pool in our resort whereas away.
On our flight again from Bali, I wasn’t anticipating the choice at Denpasar Airport to be any extra thrilling… and it wasn’t. Extra Singleton of Glendullan and NAS Talisker, loads of Macallan and a splash of Dalmore, some ultra-expensive Highland Park in a flowery field (NAS and costing a number of thousand Aussie {dollars}, would you imagine) and extra of the blends. I made a decision to park my purchases and return to Australia with my bank card’s integrity undisturbed.
Blame Jetstar, Qantas’s low value and chronically poorly carried out funds airline. Our flight dwelling was severely delayed, and I had the possibility to browse the smaller responsibility free outlets which are close to the departure gates at Denpasar Airport. Low and behold, I did a double take to see 48% ABV on a worth label, earlier than I’d even observed the distillery.
In 2016 Glen Grant launched a journey retail unique 12 12 months previous at 48% ABV. Some fast Googling on the spot revealed that apparently it wasn’t horrible and is principally the identical juice as their 43% ABV 12 12 months previous, with out chill filtering and a better ABV.
And the value! Round $90 for a one litre bottle. As a comparability for different one litre bottles on close by cabinets: Glenlivet had a NAS at 40% ABV (the Triple Cask Matured White Oak Reserve) for about $110, Bowmore 10 12 months previous at 40% ABV was the identical worth because the Glen Grant and their 12 12 months previous at 43% ABV was about $120, and a NAS Singleton of Glendullan was nearly twice the value, at 40% ABV.
You’d be mad to not select the non-chill filtered 12 12 months previous Glen Grant at 48% ABV… a lot in order that the first motive I shortly Googled the discharge was to see what could be improper with it. Glen Grant shouldn’t be a favorite of mine; I do know there have been some obscenely previous releases lately by way of Gordon and MacPhail, that it’s a Jim Murray favorite and a giant vendor in Italy (additionally being owned by the Italian firm Campari Group).
Now I’m dwelling and have shaken off the dregs of jetlag, let’s see how this potential gem within the sea of responsibility free caramel colouring stacks up.
Glen Grant 12 12 months Previous Journey Retail Unique – Evaluate
48% ABV.
Color: Shiny gold.
On the nostril: Very gentle and fruity. Limes, lemon cordial, inexperienced apple pores and skin and inexperienced grapes. Some marzipan and pine needles. Then a hint of olive oil and crushed up white chocolate. Extra fruits emerge the longer I spend on this glass, with pineapple and recent strawberries. A easy, basic nostril with no bum notes. After just a few hours within the glass a softer facet of cloves and spearmint emerges
Within the mouth: Not fairly a match for the fruitiness of the nostril, that is oilier and wears its ABV handsomely. I get heat honey, cinnamon, and shaved coconut. Some fried banana and mint leaves. Transferring this across the mouth reveals some pepperiness and the olive oil from the nostril. Then jam sponge cake with icing sugar and the end lingers properly. Some cream cheese and almonds on that end.
Conclusions:
As John talked about in his Glen Grant article in 2021, the nostril of the 12 12 months previous doesn’t fairly match the palate. However that is nonetheless excellent and a pleasant break from the blends I’m more and more shopping for lately. The worth helps issues and encourages me so as to add an additional level” a litre of high quality whisky for below a $100 of our Aussie {dollars}? That feels like a…
Rating: 7/10
After I returned to Australia and skim some extra on this launch, I did discover it accessible from non-duty free retailers, together with Nicks in Australia which sells it for $130. Is it value it at that worth? For the one litre bottle, positively. It additionally seems to be accessible from Grasp of Malt within the UK, although I can’t discover the native worth.
I can’t anticipate the best responsibility free unique releases to make it to Australian airports, or Indonesian for that matter. I fondly keep in mind shopping the airport choices in Singapore, Edinburgh and Glasgow, which tower above what reaches our sunburnt nation. Furthermore ,although, this bottle proved to me that if you happen to hunt, there is usually a diamond within the tough. It took some looking, and I nearly left empty handed. Within the pursuits of full disclosure, it was considerably fortunate we nonetheless had about $50 of Indonesian Rupiah and the two international trade locations had closed, in any other case I won’t have purchased this.
Now that I’ve it, I believe it’s going to show a nice dram to share amongst family and friends because the climate heats up down below.
All costs in Australian {dollars}.
