Plenty of choice as single malts gain favor

As Chinese consumers are acquiring a taste for single malt Scotch whisky, more brands are entering the growing market.

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, single malt exports to China were worth 12.9 million pounds ($17.4 million) last year, up 66 percent on the year before.

"In China, both men and woman, young and old, drink whisky," says Georgie Bell, the malts ambassador for the family-owned global spirits company Bacardi.

"The Chinese market is ahead of the curve, as it is not affected by preconceptions," the 29-year-old said.

She says her job is to introduce people to whisky - "not only our brands, but also the drink in general".

She travels a lot to different countries, this was her fourth visit to China, and says every day is different - "it's really exciting".

She often talks to bartenders, consumers and media, sharing the exciting stories and legacies of the whisky brands and introducing people to them.

Bacardi, itself, now owns a number of single malts and the award-winning blended whisky Dewar's, which was founded in 1846.

"Our whisky brands have distinct heritages and what makes them popular are the stories behind them. Our distilleries have legacies that date back a hundred of years or more, and our whiskies have won gold medals in competitions," she says.

She likes the honey and heather notes of Aberfeldy due to its longer fermentation process and the exotic fruits flavor and smoldering end to a dram of 17-year-old Craigellachie.

Another fun part of her job, she says, is breaking down the age-old stereotype that whisky is a male drink.

"It will take a while, but we'll get there," she says, advising women that it is not that they don't have a palette for whisky, it is just a matter of trying them "until you find the right one".

She recalls that she didn't like the taste of whisky when she first drank it at the age of 19. But she kept trying various whiskies until and she fell in love with the "water of life" - drinking it in cocktails and drinking it with chocolate on the side. In fact, she says there are many different ways to enjoy it.

"You can try your whisky neat on a hot summer's day. Add water to it. Or, you can put it into a glass and add a lot of ice, and add soda. As for myself, I like whisky in coconut water," she says.

In her early years at the Edinburgh University, Bell got a part-time job at a bar to support herself financially, and this is where she first learned bartending and started learning about whisky.

After graduating in 2010, she then furthered her studies and gained a diploma in distillation at the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and won a scholarship award from the London-based Worshipful Company of Distillers.

xulin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/23/2017 page14)