I’ve lived in Nantou for over 18 years. The winery (and now distillery) is about five minutes away and was never really much of an attraction for me. So, it’s been awesome to see them not only get into making whisky but also see Rex and Daniel review it on the other side of the world!
I just want to say thank you to you MBs, I just discovered yall a week and a half ago and you have given me a new appreciation on whiskey. I used to hate scotch and was also a bourbon only guy. Now I'm opened up to ryes and also...SCOTCH! Primarily monkey shoulder for the time being. Loving this journey so far. I can't wait to explore more whiskey.
Holy cow! You guys got an Omar at last!! The winery makes all sorts of "fruit wine" and hence the various fruit wine "barrels" that can be used to store whiskies. Wonder how many you'll get your hands on eventually~ 😉
Dear Daniel & Rex: This bottle of whisky from Omar distillery you drank is "cast strength + finished in Lychee Liqueur Barrel. The fruit Lychee in my country Taiwan is always both extremely sweet with sourness. The dark color that Rex talked about came from the purple cherry color skin of Taiwanese lychee. And we're welcome both of you to come to Taiwan to enjoy our great fruits & foods. Omar distillery is in Nantou district with amazing orchids around the area.
The Black Queen wine is doubtlessly very distinctive too, to contribute to such a full bodied flavor. This single malt color reminds me of the color of the paxarette Ralfy talks about- he got a bottle of the real stuff at one point - used to season casks in pre-1990 Sherry casks used to age single malt. The paxarette is dark, like this malt & very flavorful. Great episode- Taiwan rocks!!
I think I like the hangtags.i better ask bottle shops if they left it in the box if it's not on the bottle .cheers guys and yes dam that whiskeys dark .go Taiwan keep doing awsome things.hopefully I'll try soon
I like watching your videos even if I'm not a whisk(e)y fan. I like whisk(e)y in cocktails but not on its own. On the other hand, I also don't like rums, vodkas, brandys etc. by themselves. You guys are just entertaining. Greetings from Finland.
A good entry to the Omar fruit casks is the more affordable annual "Harvest Series" that currently (2022) features a combination of orange, black queen, plum, bourbon and sherry casks (natural color, non-chill filtered, 46% ABV). It's a Taiwan exclusive that retails for about NTD2400 ($80).
Hey guys I sent Omar Unfortunately - omar lychee liqueur finish - omar plum liqueur finish - omar IPA finish - omar orange brandy finish Can’t find it any where in HK
I found that same whiskey for 130 bucks but you have to go to the Hong Kong duty airport to buy it... other wise it goes for about 2100 to 2200, also from Hong Kong dealers...
Wow. All this time I thought Kavalan was Korean. I don't know why. I'm sure all the reviews I've watched have said Taiwan, but I have heard Korean. Just Wow....
Nantou Distillery is technically part of the government, so they struggle to get a sufficient budget for wood management beyond what the bureaucrats think is sufficient. Thus, they've turned in house for barrels and the result is some great bottles like this one. They have IPA and Orange Brandy editions as well that are excellent.
The orange one is quite weird, as is the lychee barrel and plum (brandy?) one. I applaud the innovation, though out of those unusual casks I do think the Black Queen Wine is the standout. I actually think their single cask sherried whisky is some of the best I’ve tried, a shame it’s so hard to come by outside of the distillery itself.
I used to be a manager at a liquor store. Hang tags? Fuck em. Hate em. Shelf talkers? Absolutely love, it helps folks decide on a product when they can read a little bit about it or just simply have something to help it stand out.
@@sashalin8888 Well, I was actually able to buy a bottle of Kavalan. Omar might not have good international distribution by comparison. It's a shame - it sounds like Omar makes some delicious whiskey!
@@sashalin8888 Omar only ships it’s relatively basic bottlings (46%abv, NAS, Sherry or ex bourbon cask) abroad, and even they’re difficult to find. Kavalan because very prominent after winning awards and it’s distribution is just way better.
For some funky asian flavors, try preserved duck eggs and fermented bean curd. "Would you like a cup of ashes with those eggs?" The bean curd can be used in making chinese braised pork belly(kau yuk).
Funny that you lost a cork from this distillery, I've had one bottle from them and also lost a cork. Coincidence or possibly a trend... but the ex-bourbon cask whisky I had from them was delicious so they've got that going for them at least.
Kavalan and Omar are very good taiwanese whisky brands but aside them them there are also a lot of brands that release taiwan exclusive which are good. Such as Glenlivet 13yo, 14yo, 15yo and 13yo Cask Strength all Sherry Matured. Glenfiddich 12yo Amontillado Finish, Jura 12 Sherry finish, Benromach 12yo Cask Strength sherry matured.
Not permanently, but for a short run it would be interesting to do a blind tasting first and then reveal what it is (I guess logistically this would only apply to rex). Just to see #1 how closely he can guess, and #2 how much the preconceived perception effects the nose and taste. I know y'all have done this before, but the vault channel gives the opportunity to do that experiment over a longer time than one episode
They did this for a short time, covered the bottle in a tube sock. Had to stop it coz they kept forgetting to bastard the MB who gave the bottle. At least that’s how I remember it.
Put in a straw, block the end and pull out the one piece of cork. Didn't you guys have to do that already in a previous episode? Or maybe use a pipette. Where would you find a pipette on a property with a distillery? Hmmm.
the production is too small. only small portion of them were shipped to europe and america. the best way to get one is peobably buy one when you visit taiwan.
Would have to find someone flying to the USA from Hong Kong to pick it up for you at the air port duty free store, that would be the easiest way to get this whiskey.
If there was a whiskey marketing class going on, this would be a great opportunity to just kill the bottle for want of a cork. Pour it for the whole class and generate a word cloud of tasting notes from the class and add to the end of the video.
Re: Hang tags - I bet too they (shop people) hate that customer see some have hang tags while others do not, so customers grab the most "complete" looking one, and start futzing around, trying to find the perfect bottle, then the store is left with a bunch of "incomplete" bottles. Basically now the customers are not touching the ones they know should have hang tags, the label is a bit ripped, cork looks too dry, etc. Turns that shelf into the island of misfit toys...
As a liquor store employee I can day definitely we don't give a $h1t about your bottle tag. If it's on great if it falls of great. It is a pain in the butt though because if they fall off in the store it makes a mess we have to clean up. As a customer and whiskey drinker I still don't care about your bottle tag, though if a whole shelf has them except for one bottle I'll grab one of the onea that has one. Save your money put your info on the back of the bottle.
A two prong cork puller might have worked on that cork. I never used a CO2 cork remover but I imagine it working too. The trouble with a corkscrew is it can break apart that crumbling cork.
It might be time to unsubscribe. I'm not upset or anything, but review after review of unavailable whiskey is getting old really quick. I know that they they warned us several months ago, but when reality sets in you end up realizing how much it sucks.
Taiwanese people are a huge fan of Sherry Cask, glad you both liked whiskey from our country :)
I’ve lived in Nantou for over 18 years. The winery (and now distillery) is about five minutes away and was never really much of an attraction for me. So, it’s been awesome to see them not only get into making whisky but also see Rex and Daniel review it on the other side of the world!
Rex with the most random, insane flavor description ever... yet it still hits home. A bike chain made of raisins and plums?
I just want to say thank you to you MBs, I just discovered yall a week and a half ago and you have given me a new appreciation on whiskey. I used to hate scotch and was also a bourbon only guy. Now I'm opened up to ryes and also...SCOTCH! Primarily monkey shoulder for the time being.
Loving this journey so far. I can't wait to explore more whiskey.
Holy cow! You guys got an Omar at last!!
The winery makes all sorts of "fruit wine" and hence the various fruit wine "barrels" that can be used to store whiskies. Wonder how many you'll get your hands on eventually~ 😉
Glad to see Omar getting some attention. I love it when I can afford it. Cheers from Taiwan!
I won't say no to extra flavor chunks, but I draw the line at... ' cork taint' (3:05)
Amateur!
Dear Daniel & Rex: This bottle of whisky from Omar distillery you drank is "cast strength + finished in Lychee Liqueur Barrel. The fruit Lychee in my country Taiwan is always both extremely sweet with sourness. The dark color that Rex talked about came from the purple cherry color skin of Taiwanese lychee. And we're welcome both of you to come to Taiwan to enjoy our great fruits & foods. Omar distillery is in Nantou district with amazing orchids around the area.
This is not the lychee barrel. It is much lighter in colour.
@@shaoguangda3204 You're right, this is black queen wine barrel (wine barrel of Taiwanese Grapes Kyoho きょほう)
Good Day! May your glass never be empty!
The Black Queen wine is doubtlessly very distinctive too, to contribute to such a full bodied flavor. This single malt color reminds me of the color of the paxarette Ralfy talks about- he got a bottle of the real stuff at one point - used to season casks in pre-1990 Sherry casks used to age single malt. The paxarette is dark, like this malt & very flavorful. Great episode- Taiwan rocks!!
I think I like the hangtags.i better ask bottle shops if they left it in the box if it's not on the bottle .cheers guys and yes dam that whiskeys dark .go Taiwan keep doing awsome things.hopefully I'll try soon
I like watching your videos even if I'm not a whisk(e)y fan. I like whisk(e)y in cocktails but not on its own. On the other hand, I also don't like rums, vodkas, brandys etc. by themselves. You guys are just entertaining. Greetings from Finland.
Just got my hands on a bottle of the Black Queen and am saving it for a special day...
Happy Friday
What's the name of that whiskey store in Louisville? I'm going there in July and would love to check it out!
(Looking down at my phone)
Daniel: “We shouldn’t be getting any cork taint.”
(Look up at the tv for Rex’s reaction)
Rex:
Thanks for the review as always 🥃
My Omar bottle also had a dry cork, whats up with the Taiwanese climate
I tried their Laichee, orange, plum barrel whisky. Hope you get to try them soon :p
What if the hang tags were in a bottle that’s also in a sleeve, like a Scotch? Perhaps an Errant Bottle?
Again what do you think of the book A Field Guide to Whisk(e)y Dan and Rex
Cork Remover? When did Daniel get PC?
Daniel what app did you have there on your phone? !!! 05:08
That looks amazing and would be great with a cigar. Long ashes MB
Good morning Gentlemen.
As I like "the good stuff" that is all of it. Scotch, Bourbon, Rum, Rye you name it. Thanks for the heads up ☺️
A good entry to the Omar fruit casks is the more affordable annual "Harvest Series" that currently (2022) features a combination of orange, black queen, plum, bourbon and sherry casks (natural color, non-chill filtered, 46% ABV). It's a Taiwan exclusive that retails for about NTD2400 ($80).
Rex? Bike chain made of plums and whatever? That cannot be a note you have in memory. You have opened the envelope of unbelievability!
Hey guys
I sent Omar
Unfortunately
- omar lychee liqueur finish
- omar plum liqueur finish
- omar IPA finish
- omar orange brandy finish
Can’t find it any where in HK
I found that same whiskey for 130 bucks but you have to go to the Hong Kong duty airport to buy it... other wise it goes for about 2100 to 2200, also from Hong Kong dealers...
Wow. All this time I thought Kavalan was Korean. I don't know why. I'm sure all the reviews I've watched have said Taiwan, but I have heard Korean. Just Wow....
Nantou Distillery is technically part of the government, so they struggle to get a sufficient budget for wood management beyond what the bureaucrats think is sufficient. Thus, they've turned in house for barrels and the result is some great bottles like this one. They have IPA and Orange Brandy editions as well that are excellent.
The orange one is quite weird, as is the lychee barrel and plum (brandy?) one. I applaud the innovation, though out of those unusual casks I do think the Black Queen Wine is the standout. I actually think their single cask sherried whisky is some of the best I’ve tried, a shame it’s so hard to come by outside of the distillery itself.
I used to be a manager at a liquor store. Hang tags? Fuck em. Hate em. Shelf talkers? Absolutely love, it helps folks decide on a product when they can read a little bit about it or just simply have something to help it stand out.
I’ve never had anything from this distillery , but King Car distillery in Taiwan makes some of the best single malt whisky I’ve ever had.
I've been wondering for years why many of you know Kavalan but only a few have heard of Omar… maybe international marketing isn't their strong suit?
@@sashalin8888 Well, I was actually able to buy a bottle of Kavalan. Omar might not have good international distribution by comparison. It's a shame - it sounds like Omar makes some delicious whiskey!
@@stockicide Sure does! : )
@@sashalin8888 Omar only ships it’s relatively basic bottlings (46%abv, NAS, Sherry or ex bourbon cask) abroad, and even they’re difficult to find. Kavalan because very prominent after winning awards and it’s distribution is just way better.
For some funky asian flavors, try preserved duck eggs and fermented bean curd. "Would you like a cup of ashes with those eggs?" The bean curd can be used in making chinese braised pork belly(kau yuk).
Funny that you lost a cork from this distillery, I've had one bottle from them and also lost a cork. Coincidence or possibly a trend... but the ex-bourbon cask whisky I had from them was delicious so they've got that going for them at least.
That aftertaste you described sounds like what can happen in beer if there was chlorine present (in the water or from a sanitizer).
Would love to see a regular series of pairing whiskey with cigars.
Tried to find this online for a possible order. No luck.
I'd like to try that stuff as much as I'd like to never see the Topgun remake that was advertised at the beginning of this video.
Way sweet angle in the camera,House.
That must be an older bottling as the newer ones are substantially lighter (not to mention larger batches -1500ish bottles if memory serves).
Damn I want to try this stuff.
Kavalan and Omar are very good taiwanese whisky brands but aside them them there are also a lot of brands that release taiwan exclusive which are good. Such as Glenlivet 13yo, 14yo, 15yo and 13yo Cask Strength all Sherry Matured. Glenfiddich 12yo Amontillado Finish, Jura 12 Sherry finish, Benromach 12yo Cask Strength sherry matured.
The quark pieces impacted the whiskey so much Daniel tasted pencil eraser.
Not permanently, but for a short run it would be interesting to do a blind tasting first and then reveal what it is (I guess logistically this would only apply to rex). Just to see #1 how closely he can guess, and #2 how much the preconceived perception effects the nose and taste. I know y'all have done this before, but the vault channel gives the opportunity to do that experiment over a longer time than one episode
They did this for a short time, covered the bottle in a tube sock. Had to stop it coz they kept forgetting to bastard the MB who gave the bottle. At least that’s how I remember it.
GOOD MORNING YOU MB'S.... 🥃
TGIF
Taiwan makes the best whisky in the world.
Put in a straw, block the end and pull out the one piece of cork. Didn't you guys have to do that already in a previous episode? Or maybe use a pipette. Where would you find a pipette on a property with a distillery? Hmmm.
Where can I get this?
the production is too small. only small portion of them were shipped to europe and america.
the best way to get one is peobably buy one when you visit taiwan.
Would have to find someone flying to the USA from Hong Kong to pick it up for you at the air port duty free store, that would be the easiest way to get this whiskey.
Well Daniel is already big in USA, in Japan Daniel will be giant !! 🥃
the question is NOT how to decant it...its how much to put back in the bottle AFTER.
Now Rex can wear his own medallion
If there was a whiskey marketing class going on, this would be a great opportunity to just kill the bottle for want of a cork. Pour it for the whole class and generate a word cloud of tasting notes from the class and add to the end of the video.
man i hope you don't get canceled like one of the cigar channel i watched
Said the guy wearing one big hang tag...
Ok they're standing again. This looks more natural
Re: Hang tags - I bet too they (shop people) hate that customer see some have hang tags while others do not, so customers grab the most "complete" looking one, and start futzing around, trying to find the perfect bottle, then the store is left with a bunch of "incomplete" bottles. Basically now the customers are not touching the ones they know should have hang tags, the label is a bit ripped, cork looks too dry, etc. Turns that shelf into the island of misfit toys...
So...... Where is the hidden gems list?
It's a clear bottle and stop calling me Shirley!
The description sounds a lot like Saint Lucian rum - particularly their 100% vendome spirits.
Lmao! 😂 This was a very fun one. You guys are great!
Edit: And as always, very interesting!
Why not just get two of those really nice leather chairs. We’ve seen you in them before. Put two of those in the vault with an end table between you.
Just get a pipe cleaner, dip it in next to the cork, and the cork should just adhere to the pipe cleaner.
3:07
That is all
As a liquor store employee I can day definitely we don't give a $h1t about your bottle tag. If it's on great if it falls of great. It is a pain in the butt though because if they fall off in the store it makes a mess we have to clean up. As a customer and whiskey drinker I still don't care about your bottle tag, though if a whole shelf has them except for one bottle I'll grab one of the onea that has one. Save your money put your info on the back of the bottle.
A two prong cork puller might have worked on that cork. I never used a CO2 cork remover but I imagine it working too. The trouble with a corkscrew is it can break apart that crumbling cork.
I don’t know why they didn’t just slam the bottom of the bottle on some barn door😂🤣😭
Knowing that couch & having sampled it, I immediately rolled my eyes realizing back then, it necessitated throw pillows for us hobbit sized people…
Nothing wrong with a little taint Rex🤣
151
The flavors you describe in this one, except for the rubber, are very typical of Taiwanese (food) cooking.
What's a "Taiwan"? John Cena told me that isn't a real thing.
8:00 watch a master mooch at work
Taiwan a country? -9999 social credits
truly could not care less about the hangtags, they feel like extra fluff
I hate “cork taint” 😂
this sounds nasty lol but i'd love to try it
Omar has other interesting releases, but they’re all too pricey for me, almost $200
that bottle has an average price of 187 dollars
We got a Murder…187 on the shelf!
*taint stare*
It might be time to unsubscribe. I'm not upset or anything, but review after review of unavailable whiskey is getting old really quick. I know that they they warned us several months ago, but when reality sets in you end up realizing how much it sucks.