Vietnam Launches First Single Malt Whisky
There are lots of ways to age whisky in a tropical climate, but one thing’s for sure: the West doesn’t have a monopoly on whisky production anymore. Indian, Taiwanese, and now Vietnamese craft distillers, such as Về Để Đi, are contributing to the global whisky market.
“Hot climate distilling — in the tropics or subtropics — is really coming to be understood by whisky geeks, and increasingly people in general, as an absolutely correct space,” says Dr. Michael Rosen, who co-founded Về Để Đi with business partner Quan Nguyen.
“In the barrel, the wood and the whisky dance together. The chemical interaction that produces those new flavor profiles happens much faster in warmer climates as the wood is expanding and sucking in very quickly.”
Ve De Di Rolls Out First Viamese Single Malt Whisky
This 2020 brand translates roughly as “I come so I can go”. Vietnamese gin, crafted with local botanicals, and creme de cacao, produced in collaboration with famed Vietnamese chocolatier Maison Marou, have become particular favorites in its home country.
According to Rosen, the brand was always conceived with the specific goal of launching the first full-scale whisky distillery in Southeast Asia.
“We know we can’t be Macallan, or even Kavalan because we’re not owned by a giant,” Rosen says.
“But I think it’s the craft distilleries that are crazy enough to experiment and do things on the fringe. We’ll play with yeast and mash bills. We’re talking to people in Halong Bay to put a few barrels on boats and see what the terroir of Vietnam does. We’re buying corn from Hmong families, and planting barley in Tay Bach.”
Master distiller Edward Tiege runs the distillery on the outskirts of Vietnam’s capital, which is equipped with a 3,000-litre copper pot wash still, a 2,000-litre copper pot spirit still, a 4,000-litre mash tun, and six 3,000-litre fermentation tanks.
Vietnam’s first-ever single malt whisky has been released for sale for the first time. Aged in a 200-liter American oak first-fill ex-bourbon cask for 2-3 years, it is priced at US$5,900 (£4,684), plus a US$10 bottling charge per cask (180 to 270 bottles).
Additionally, members of the founder’s club receive a 10% perpetual discount on standard distillery products and can customize the labels.
