Whiskey subscription and delivery service in Malaysia – Wired PR Lifestyle Story

Whiskey exploration has major barriers to entry because each bottle, especially those that are commercially available, can be expensive. Buying a bottle also involves a significant level of commitment, as there is a risk of the buyer repenting.

One way to deal with this is to visit speakeasies or whiskey bars to try different alternatives in dramas, i.e. a single serving of isk an ounce or 30 ml of whiskey. Each drama serves as a sample of a spirit, so you don’t have to throw away the whole bottle so you can try it out before you buy.

This was achieved by Aaron, Alicia and Jin, who were once novice whiskeys, to expand their senses to the complexity of the flavors presented in refined whiskeys. Eager to share their passion for exploring whiskey with Malaysian members, they launched it The Whiskey Notes, a monthly subscription service that offers themed whiskey flights.

Bring the bar home

There are no shortage of speech and whiskey bars in the Klang Valley, such as those that offer fewer bottles with a name. Whiskey tavern In KL and 61 Monarchy PJ-n. Although these bars continue to expand, they often limit the number of customers who dine and require reservations in advance.

Thus, Whiskey Notes is likely to have entered the stage at the right time in the midst of the pandemic. Launched in July 2021, the subscription service allowed whiskey fans to discover new whiskeys from home, while at the same time learning about each drink digitally.

From 150 RM per month, the cost of the subscription plan will be lower as you commit to a longer plan. A subscription for 3 months would cost you RM145 and 6 months for RM140.

The monthly sets contain 3 30 ml bottles in each bottle with discreet labels, with the aim of eliminating any brand biases that customers may have. When receiving each themed box, customers are advised to taste it blindly before scanning the QR code provided to display information about whiskey flavors and fun events.

“We see this experience as democratizing whiskey, blindly discovering all the flavors that whiskey has to offer,” Alicia said.

As an example of the themes offered by The Whiskey Notes, one of the last themes called “Spring Fling” featured whiskeys that had floral flavor profiles.

“We introduced whiskeys that transport you to the spring days. Imagine walking through a flower field or walking through an orchard ready to bear fruit. All of them, while enjoying sweet honey and sweet spices, ”Alicia explained to the Vulcan Post.

“At this curation, we introduced 12-year-old Aultmore, 12-year-old Glengoyne and a Teeling Small Batch.”

Although the group has not reported where the liquors come from, they have made sure that the whiskeys are only obtained from authorized wholesalers and importers.

Also looking at the gift market

In addition to the subscription service, The Whiskey Notes also offers tasting sets with prices ranging from RM135 to RM389, aimed at the gift market.

It may also be more suitable for those who have an idea of ​​the range of flavors they already prefer. This is because the tasting set actually lists what’s inside the box, unlike in the subscription boxes, where you won’t know what whiskey you’re taking.

The group has also collaborated with 61 Monarchy to prepare a tasting set consisting of rare and limited independent bottled whiskeys. The 30 ml dramas in this set include:

• Eiling Lim Bowmore 2002 14th version 14 years
• Wemyss Malt Bowmore 1989 29-year-old “Samurai Cask”
• The Whiskey Agency X Three Rivers Tokyo Island Single Malt 2002 15 year old (Orkney)

You know: The independent bottler is a company that buys whiskey barrels from different distilleries, mostly adult whiskeys of the right age, and bottles them using their own designed bottles and labels.

Totally Spirits

Building a community

The subscription services and gift boxes provided by The Whiskey Notes basically reduce the entry barriers that whiskey exploration puts in place.

In addition, the group’s main mission is to provide whiskey education and make liquor more accessible, so they plan to launch a community called Nosy Club. There, they can bring together whiskey drinkers with the same idea and share their experiences with whiskey, and also benefit from some of The Whiskey Notes ’services.

To ensure that participation encourages education, they will also organize guided tours including whiskey tastings, vertical whiskey tastings (a whiskey flight tasting at a distillery) and food or candy combinations.

For example, The Whiskey Notes partnered with a dessert shop to combine a range of whiskey tastings with a snow-covered moon cake made of Niko Neko matchaz.

“This has allowed us to introduce our brand to a new audience, while educating our customers on the versatility of whiskey. It reached a new audience, and to mooncake fans who want to pair it with a drink, to whiskey fans to match the taste of moon cakes,” the group explained.

So far, The Whiskey Notes has already organized virtual and physical tasting sessions for groups of 25-100 people. These events were organized by the international whiskey brand ambassadors and independent whiskey experts to share in these events.

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While we have a wine subscription service at KL For decisions, The Whiskey Notes is likely the first Malaysian brand to offer a whiskey subscription service.

It is an attractive service for homeowners who enjoy the experience of discovering whiskeys, with no social elements or bar atmosphere that can sometimes be overwhelming.

In addition, the reopening of the bars and the crowds that approach them could be a short-lived behavior for customers who have been locked up for many months.

Those who want to drink longer and more often would usually do so at home, which is a gap that Whiskey Notes can fill without sacrificing the element of exploration.

• You can find out more about The Whiskey Notes here.
• You can read more of the Malaysian startups we’ve written about here.

Credited image credit: Aaron, Alicia and Jin, creators of The Whiskey Notes