How to Determine Authentic from Fake Whiskies
If you're a whisky drinker, sometimes you probably like to indulge in a nice bottle of some long-aged, higher end whisky. But how do you know the whisky you're buying is indeed the whisky that's on the label? Caveat emptor! Fake whisky exists, and its agents are far and wide.
A "fake" whisky is still going to be a whisky in the strictest sense--that is, it will still be a fermented grain alcohol--but you won't be getting what you've paid for. Likely, it will be a diluted and colored blend of cheaper whiskeys passing itself off as the much higher quality stuff the label promises. Just like counterfeit money, most of the fakes are in the upper-middle range of whiskeys. Faking a ÂŁ1 note just isn't going to be worth it, and there is a high degree of scrutiny on the most valuable notes and whiskeys, making the risk too great for the return. Those moderately expensive ÂŁ200 or so bottles of scotch are where a buyer must be most careful.
One would expect to find good whisky just about anywhere, from small Edinburgh pubs to an upscale restaurant in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, fake whiskeys are nearly as prevalent. Detecting them is not an entirely simple procedure, either.
Whether you are on holiday at the best bars in Hong Kong or right at home celebrating some milestone, the first step to detecting a fake whisky will be of course to taste it. If you've got a finely-tuned palette for the good stuff, or know someone who does, a taste test will provide the first insight to the veracity of the whisky you've purchased.
Of course, this can't be the ultimate litmus in deciding the whisky's authenticity, and uncorking the bottle with suspicion already in hand is never a good way to approach a drink. Keep a mental note when purchasing a scotch in that upper-middle tier, and practice all the best tasting techniques when having a glass. If something feels off, a second opinion is always requisite even for the best taster.
There are other factors to consider besides the whisky itself: Think back to where you purchased the bottle. Was it from your local market, or a dealer online? Did you grab a glass from your favorite local place, a strange restaurant on a holiday in Europe, or a highly rated whisky bar in Hong Kong? The more trusted your source, the better.
An inspection of the bottle itself is paramount if the whisky you've tasted has set off alarm bells. A comparison to a known, true bottle may yield some clues. Does the label peel off too easily? Does it seem printed on different paper than the true label? Use caution, however, as these fakes can be quite convincing, especially for higher-end whiskeys.
The only irrefutable test for your whisky is going to be a scientific one. Scottish scientists have developed a test that involves using a spectrometer to examine whisky on a microscopic level. In short, a laser penetrates the whisky and a computer compares the opacity against known values for constituents in the actual whiskeys. Ethanol and colorants have known spectrometer opacity values, so if your whisky's off from what the manufacturer states, it's been faked.
How then does one ensure they are getting the real deal when they purchase that lovely-looking bottle of the good stuff? The best way is to keep to dealers you trust and establishments with good reputation. Although the prospect of having that hard-to-find scotch bought for a deal online and delivered right to your door sounds intriguing, the risk of being swindled here is too great. Unknown online dealers are notorious for selling counterfeit bottles, and once you realize you've been had, it's usually too late to catch them. Instead, stay with the seller you trust or come and visit us at Stockton - whisky bar you love to frequent, and remember--savor it!
Site: http://stockton.com.hk/ Email: reservations@stockton.com.hk Contact #: +852 2565 5268 Address: Wyndham street, Central Hong Kong