Whisky—possibly the most revered spirit of our time. From closed-door auctions to far-flung distilleries, whisky devotees seek out rare bottlings wherever they may be; the prices seeming almost secondary.
At these following whisky (or whiskey, but let’s not go into semantics) bars in Singapore, find fellow fans of the malted spirit to share a dram with, whether you’re into independent bottlings, single malts, bourbons or Scotch.
The Auld Alliance
Without a doubt, this is one of the world’s greatest temples of whisky. With more than a thousand bottles to choose from—including some extraordinarily rare ones available by the glass—it will remain a yard stick for people here who enjoy a fine dram. #02-02A Rendezvous Hotel Gallery, 9 Bras Basah Rd., 6337-2201, fb.com/TheAuldAlliance
The Chambers by Cask
Within the confines of the renewed Maxwell Chambers is this sanctuary for whisky connoisseurs, especially for those in love with their single malts. Have a dram at the bar, or better yet, in the comfort of a spacious hidden room where several banquette seats and even a tasting room reside. #01-01 Maxwell Chambers, 28 Maxwell Rd., 8828-0101, chambersbycask.com
The Exciseman
Like many whisky lovers, we come here to escape the world outside, a dram of rare Scotch in hand. It’s a place for the non label-conscious, where you can find discontinued and unheard of releases from independent bottlers and big distilleries alike, and we can’t love them more for that. The reasonable double pour prices don’t hurt either. #02-27 Esplanade, 8 Raffles Ave., 6963-1192, theexciseman.com
The Grande Whisky Collection
Mostly a museum rather than a bottle shop, The Grande Whisky Collection is a place like no other in Singapore, with 4,500 bottles of whisky on display. While you won’t be able to get your hands on any ancient Yamazakis, the gift shop does have some bottles on sale which you can have engraved. Be sure to check out their vault too. #05-01 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, fb.com/pg/TheGrandeWhiskyCollection
La Maison du Whisky
From bourbons to single malts, independent bottlings to exclusive collections, no one comes close to La Maison when talking about the whisky world. But what truly sets the organisers of Whisky Live apart is their generosity and passion for what they love, and boy do they love their whiskies. #01-10 The Pier @ Robertson Quay, 80 Mohamed Sultan Rd., 6977-7163, www.whisky.sg
Manhattan
With a legacy of being Singapore’s top bar, this place requires no introduction. While not a whisky bar per se, they are the only ones here with their very own rickhouse, plus an enviable whisky programme to match. Members of their American Whiskey Embassy get access to rare bottlings, as well as invitations to exclusive events and masterclasses attended by fellow whisky aficionados. 2/F Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Rd., 6725-3377, fb.com/manhattansg
The Single Cask
A focus on independent bottlers, lesser known distilleries and especially single cask whiskies (thus the name) may be this bar’s calling card, but we find that people (us included) return here again and again just to shoot the breeze with the amicable staff. You’ll find them to be folks who take their drinks seriously, but never in a snobby way. And that’s the way it should be. #01-25 Chijmes, 30 Victoria St., thesinglecask.sg
The Swan Song
Opened by whisky geeks for whisky geeks, this establishment was founded with one purpose in mind—to let fellow lovers of the malted spirit experience by the dram, rare and limited bottlings otherwise priced out of reach. There’s truly no greater joy than one that is shared, and the same is true when it comes to whiskies. #02-01 50A Prinsep St., theswansong.com.sg
The Wall
This hole-in-the-wall establishment is all about breaking down, well, walls. The people behind this place want the barrier for entry into the world of whisky to be a reasonable one. Come enjoy a whisky flight with a selection of Japanese bites, or go for the full omakase whisky pairing experience and leave having learnt a thing or two. 76 Tanjong Pagar Rd., 6225-7988, thewallsg.com
