Whisky #553: Blend 285 Thai Whisky

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Blend 285 Thai Whisky. Bangkok, Thailand. ABV: 35%. Tasted poolside at the Hyatt Regency Phuket, ฿140 (approx. $6.25AUD) from a 7-Eleven for a 345mL bottle.

Whisky a Day is on tour in Thailand for a short holiday, so it behooves me to try some of the local whisky. There isn’t much of a selection of genuine whisky, with many of the spirits being marketed as Thai “whisky” originating from molasses rather than grain (making them more like spiced rums).

Blend 285 Thai Whisky though is from the Red Bull Distillery (1988) Co., Ltd in Bangkok. It claims to be made through some “traditional blended Scotch whisky process”…presumably right up to the point where they’ve used spirit from outside of Scotland! According to their website, Blend 285 is a blend of malt whiskies from Scotland and “grain spirits”…origin unknown, but presumably distilled and/or bottled at the Red Bull Distillery here in Thailand. Another website described the blend also having “quality neutral spirits”.

Hmmm, initial impressions are not overly positive, but let’s not judge a leopard by its spotted cover. Brace yourself…there’s cheap Thai whisky to be tasted!

Colour: Bright amber.

Nose: Some pungent chemically alcohol fumes initially, slowly dissipating after a few minutes in the glass but always there. Underneath that layer there are some faint sawdust and freshly baked bread notes. Even after a while I find myself holding my breath a little as I take each sip.

Palate: Thin watery mouthfeel, a light honeyed notes that fade quickly to toasted cereals, woody flavours and tobacco leaves. Like chewing on an unlit cigar.

Finish: Somewhere halfway between salty and sour. Oak is the dominant flavour, medium length.

Comments: Blend 285 is best summed up by the classic quote from Blackadder – “it started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better — but apart from that it was excellent.”

You can’t expect too much from a bottle picked up at a 7-Eleven store for only ฿140, but sadly it falls into the Whisky a Day “truly awful” category. The stunning sunset where I’m drinking it is the only redeeming feature of this dram.

At 35% ABV, some purists would argue that it isn’t really whisky given it has been bottled below 40%. In a hot climate like Thailand though it feels ok if you’re drinking it neat; however I’d recommend grabbing a beer instead if you want refreshment on a hot and humid day.

If it’s whisky you’re after, I suggest lashing out a bit more and picking up something from a more recognised whisky producer.