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 £1 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 £200 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