lifestyle

There's A Malaysian-Made Whisky That's Been Winning International Awards

It’s called Timah, which is Bahasa Malaysia for ‘tin’ and pays homage to Britain’s role in introducing the spirit to British Malaya.

Cover image via Bonhams & Winepak International (Provided to SAYS)

A Malaysian-made double peated blended whisky called Timah has been making waves in the international arena since last year

Timah, produced by Puchong-based Winepak International, is the country's first whisky to be globally recognised when it won its first silver medal at one of the oldest competitions of its kind in July 2020.

Timah's silver medal at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) meant that it showed "refinement, finesse, and complexity", according to a report in Mashable Southeast Asia.

It was the first time a Malaysian-produced whisky ever won an award at the SFWSC.

Now, the eight-year double peated blended whisky has won another silver medal at an influential British-based competition which received more than 1,800 entries from 70 countries the world over.

Called the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2020, it's deemed by many of the world's leading spirits producers as the international standard for quality and excellence and features blind-testing panels.

"The award by the ISC has now cemented Timah's place among the top whiskies of the world," the producer, Winepak International, said in a statement earlier today, 10 February.

The ISC results were announced late last year.

The name Timah is Bahasa Malaysia for 'tin' which the whisky producer uses to pay homage to Britain's role in introducing the spirit to British Malaya

The bottle is emblazoned with an image of Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, a 19th-century British explorer who became the first Assistant Resident of Perak, the heart of Malaysia's tin industry.

Captain Speedy, as he is popularly known, has been historically credited for his peacekeeping role during the Larut Wars, which were fought by Chinese secret societies over control of tin mining areas around present-day Taiping, according to a 2018 report in New Straits Times.

Image via Bonhams

According to its producer, Timah has a floral flavour and is imbued with tropical fruit peatiness that stays bright without undue intensity

"The fine balance of malt and sugarcane molasses imparts a unique peat-infused character, giving an exotic hint of the tropics," Winepak International said.

Meanwhile, Winepak managing director Gilbert Yeo shared that those looking to get a bottle of Timah to celebrate the Chinese New Year can order through their website.

Read more CNY-related stories on SAYS:

You may be interested in: