Dewar's throws down the gauntlet
By Michael Moore
Ask any local the name of the best blended Scotch whisky and you will invariably get one of two answers: Johnnie Walker Black or Chivas Regal. To say they have a stranglehold on the market is an understatement. For most Scotch drinking Bangkokians, Chivas and Johnnie Black are synonymous with quality Scotch. But John Dewar & Sons, a renowned producer from Aberfeldy, Scotland, has decided to throw down the gauntlet and engage the giants in combat in an effort to win the loyalties of premium blended Scotch drinkers.
The weapon being used is Dewar's 12, a blend of 12-year-old malt and grain Scotch whiskies created by Dewar's sixth master blender, Tom Aitken. The big question, of course, is whether or not Dewar's will succeed on the field of battle. Obviously, it will be a struggle, but before you shake your head and say "no", it is important to note that John Dewar & Sons is as grizzled a veteran in the Scotch wars as Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal.
To start with, Dewar's isn't a new kid on the block. It began life in 1846, approximately the same time as its rivals. It's also important to note Dewar's isn't a small time player. According to Cholateb Charoensuwan, Dewar's Marketing Manager in this area, Dewar's is the largest selling Scotch in North America. And perhaps most importantly, Dewar's realizes it is facing an uphill struggle and that it must create a product of signal quality to succeed. The company has put considerable resources into creating a 12-year-old Scotch of signal quality and may have caught Johnnie Black and Chivas Regal by surprise. Only time, and the fickle tastes of local consumers, will give us the answer.
In our conversations with Khun Cholateb, he pointed to some of the steps Dewar's has taken to create a superior product. "Dewar's 12 is married before bottling," he told us. "The company ages the single malts separately in oak barrels, blends them, and after that puts them in oak for an additional 6 months to a year, a process we call "marrying". We are the only producer in Scotland to take this expensive last step."
Dewar's also uses malt whiskies of the highest quality in creating its blend. The signature malt is Aberfeldy 12, an award-winning malt, first created by Tom Aitken in 1999. It is also important to note that Dewar's 12 is created in relatively small amounts with each bottle individually numbered for easy identification – a sure sign the maker is serious about its product.
Dewar's 12 has already won several competitions, including the Monde Selection, the Concours Mondial in Belgium in 2006 and the Prodexpo Competition in Russia in 2006. It is also doing well in Europe and North America.
But will Dewar's 12 succeed in Thailand? Khun Cholateb thinks it will be an uphill battle with ordinary Thai Scotch drinkers. "They tend to drink small amounts of Scotch with large quantities of mixers," he told us. "This means the taste and aroma of the Scotch are overwhelmed by the mixer – so quality doesn't mean much." But when it comes to aficionados and serious Scotch drinkers who drink their Scotch with just a bit of water to release the aroma and flavor – a practice to which we wholeheartedly subscribe – he is more optimistic. "We have the best product," he says, "but only time will tells us whether or not they will start drinking Dewar's 12."
To witness what is happening in the local Scotch wars and how Dewar's 12 is fairing, I decided to visit four local Thai-style pubs, along with two crusty veterans of the Bangkok drinking scene. As drinkers who spend most of our time in watering holes catering to farang, the visits were a pleasant eyeopener. When the evening finished, we all decided we were going to include Thai style pubs in our evening forays. The atmosphere and service were generally good, the prices were low, and the food was far superior to what's dished up in most farang oriented places.
Our first stop was Bale on Lad Prao Road, Soi 35. A massive place with soaring ceilings and a variety of seating arrangements, the clientele was generally young, but definitely the type with a little change in their pockets. Signs advertising Dewar's 12 were plastered all over the place, including outdoors at the parking lot and near the entrance.
Since it was early in the evening and the entertainment hadn't started, we decided to sit at the copper topped bar. I asked for a Dewar's 12 with a little water on the side. This put the bartender in a tailspin; he obviously wasn't used to serving whisky straight up. After talking with a companion, he returned and informed me Dewar's 12 wasn't being served from behind the bar. It was available only by the bottle at tables. I changed the order to Chivas Regal, a shorttime later a standard Thai-style drink with a tad of whisky and loads of water and ice appeared. I didn't complain; I'm not a Chivas fan so I was mildly pleased it had been diluted. My companions had some of the excellent Paulaner that was reasonably priced and on tap. The menu was massive with loads of Thai and Japanese dishes and a large number of pub favorite's from around the world. They didn't have the hamburger I ordered, but did have some excellent fried shrimp cakes. One of my companions was a German and he gave the Fried Pork Knuckle high marks. A bottle of Dewar's 12 rested on each table and the price was a very reasonable. Upon leaving we walked past the cabinet where opened bottles were kept for customers, we were happy to see several bottles of Dewar's 12.
Next we hopped in a cab and headed for Ad Makers, a Soi Langsuan hangout that's been around for years. None of us had been to Ad Makers previously so we didn't really know what to expect. We were all surprised. Although on trendy and sophisticated Soi Langsuan, it's a bit grungy and rundown. On the other hand, it had a comfortable well-used feeling that was appealing. Unlike Bale the clientele was almost equally split between farang as well as Thais.
Early in the evening food along with drink seemed equally important, but as time passed more people turned to drinking. Once again signs advertising Dewar's 12 were evident, moreover we noticed a table with a group of five enjoying a bottle – and we were happy to note they were drinking it with water rather than coke or soda. Unlike Bale, where servers were impeccably attired, at Ad Makers servers wear T-shirts and jeans. Two musical groups performed: one at 8:00PM and the other at 10:30PM. We didn't have time to see both groups, but enjoyed the two guitarists who began at 8:00.
Once again we weren't able to order Dewar's 12 as a stand alone drink. Instead of ordering an entire bottle, I ordered a whisky with water, the time some Jameson from Ireland. My whiskey (the Irish add an "e" to whisky) and water arrived with ice and a tad of water. It was definitely not mixed Thai-style and I enjoyed the taste of the generously supplied whiskey. The menu included only Thai items and everything we had was well-prepared. Ad Makers really heats up as the evening progresses with patrons arriving after dining at nearby restaurants. Definitely an interesting place and one we all decided would visit again.
Next on our list was Talay Bangkok next to the Radisson Hotel. After cruising around the periphery of the large outdoor pub, we decided not to stop in for a drink. Built around a swimming pool, it appeared to be a place frequented primarily by farang and not the sort of spot that would give us much insight into how Thais were responding to Dewar's 12. Instead we decided to go to Old Leng in the nearby RCA entertainment area.
"Funky" seems to be the best way to describe Old Leng. It is constructed out of recycled wood, filled with rustic furnishings with both fake and authentic memorabilia. The service was spotty as well as disinterested, but it seemed to fit the casual atmosphere. The prices here were amazingly low. Once again, I couldn't get a Dewar's 12 as a stand alone drink, but my Dewar's White Label with water was well-made and only B100. Other drinks were equally inexpensive and a bottle of Dewar's White Label was only B590, about the same as in a retail shop.
Most of the customers seemed to be drinking beer. The food was as inexpensive as the drinks and was the best we had for the evening. In addition to the food, the highlight at Old Leng was the entertainment provided by a guitarist/vocalist who concentrated on both international and Thai folk songs. Personable and obviously talented, he lifted Old Leng from the ordinary to a place worth visiting.
Dewar's 12 is locked in a conflict with Johnnie Walker Black and Chivas Regal for the hearts (and baht) of Thailand's premium blended Scotch drinkers. At this point, Johnnie and Chivas are firmly ensconced at the top of the heap, but it is still too early to tell whether Dewar's 12 will be able to join them at the summit. Nevertheless, it's obvious this isn't going to be minor, short-term skirmish. It is going to be a lengthy and interesting battle.
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