For some, whisky is a type of liquid gold. From Scotch to Single-Malt, Bourbon to uncommon blends, every has its personal complicated profile and multi-layered vary of flavours. Nobody understands this higher than Benjamin Tan, the Head of Enterprise Improvement and “Chief Butler” for TSH Company. Whisky Journey began off as Singapore’s first island-wide bar and restaurant whisky path that spanned throughout 10 days in 2020 and 2021. After witnessing its preliminary success, Whisky Journey returns in 2023 for its most expansive exhibition but, happening at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Conference Centre. This 12 months sees Whisky Journey goes again to its orginal convention-exhibition type showcase. The present will characteristic over 20 exhibitors, with over 100 totally different whiskies and expressions out there for visitors to find, discover and take a look at. LUXUO sits down with the face of Whisky Journey, Benjamin Tan to search out out extra about his ardour for whisky, what we will anticipate to see from this 12 months’s Whisky Journey and the way forward for this one-of-a-kind exhibition.

You might have been working Whisky Journey since 2019. Inform us extra about how Whisky Journey’s idea got here to fruition?

Truly, I joined the corporate in 2020. Whisky Journey was as a result of happen in 2019, however given the event of the Covid-19 pandemic, the staff determined to take a pause on the occasion till authorities laws have been somewhat extra slack in 2020. So the primary version of the “Bar-hopping” whisky journey happened in 2020 and I used to be then helping my predecessor on working the occasion. Due to this fact, I’d say the preliminary thought was developed by the earlier staff and at the moment the staff and I’ve enhanced it and introduced a convention-styled (exhibition type) Whisky Journey since final 12 months.

What’s the relationship between Whisky Journey and Whisky Butler, Singapore’s most vibrant whisky-tasting membership?

So once I joined TSH Company Ltd, Whisky Butler was introduced along with me; and now each Whisky Journey and Whisky Butler are a part of the ideas beneath TSH Company Ltd, offering an array of whisky services and products to our customers. 

The 2022 Whisky Journey version staged at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has been an awesome success. What ought to we anticipate to see, expertise and style with respect to the 2023 version?

Do anticipate this 12 months’s version to be greater with extra fascinating manufacturers approaching board. We even have an impartial bottler from Taiwan that’s flying in to participate on this 12 months’s occasion! On the identical time, a few of final 12 months’s exhibitors are additionally making an attempt to place collectively some experimental masterclasses for our customers. So anticipate extra thrilling manufacturers and masterclasses coming on this 12 months at Whisky Journey 2023!

Do you propose to introduce extra workshops this 12 months 2023?

Sure, we’ve got elevated the variety of masterclasses this 12 months on each days to offer everybody an opportunity to take part within the masterclasses that they’re trying ahead to.

Who conceptualised the sensible thought of the Whisky Journey Passport? Are you able to clarify the passport idea to our readers and whisky lovers?

This was the collective effort of the earlier staff after many rounds of brainstorming, they determined {that a} jet-setting format of whisky exhibition is a novelty and an fascinating theme to go together with, and therefore the passport as a software to make the entire jet-setting expertise extra actual (particularly in instances of Covid). 

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Why is Singapore the best location to host Whisky Journey?

Being a Singaporean firm, it’s all the time good to construct our base from right here. Though we acknowledged that competitors is stiff right here, however we firmly consider that it’s also the (whisky) hub and trendsetter for the area. 

Who’re your main 2023 companions?

Our official water sponsor is Perrier, our media companion is Coronary heart Media (you guys) in addition to our occasion goodie luggage sponsor is Black Bull by Duncan Taylor, which can also be considered one of our premium exhibitors.

How is Whisky Journey totally different from different Whisky occasions?

“EEE” is our idea and the important thing differentiators to different whisky occasions. The three “E” are specifically:  Discover; Educate; Expertise. It is advisable to enable customers to discover themselves relatively then telling them what is sweet or unhealthy; educating them in regards to the model philosophy, model historical past, and the method of making the merchandise permits customers to know and recognize the model extra; lastly, it is advisable enable customers to expertise it themselves by permitting them to attempt it. “Discover” is paramount amongst the three; we guarantee that individuals will get to search out a variety of whiskies offered by the official manufacturers, and purchase instantly from these manufacturers. Due to this fact, at Whisky Journey, you’ll find restricted version whiskies; aged whiskies as outdated as 40 years outdated opened by the dram for customers to have an opportunity to attempt to expertise them. 

How do you see the Whisky Journey evolving three years down the street?

I hope to take Whisky Journey to a number of cities with extra fringe occasions being organised in several elements of the world for customers across the globe.

Will you deliver this occasion idea to different capital cities in Asia?

Sure. That’s undoubtedly in our plan for the following three to 5 years.

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What’s your favorite second of true accomplishment within the lifetime of Whisky Journey? 

The most important second undoubtedly comes from the grins of all my individuals and exhibitors. As a result of they’re all my stakeholders. Solely when they’re comfortable, we’re achieved. 

Are you able to share with our reader the identify of the mentor who has impressed you probably the most in your profession and life?

I’m truly very lucky to have met many individuals in my life. I consider that everybody is exclusive in their very own approach and there may be all the time one thing you possibly can study from everybody. Combining all these distinctive experiences collectively, I turned them into my very own life ideas that information me to stroll my very own path. Due to this fact I wouldn’t say there’s a single person who impressed me in my skilled life, however as a collective complete; I’ve discovered from everybody that crossed paths with me. Not too long ago, a speech by a neighborhood feminine entrepreneur resonates with this perception of mine. She stated, “One of many greatest life classes is studying learn how to admire somebody’s present with out questioning your individual”. The assertion coincides with how I consider that everybody is exclusive and as a substitute of being jealous of somebody’s expertise, we embrace and study from these folks. As a result of life isn’t about what occurred to us, however how we reply to it. You’ll be able to select to be bitter or be a greater particular person.

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