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Judges Q & A - Eddie Nara

Can you give us a quick background of your experience in the spirits industry?

I conduct tastings and masterclasses on behalf of more than 20 different spirit brands and am a spirit judge for the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC as well as the IWSC as well as being an appointed trainer for the Whisky Ambassador program in HK and consultant to a number of whisk(e)y distributors, bars, & hotels.

What are you most looking forward to at this year's HKIWSC?

I’m looking forward to catching up with fellow judges and also the opportunity to meet the VIP guest judges. It’ll also be exciting to see more entries from Asian spirits, especially the Japanese shochu and Korean soju.

Are there any current trends amongst whisky drinkers in Hong Kong & Asia?

Hong Kong and Asian drinkers tend to favor the sherry cask whiskies however other casks are also getting popular, such as port, rum, Madeira & Marsala. They are also looking for older bottlings and seeking out vintages and single cask/cask strength versions. Despite Scotch and Japanese products being popular, I also think that whisky drinkers in Asia are very open to trying whiskies from other countries like Sweden, Australia, France and Germany.

What is it about the HKIWSC that makes it stand out from other competitions?

The Asian background of the majority of the judges is unique, as they are key to finding and awarding the best wine and spirits that suit the Asian culture. The HKIWSC’s ability to promote the Asian wine and spirit brands is also important.

Judges Q & A - Eddie Nara

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