After a trip to Kavalan that was a bit of a disappointment I was in the mood for more whisky. Like Homer Simpson at the fish buffet, I had not had all I could drink. Whisky Aura was the obvious solution. 

Tucked away up a staircase around the corner from Shuancheng Night Market, this little bar can be easily missed if you’re not looking for it. The theme of Whisky Aura is old and rare. Much of the collection is Single Malt Scotch with a smattering of Taiwanese, Japanese and American bottles and that’s not a surprise if you’ve been anywhere else for whisky in Taiwan.

The titular aura of the place is peaceful. There’s a sound system pumping out relaxed beats and the space itself is neutral, with white walls and countertops designed to draw your focus to the artwork – or the vast lineup of whisky bottles!

Taking a seat at the long bar that feels more like a kitchen island you are given water and an invitation to stroll around the collection to pick something to drink. This is an experience I’ve had a couple of times in Taiwan now but being invited to wander round, handle bottles and ask questions is far from the norm in a bar in the UK.

Pours come in two sizes here, 10ml and 20ml, with the staff happy to price up bigger if needed. This is obviously lower than most bars but given the rarity of what’s on offer it’s better for everyone. You can try more, and hurt your wallet less. Prices are listed clearly on the bottles and you can browse the full selection online. £1 = $42NTD at the time of our visit. 

I decided to start with an old, dusty bourbon. This Henry Mckenna is dated between 1955-1965 and had a sweaty umami note on the nose. Think animal hide rather than leather. There’s soy sauce in there too. If this was an off note, it was at the most olfactorally interesting end of the spectrum. I kept coming back to this nose.

The palate was like a classic Kentucky bourbon with caramel, grape and apple. However, the sweat creeps in there too, giving childhood memories of school changing rooms, before returning to a classic short bourbon finish. This is what I imagine the bourbons in Red Dead Redemption 2 taste like, drunk amid the aromas of 19th century frontiers. As someone who chases odd whiskey  I wouldn’t go back but I’m glad I tried it.

Whisky Aura is all about the Scotch so I moved onto that next with a 23 year old Glendullan from 1976. Glendullan today is my favourite of the Singleton brands and the one I look out for Special Releases or Independent Bottlings from so I was excited to try something this old. The high ABV meant all I got at first was vapours on the nose. Giving it a bit more time (and water) brought out some pine, cola and apple.

This whisky was very drinkable at over 62%! The palate was very reminiscent of modern Glendullan. Pear orchards with slight earthiness, but wallops of vanilla custard too when some water was added. Finish has a green tea bitterness sneak though to the fore, roasted. Tannins and grass. This is why I love Glendullan. This is a luxury dram that’s accessible to beginners. It fits the definition of “smooth” and “balanced” for my palate when the ABV is tamed into the 50% region.

I spent a long time looking at bottles before settling for a 1979 Glenfiddich bottled in 1993. This is one of the gentle Speyside distilleries that I really get on with older products . On most days I’m one for big, beefy drams. The nose is the expected apples and sultanas. Disappointing at first for an old IB bottling. However, the palate had a lot more to chat about. It was more like an apple Danish with a fattiness going on. The finish changes things up and dries out almost like a Fino finished whisky or a rancio heavy Cognac. It’s unexpectedly long and punches above the 46% ABV.

Whilst I picked all my drams myself, the team spoke great English and were happy to chat about whisky and make recommendations. They also had special offers available like a 1962 Macallan for $999 NTD (£23.70). Not one I’m going to go wild for, but I certainly know a few people that would have leapt at the chance.

The prices at Whisky Aura aren’t cheap enough to make jumping on a flight across the world worth it, but they absolutely deliver value over drinking at home in the UK. If you’re in Taipei this bar is a solid evening out, with a night market around the corner for cheap eats. If you don’t want to take our word for it you can view their bottles online here.