Yes, I admit that stepping through the door of the new Giza Room at Drink Kong leaves you speechless.
It’s hard to describe the change in setting, mood, and atmosphere that surrounds you the moment you cross that doorway.
A private room, entirely in Japanese style, with a central communal table running along a wall made of display cases—each one holding a little treasure.
In the corner of the room there is a 40-year-old Port Ellen dominating the space. For everything else, I prefer to let the images speak for themselves.
Drink Kong is featured in the World’s 50 Best Bars 2023, the ranking of the best bars in the world, and Lorenzo Mancusi is its General Manager. Yet, it only takes a brief exchange with him to immediately sense his expertise and, above all, his passion for his work.
The Ginza Room was created in collaboration with Diageo, with the goal of making the tasting of extremely high‑quality whisky more accessible. Knowing that such an opportunity exists in Rome is, to me, quite exciting.
These are the labels available in the Ginza Room at Drink Kong:
Talisker 40 yo
Distilled: 1978 — Bottled: 2018
Single Malt – 50% ABV
Cask: Sherry Quo Vadis Amontillado by Delgado Zuleta
Number of bottles: 2000
Pittyvaich 25 yo
Distilled: 1989 — Bottled: 2015
Single Malt – 49.9% ABV
Cask: American oak and ex‑Bourbon
Number of bottles: 5922
Pittyvaich 25 yo
Distilled: 1989 — Bottled: 2019
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 51.4% ABV
Cask: Ex‑Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso Sherry
Number of bottles: 4976
Mortlach 21 yo
Distilled: 1999 — Bottled: 2020
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 56.9% ABV
Cask: Oak and Oloroso & Ximenez Sherry
Number of bottles: 7644
Oban 21 yo
Distilled: 1996 — Bottled: 2018
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 57.9% ABV
Cask: European oak
Port Ellen 40 yo – 9 Rouge Cask
Distilled: 1999 — Bottled: 2020
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 50.9% ABV
Cask: 9 different oak casks
Number of bottles: 1380
Lagavulin 26 yo
Distilled: 1994 — Bottled: 2021
Single Malt – 44.2% ABV
Cask: First‑fill Pedro Ximenez sherry and refill Oloroso sherry
Number of bottles: 7542
Dalwhinnie 30 yo
Distilled: 1989 — Bottled: 2020
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 54.7% ABV
Cask: Refill American oak Bourbon casks
Number of bottles: 7584
Inchgower 27 yo
Distilled: 1990 — Bottled: 2018
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 55.3% ABV
Cask: American oak for the first 17 years, then 10 years in European oak
Number of bottles: 5352
Glen Elgin 18 yo
Distilled: 1998 — Bottled: 2017
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 54.8% ABV
Cask: Ex‑Sherry Bodega type and refill European oak
Number of bottles: 5352
Blair Athol 23 yo
Distilled: 1993 — Bottled: 2017
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 58.4% ABV
Cask: European oak, re‑toasted, with fortified wine from Great Britain
Number of bottles: 5514
Teaninich 17 yo
Distilled: 1999 — Bottled: 2017
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 55.9% ABV
Cask: Ex‑Bourbon and ex‑Amoroso Sherry
Number of bottles: 5352
Auchroisk 25 yo
Distilled: 1996 — Bottled: 2016
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 51.2% ABV
Cask: Mix of American and European oak
Number of bottles: 3954
Cambus 40 yo
Distilled: 1975 — Bottled: 2016
Single Malt / Cask Strength – 52.7% ABV
Cask: Reused oak, known as Hogsheads
Number of bottles: 1812
Cameronbridge 26 yo
Distilled: 1996 — Bottled: 2022
Single Grain / Cask Strength – 56.2% ABV
Cask: Refill ex‑Bourbon
J.W. Blue Brora Ghost and Rare – 8 Legendary Whiskies
Blend of single malts from Brora (closed in 1983) and seven other distilleries: Cambus, Pittyvaich, Cameronbridge, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, and Royal Lochnagar.
46% ABV
J.W. Blue Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal
Blend mainly of single malts from Glenury Royal, plus Pittyvaich, Cambus, Glen Elgin, Inchgower, Glenlossie, Cameronbridge, and Glenkinchie.
43.8% ABV
J.W. Blue Ghost and Rare Port Dundas
Blend of 8 single malts:
3 from closed “ghost” distilleries — Brora, Cambus, Port Dundas
and 5 from Diageo’s reserve distilleries — Cameronbridge, Glenkinchie, Clynelish, Dailuaine, Auchroisk.
43.8% ABV
J.W. Blue Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich
Blend mainly from Pittyvaich (closed in 1993), Port Dundas, and Carsebridge, with additions from Mannochmore, Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Strathmill, and Royal Lochnagar.
57.9% ABV
J.W. Blue Ghost and Rare Port Ellen
Blend mainly from three closed distilleries — Port Ellen (closed 1983), Caledonian, Carsebridge — and five Rare Malts from Dailuaine, Mortlach, Blair Athol, Oban, and Auchroisk.
43.8% ABV
J.W. Blue 200th Anniversary
Blend of single malts from four closed distilleries (Brora, Carsebridge, Cambus, Port Dundas) and four still‑active ones (Oban, Lagavulin, Blair Athol, Teaninich).
43.8% ABV
J.W. Blue Rare Side Of Scotland
Blend of single malts from Diageo distilleries.
Dedicated to the Northern Lights and Scottish wildlife.
40% ABV
J.W. Blue Year Of The Ox
Blend of single malts from Diageo distilleries.
Dedicated to the Chinese New Year and celebrating the symbol of the Ox.
40% ABV
