Independent Bottler

Hello and welcome to my page. “Lim 林” is my family name and in Chinese, it is defined as woods or forests. If you separate the family name into two, this character “木” means wood and wood is crucial in making a good cask. And casks are crucial for whisky.

As Malaysia's first Independent Bottler and also a true whisky lover, I'm honoured to have started my own label in 2014 and this enables me to select wonderful casks of spirits, not only whisky but also rum and other beverages with my husband, Luc Timmermans for all aficionados out there.

Please feel free to explore my range of carefully selected spirits and beverages.

Pic Credit : @FirstClasseMalaysia

Lifelong Mission

The whisky selection which both my husband and I have chosen are based simply on 3 criterias. First of all the taste of the whisky has to be better than good because good is simply not good enough. Second, the whisky has to be highly quaffable where one have to feel the pleasure of drinking our whisky. And lastly, we strive for a good price-quality ratio. We avoid choosing casks from only famous distillery and overpriced whisky. We bring variety to the whisky market with reasonable prices so that no one is obliged to keep my bottles as an investment and not to open them. We want whiskylovers to open and savour every bottle and share them with friends or even with us!

Over the years, we strive in bringing the best selection of beverages into the market by having released a high quality cask-aged Vermouth and handcrafted Asian-Inspired Gins for the bars and end consumers. It's our lifelong commitment to quality and a mission to discover more unique beverages that we would like to share with the community.

- EILING LIM -

Our Services

CASK SOURCING

If you are looking for a professional company to source for a particular whisky cask from Scotland, feel free to get in touch with me.

PRIVATE BOTTLING

Private bottlings of whisky are also part of my business. If you are interested to have your own private label, feel free to get in touch with me.

My Selections

WHISKY

Every whisky release is from one single cask only, cask strength, without chill-filtration and colouring. The whisky casks are carefully selected for their quality.

SMALL BATCH GINS

My pet project for 2 years to create a small batch handcrafted gin using South East Asian ingredients such as Pandan, Nangka (Jackfruit) and Galangal. These gins are distilled in Belgium with only the best ingredients and botanicals.

CASK-AGED VERMOUTH

These vermouth are aged in oak casks from the Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta in La Rioja, Spain. The high quality vermouth results in a smooth and complex aperitive that it can be served on its own or on the rocks.

The Classic Range

These releases are the perfect example of well made single malts that were carefully selected and tasted again and again to ensure we would only bottle them if they were deserving enough.

The labels are colour-coded according to the different whisky regions:

Red - Lowlands
Blue - Speyside
Green - Highlands
Yellow - Islands
Grey - Irish Single Malt

Littlemill 1990/2013, 23yo, 49.8%, 1st Release, 68 bottles only

Nose: needs ten minutes in the glass. It starts on grasses, sweet grains and apples, which may seem a tad generic, but it would be short-sighted to stop there. After a while it becomes warmer than most other Littlemills, and wider: quite some vanilla, marzipan and buttercups. The typical, half-tropical fruitiness too: pineapple, all kinds of citrus, hints of creamy papaya and top notes of passion fruits. Excellent, especially with the added beeswax. Mouth: more directly fruity. Lots of tangerine

Ben Nevis 1970/2014, 43yo, 44.8%, 2nd Release, 60 bottles only

Colour: gold. Nose: ah yes, this very idiosyncratic mix of rose-scented soap (which isn’t exactly soapy) and carbon paper at first nosing, followed by several tropical fruits such as papayas and mangos. After two or three minutes, rather more almonds as well as hints of marshmallows and bubblegum, which is very Ben Nevis indeed. Tree bark. After all these years it’s still the distillate that remained quite vocal, but it’s true that there isn’t the usual heavy sherry that’s often to be found in o

Clynelish 1997/2014, 16yo, 50.2%, 3rd Release, 70 bottles only

Colour: straw. Nose: a wee tad more mineral, a notch chalkier – in a good way – and globally a little more on dry white wine. Say a blend of sauvignon blanc with bone dry riesling. Less lemons and quinces. With water: becomes grassier and earthier. Damp earth. Mouth (neat): again, it’s a little more mineral, more herbal, even a little mentholy. With water: the lemons are back, together with a wee medicinal side. Chlorophyll and menthol. Finish: long, with a little aniseed this time. A little van

Littlemill 1991/2013, 22yo, 47.2%, 4th Release, 40 bottles only

Nose: all sorts of lemon really. Lemon juice, lemon candy, lemon balm, lemon yoghurt… Right, grapefruit as well. Some apple peelings and honey. Evolves to lemon marshmallow, nice. Hints of muesli and dried grass on a second level. Some gravel and dust after a while. Mouth: same story, lemon all over. Sharper zesty notes, crystallized lemons, grapefruits. Then some sweeter notes of tangerines and lemon candy too, maybe a few golden raisins. Verbena. The whole spectrum. Finish: medium long, stays

Glen Keith 1992/2014, 21yo, 48.2%, 5th Release, 48 bottles only

A seductive and truly irresistible blend of gristy barley, delicate, understated smoke and citrus. Wow...! perhaps the best example of a nose being converted to an exact match on the palate you’ll need this year. Except here there is extra clarity and juiciness; the smoke gathers, as do the spices. Elegantly, of course...; Glen Keith was used for a time by Chivas as a distillery to make their peated malt. There is peat on this, albeit in delicate amounts. But this bottling certainly underlines t

Irish “Peated” Single Malt 1991/2014, 22yo, 48.6%, 6th Release, 116bts

Nose: my first impression was a slightly bigger peatiness, but this levels out over time. This one is maybe slightly less sweet on the nose, but it does have a clear buttery / toffee note that the TNOTDD doesn’t have. Similar fruitiness (pear, maracuya, mango, banana) alongside the subtle peat and ever so light medicinal notes (menthol). Mouth: almost identical to the other cask, hard to set apart. A sweet, tropical fruitiness mixed with subtle peat that seems older than it actually is (1960’s B

Bunnahabhain 1980/2014, 34yo, 46.2%, 7th Release, 50 bottles only

Profound sea salt and a more austere ozone lead. A vague citrus note ensures a different kind of freshness; lands as lightly as the red-breasted catcher I saw jump up and down from the distillery’s telephone pole all those years ago...; a sharpness indicates a degree of tiredness, but as soon as this shows, a squadron of spices and varied honey tones make an elegant entrance...; begins as a light layering of tannin which skips towards a medium roast Java before more spices intervene...then re-se

Littlemill 1990/2014, 24yo, 46.8%, 8th Release, 113 bottles only

On the nose, this Littlemill reveals a complex intertwined of aromas from vanilla, honey, candied lemon, warm pineapples and bread dough. On the palate, it has hints of lemon zest, the waxiness and honey notes were present and coupled with creaminess of the whisky, it sends a warm feeling throughout the body. Another bottle one could easily finish while playing poker.

Auchentoshan 1992/2015, 23yo, 45.7%, 9th Release, 132 bottles only

Colour: white wine. Nose: similar style, except that the tart fruitiness is wider, possibly thanks to the extra-years of maturing. So lemon and grapefruit again, but also peaches and pink bananas, as well as touches of guavas. In a way, it's a rather Littlemilly Auchentoshan, if I may. Which is good, of course. Mouth: same feelings, even if it's more citric again. Lemon, both as fresh fruits and as drops, marshmallows, green apples, and once again a development that's rather tropical, around pas

Glenlossie 1992/2015, 23yo , 51.1%, 10th Release, 100 bottles only

Nose: a bit shy at first and rather unmodern. Hints of flax and waxy crayons. Apple peel, overripe melon and boiled grains. Hay and old flowers. Wet limestone and chalk. Whiffs of linseed oil and eucalyptus as well. I would probably have guessed this was a Lowlands nose. Mouth: still a subdued, green fruitiness, with more grassy notes and flashes of minerals. Vague peaches but they are gone quickly. Chamomile tea. Faint floral notes. Liquorice and herbal potions, including a light hint of quinin

Caol Ila 2006/2015, 9yo, 51.2%, 11th Release, 109 bottles only

Nose: crystal clear. Its dry character comes out first, with salty sea spray, fennel, hessian and medium smoke. Then it becomes slightly rounder, with almonds and berries. Mouth: oily mouthfeel, plenty of peaty notes at first, joined by sweet fruits (oranges, golden raisins). Rather creamy. Some pecans and charred oak. Aromatic rose pepper and floral hints. Fades nicely on cigar leaves and smoke. Finish: long, warm, with ashes, as well as a more medicinal edge and liquorice.

Given the age, this

Old Speyside 1973/2016, 43yo, 47.8%, 12th Release, 118 bottles only

Nose: full of beehive notes, beeswax, pollen, with some old and rather fragrant, minty oak, or sandalwood. Quite some blonde tobacco too. Orange peels, greengages, hints of dried apricot and herbal honey. Mentholated notes. Light exotic spices. Very light flinty / resinous notes in the background. Mouth: oak spices, again with this resinous feeling and bright tobacco notes. Fruit teas, pollen, a little mead. The wood brings freshness instead of a tannic dryness. Something of a fruity hoppy note

Glenrothes 1997/2016, 19yo , 50.2%, 13th Release, 201 bottles only

For the very 1st time, a very beautiful sherry whisky will be introduced in the classic range of my whisky releases. It was a lucky encounter that we came across this wonderful 19-year-old Glenrothes distilled 1997 and bottled 2016 (50.2% abv, 201 bottles only) matured in a first-filled Pedro Ximenez sherry cask. Together with a few whisky enthusiast friends, we tasted this whisky in different parts of the world before we decide to bottle it as my 13th Release.

Tasting notes:

Colour: A very di

Bowmore 2002/2017, 15yo, 52.2%, 14th Release, 68 bottles only

Nose: Nice intertwine of peat & fruit, smoked coconut
husks, caramelised santan (coconut cream), smoky caramel and toffee-edged gula melaka (palm sugar), white peaches, reminds me of Bowmore 93’ and Kuih Kosui (an all time favourite Nyonya delicacy)
Palate & Finish : Fruity, mild peat, sea breeze, white peaches, BBQ smoked sea salt, passion fruit, white
pepper and oysters. Feels like eating a ripe passion fruit on Lagavulin Bay on a windy morning. Creamy and extremely long finish.

Glen Keith 1993/2017, 24yo, 50.8%, 15th Release, 96 bottles only

Nose: Coconut, dark fruits, menthol, leather, Japanese sencha, cornflakes, physalis, unripe bananas, honey and almonds.
Palate & Finish : Menthol, green grass, riesling, dry leaves, oranges and tangerines, very pure and
clean palate. Cherries on the finish together with creaminess of chocolate. Medium finish.

Benriach 1999/2018, 19yo, 55%, Joint Bottling with Shinanoya Tokyo

1st collaboration together as independent whisky bottlers from Asia. Shinanoya, a very renowned and leading whisky retailer in Japan will be sharing this cask of Benriach 1999 together with me. Only 250 bottles.

Nose: Cooked apples, hay, heather, underlying notes of butterscotch, hints of marzipan and menthol giving it a fresh note, wood shavings, caramelised bananas on a BBQ, almonds and wafts of brown crusts on a freshly baked bread.
Palate & Finish: A bold and creamy whisky with warm notes o

Littlemill 1989/2014, 24yo, 50%, 60 bottles only

Exclusively bottled for La Casa Del Habano for the opening of the new outlet in Hasselt, Belgium.

The Zen Label

This label consists of quality dram from casks that the distillery could not be make known.

17yo Orkney Single Malt 2000/2017, 51.8%, 96 bts

This is from a very famous distillery on the Orkney island. It's not difficult to guess which one that was linked to the vikings.

Nose:
Hints of honey, vanillin, eucalyptus, fresh morning grass, fresh almonds & “ciku” (sapodilla)

Palate & Finish :
Leather, liquorice, passion fruit, vanilla, heather, hints of spice, ginger and sea salt. Waxy and medium long finish with hints of
peat, freshly cut wood and very easy drinking.

15yo Irish Single Malt 2002/2017, 57.7%, 150 bts

This Irish distillery is unknown.

Nose:
Green apples, bubble gum fruitiness, a grassy touch, hints of vanilla & menthol and a breeze
of refreshing fruitiness.

Palate & Finish :
Typical Irish triple-distilled filled with sweet fruitiness, fruity bubble gum, waxy and it coats the tongue. The finish is medium to long. Very alluring whisky which is highly drinkable. Perfect for a summer night.

25yo Speyside Single Malt 1995/2017, 49,7%, 130bts

This is from a very famous Speyside distillery since 1822.

Nose:
Ripe apricots, coconut, fresh dough, like walking into a warm bakery, interwoven aromas of fruit basket, very fine vanilla notes that shine through, elegant touch of oak, butterscotch, a jar of gummy bears and a hint of citrus.

Palate & Finish :
Fresh. No wood detected on the palate. Sweet notes, fruitiness, bakery, slight spiciness, butterscotch, velvety and complex with layers and layers of flavours building up. Super l long fi

Official Bottling & Others

Glenfarclas 37 yo 1979 (46,9%, OB for Eiling Lim 2016, plain oak cask #8818, 188 bottles only.

It seems that this baby came from a plain hogshead, not from a sherry cask. Colour: gold. Nose: exactly the opposite of the Cadenhead. This is much cleaner and brighter, starting with tangerine syrup and jam, as well as wee whiffs of camphor and mint. Rather goes on with Sancerre-y notes, grapefruits, limestone, marzipan, and wee touches of preserved pineapples. Really very lovely fresh nose. Mouth: a

Irish Single Malt 1989/2016, 27yo, 45%, TWA & Eiling Lim, 177 Bottles

Nose: classic Limerick style. Passion fruits, mango cake, banana, papaya. A very fresh fruit salad. Hints of lime blossom. Very subtle bergamot and slightly greener, minty touches. A fruit bomb that’s all about freshness and brightness – very seductive. Mouth: more fruit juice (passion fruits, lime, banana, kiwi) – kind of a summery white wine feeling. Evolves more towards fruit teas, with a light greenness. More towards grapefruits as well. Finish: rather long. Never change a winning horse. A b

Laphroaig 2011/2017 , 6yo, 51.5%, Exclusively for Wholly Spirits Msia

First collaboration with my distributor in Malaysia which I selected this cask of Laphroaig for their first bottling. This might look like a young cask but it's full of character.

Nose: Plums, hints of oak and peat, dark chocolate, dry nori, green bamboo leaves, sugar cane, bread dough, coconut water, charred BBQ, smoked fat of Rubia Gallega and sherry caramel.

Palate & Finish : Charred BBQ roast, roasted meat, smokiness from Lapsang Souchong tea, herbaceous. In my opinion, this is a very

Exquisite 35yo, 46,2%, Scotch Whisky , 88 bottles

Distilled in 1980, this is a old-style sherry bomb blended malt scotch whisky which I bottled it specially for the ocassion of my 35 years old birthday. I kept the bottles for 4 years before deciding to release them for the special ocassion.

The Extra-Oldinary Whisky

These are the whisky I bottled way back in Nov 2015 when the NAS whisky were starting to flood the market. If you look beyond the labels, you will find these drams turned out to be real gems!

Older than Old Blended Malt Whisky, 46.5%, Not so many bottles

It contains Old Highland and Speyside malts from the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s that are vatted together in a sherry cask to produce a smooth and old-style whisky lingering experience.

Nose: aromatic sherry up front. Fruity (oranges, apricots, plums) with light savoury touches and a pleasant acidity. A little Earl Grey and linseed oil. Chocolate. After a while there’s more tobacco, honey coated roasted nuts and a light earthy hint. Delicate spices. Beautiful. Mouth: more plums and sherry. Kumquats. Wee

Bessie's Dram - Single Islay Malt, 51.3%, Not so many bottles

Named after Bessie Williamson, being the first woman to manage a Scotch whisky distillery during the 20th century and former owner of the Laphroaig distillery, I think I don’t have to mention the origins of this whisky bottling.

Nose: simple, and simply right, a high-end distillate. Clean phenolic smoke, with a pear sweetness behind it, almost mezcal if not for the beach sand, oysters, saltwater and such. Not as medicinal as the double-digit expressions. Lemons and mint.

Mouth: more mezcal cha

Tennessee Whisky, 51.5%, Not so many bottles

This is a sour mash bourbon from one of the oldest distilleries in Tennessee that is proud to call these "whisky" instead of "whiskey".

Nose: nice honey and oranges at first, with bright spearmint. Nicely fat, syrupy notes, then also hints of bread. Lots of vanilla marshmallows. Cherries and sultanas. Certainly the smoothest of the trio. After a while there’s also a highly refreshing citrusy side, say lemon pie.

Mouth: sweet, with some fruity notes before it goes towards more wood (pencil sha

Other Spirits & Beverages

Vermouth Wen & Shun

n exceptional vermouth, handmade by Martínez Lacuesta since 1937, is held to be one of the finest aperitifs. The “botanicals” or herbal extracts (herbs and aromatic plants cold-macerated in white wine) are aged in French oak barrels for 14 months and then added to the white base wine along with sugar, citric acid, caramel and alcohol.

This is a rare bottling where casks 1 & 2 are handpicked by Eiling Lim & Luc Timmermans from the other vermouth casks in the bodegas specially for these 2 private

Gin - Gawky Galangal, Nasty Nangka & Pandan Predator

The flavours may be Malaysian, but the gin itself is made in Belgium’s Flanders region, the birthplace of jenever, the forefather of gin. It is produced at De Cort Distillery, run by a distiller named Manu De Cort, who only makes only about 30,000 bottles a year.

Since De Cort prefers to work with fresh ingredients, I had to source and fly these ingredients in from South East Asia. About 40kg of jackfruit is used for this first batch of 500 bottles. Most importantly are the 3 botanicals - Pand

Belize Rum 10 YO Eiling Lim

This is a joint bottling between an independent bottler, The Duchess in Holland and myself for the first time.

On the nose, you’ll get notes of butterscotch, caramel, cassonade sugar, eucalyptus, menthol, leather, and hints of espresso, syrup from Liège and a whiff of pinetree. On the palate, I tasted a dry and sweet combination of molasses and caramel, creme brûlée, cherries and espresso. The finish is extremely long, warming, smooth and well-balanced.