Woman sips rare whiskey and pays through the nose
The temptation to sip classic whiskey while out with friends last week turned into a nightmare for a woman who was forced to foot a bill the size of most ordinary Kenyan’s basic salary.
The woman got a rude shock at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, just a stone’s throw away from the CBD, when she got a bill of Sh27,532 for just four double tots of whiskey.
The brand, King George V, is a special edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, one of the classiest drinks in the market.
The woman, unaware of the kind of drink she had consumed, paid after hurling accusations of being conned at the hotel, but the hotel’s manager refuted her claims, insisting that the woman had been informed of the cost of the drink before being served.
Efforts to get a response from the hotel were futile.
A 750ml bottle of King George V costs $600 (about Sh51,000) and is not found at your ordinary bar.
“We don’t serve it here, as it is very expensive and only consumed by very rich patrons on very special occasions. The only places I’ve heard it being sold are Panafric, Sankara and Crowne Plaza,” said a bar tender at the Sixeighty Hotel who refused to be named, as he is not permitted to talk to the press.
According to Forbes.com, King George V was handcrafted from rare whiskies produced in distilleries that only operated in the reign of England’s King George V.
They further add that most collectors buy two bottles of the drink, one to drink, and one as an investment, as it may be worth much more in a few years.
A trip to bars, however, proved that King George V is not the most expensive whiskey in the market.
At Brew Bistro, Ngong Road, a bottle of Chivas Regal scotch whiskey goes for Sh110,000, with a tot going for Sh6,000.
Remy Martin X.O, which is a cognac, goes for Sh59,000 while a tot goes for Sh3,200.
Hennessy X.O and Martell Cordon Bleu each go for Sh46,000 while a tot is sold at Sh2,500.