Chugoku Jozo’s Sakurao Distillery has been on point this year. Their first gin releases were good. Really good — read my review here. So good, in fact, that the Sakurao Gin Original took home the Best of Gin award at this year’s Los Angeles International […]

Nikka Whisky is back with another special edition for their Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts: Manzanilla Wood Finish. This year it’s Manzanilla wood, using casks of sherries of the same name that hail from the Spanish port town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The casks were holding […]

This year’s Tokyo Whisky Festival, officially named “Whisky Festival 2018 in Tokyo,” is being held over two days for the first time in its history. It’s one of the larger whisky events, and this year marks the 11th year. The first time it was held […]

Tonight we’re drinking the latest limited edition offering from Nikka, Nikka Black Deep Blend Extra Sweet. With dwindling stocks leading to a shortage of age-statement releases, Nikka has had to get creative. Over the past couple years this has manifested itself in an onslaught of […]

Suntory and furniture maker Karimoku have teamed up to sell a version of the K Chair made from whisky casks. Slated to be released on September 28, each chair uses plenty of cask wood: 4 casks in the armrests alone, according to Karimoku. They have […]

Tokyo’s nightlife may be famous, but the party is only just starting after that last train leaves the station. What’s there to do? Shell out for a taxi to get back to your room? Sleep in a gutter? Drink more? How about… all of the […]

As Japanese whisky makers enjoy their time in the worldwide spotlight, more and more people are waking up to the reality that Japanese consumers may also know a thing or two about the ways to drink Japanese whisky. Of course there’s the izakaya staple whisky […]

If you find yourself down in Kagoshima on November 10 and 11, head on over to the Komasa Jyozo Distillery Festival for some fresh whisky. It’s a celebration of a year since Komasa kicked off operations at the Kanosuke Distillery. Don’t be fooled by the […]

2018 definitely has not been a banner year for Japanese whisky. Here in Tokyo it’s only gotten more and more difficult to find age-statement Japanese whisky at bars, let alone buy a bottle for a decent price. While we are watching several new distilleries this year, it’s going […]

Japan’s first and only Old Tom Gin comes from Japan’s first craft gin maker, the Kyoto Distillery. It’s named “Ki No Tou,” and uses brown sugar from Japan’s westernmost inhabited island of Yonaguni. That may sound familiar to anyone who visited this year’s Tokyo BarShow, […]