Japan’s Tryst with Whisky: Yamazaki Distillery

Established in 1932 at Shimamoto, Yamazaki is the first ever commercial whisky distillery built in Japan. The ‘Whisky Library’ it is known for, has seven thousand unblended bottles on display. Soaring remarks by visitors from across the world earned the place the prestigious ‘Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year’ title at icons of Whisky, 2015.

Shinjiro Torii, Japan’s master blender initiated the build of this distillery. 1929 saw the launch of the first whisky in Japan, released at a price competitive with other well-known scotch brands in Japan. 1984 marked a significant year with the release of the most admired, Yamazaki 12 Years single malt whisky – an expression of craftsmen’s devotion towards concocting spirits.

The Whisky Museum

Today, the distillery boasts of its highly acclaimed whisky museum that exhibits close to 7000 varieties of malt whiskies. It hosts a tasting corner that offers free trial of whiskies sourced from across the world. You get to experience the aroma of spirits distilled through various methods. The panel and videos display the entire history of the distiller, and that of whiskey in Japan. It offers a soothing environment while you enjoy free drinks at the tasting corner.

A Glimpse of the Products

Yamazaki single malt whiskey earned colossal fame for its brilliant aroma, in the international spirits contest. What sets it apart are the different categories that let you experience disparate fruit and flower fragrances. When you visit Yamazaki, don’t forget to try the 12 Years Succulent with Soft fruit, 18 Years Rich with mature fall fruit, and 25 Years Deep and complex with dried fruit.

The Niche Whisky Fringe Festival at Edinburgh

Edinburgh Whisky Fringe is in its sixteenth year now. Over time it has gained the reputation of being one of the most remarkable attractions in the list of global whisky events. The tickets for the three day festival are limited to four hundred and fifty each day. This allows only a significantly small number of lucky people, to experience the beauty and grandeur of Mansfield Traquair, and sample two hundred and fifty whiskies spread over twenty eight stands.

King's County Distillery: New York’s Oldest

They say old is gold. Old distilleries hold an irresistible charm for any whisky lover. And, a search for the oldest operating whisky distillery in New York will lead you to the King’s County Distillery. Standing in a corner on the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this 117-year old distillery was America’s first to open after the Prohibition Era. Beginning the journey in a tiny room in East Williamsburg, the distillery shifted to the waterfront Paymaster Building, a stone’s throw away from the landmark where the Brooklyn Whisky War of 1860s was fabled to have taken place. The King’s County Distillery strikes a note of symphony between the traditional, and the modern. The distillery uses copper stills imported from Scotland with hand-built wooden fermenters sourced locally in their distillation process. It remains one of the oldest, and the most prominent craft distilleries of New York, well known for producing corn whiskey, and bourbon.

Van Brunt Stillhouse: The Artisanal Whisky Haven

Van Brunt Stillhouse is an artisanal brewery located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. Named after Cornelius Van Brunt, one of the neighbourhood’s founding fathers, it dates back to the pre-Prohibition era. The distillery sources local ingredients for its whiskies, which have a mash bill of a minimum of 51 percent rye. They are unfiltered, and aged in charred oak barrels of American oak. There are four main types of whiskey that are produced here.