Moving ~ Reception
The title makes it obvious, but today we're going to a certain place.
The first place I came to was Shinjuku.
From here, we will take an express bus.
When I was a new graduate, I took an express bus between Niigata and Tokyo to save money on transportation, but it was so tough that I decided I would never use it again.This is the first time in over 10 years that I will be using an express bus.
It was easier to get to our destination this time by taking an express bus than by train.
It takes about an hour and a half to reach the destination.
It wasn't a 5 hour journey on an overnight bus, so it was still a manageable time.
It also helped that there was no one next to me.
We arrived at Gotemba Station.
Speaking of Gotemba, it is an outlet, but today we will not be visiting an outlet but the Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
There is a free shuttle bus from Gotemba Station, so we will use it.
After about 20 minutes on the shuttle bus, you will arrive at Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
When you arrive, the first thing you need to do is check in at the reception desk.
This time we will be participating in a distillery tour where you can see inside the distillery, so we will purchase a 500 yen ticket from the ticket vending machine and complete the registration process.
Distillery tours require advance reservations.
You can attend on the day if there is space, but it is best to make a reservation in advance.
shop
Due to the arrival time of the express bus, we arrived about an hour before the tour started, so we had time to head to the shop first.
Distilleries, not just Fuji Gotemba Distillery, often sell distillery-limited bottles and standard bottles, so you can enjoy shopping in addition to touring.
As a limited edition bottle, Fuji Gotemba Distillery 50th Anniversary Single Blended and Fuji Gotemba Distillery Pure Malt were on sale.
Standard bottles sold include various kinds of Fuji and Fujisanroku.
In addition, goods such as glasses and coasters, sweets, and snacks were also on sale.
After all, we are looking for Fuji Gotemba Distillery's 50th anniversary single blended wine.
It will be released in November 2023, and I tasted it during the Whiskey Festival in Tokyo held in December 2023 last year, and found it to be quite complex and delicious.
At that time, I asked the staff and was told that it was still on sale, so I came here this time.
I am relieved that I was able to purchase it safely.
By the wayThe price is 36,080 yenIt is.
If you just look at the price, it might seem expensive, but since they also use unblended whiskey from the 1970s, about 50 years ago, the price is actually cheap for whiskey lovers.
Paid tasting
In addition to tours and shopping, you can also enjoy paid tastings at the distillery.
You can sample not only the standard products, but also the distillery's limited edition products.
And best of all, it's cheap.
I think you can drink it for about half or 1/3 of the price of drinking at a bar.
The lineup for the paid tasting was as follows.
For paid tastings, order and pay at the cashier of the shop, and you will be given a piece of paper and a receipt, which you will then take to the counter.
While there is a limit of 3 drinks per person per day, I chose these 2 drinks.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery Single Malt Whiskey 17 Years Old
The photo is on the left.
I felt green apples, pears, a waxy coating, and nuts and brown sugar in the aftertaste.
Fuji's single malt has green apple elements.
The tasting price is 2,000 yen for 15ml.
By the way, this bottle cannot be purchased for tasting purposes only.
It was released in 2015, and the price at that time was 21,600 yen per bottle.
Kirin Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Fuji 30 Years Old
The photo is on the right.
I think it has a coconut-based car air freshener, grain sweetness, and a bit of Cemedine.
The taste is light, but the vanilla spreads throughout the mouth in the latter half.
The tasting price is 5,000 yen for 15ml.
By the way, this bottle can only be sampled and cannot be purchased.
Until recently, it was sold online for 275,000 yen per bottle.
The digits are not wrong. .
Tour begins
After enjoying the shop and the paid tasting, it was time for the tour to start, so I decided to join.
The first thing you see on the tour is the video.
It was a projection mapping-like video that was quite worth watching.
After watching the video, exhibits will be used to explain the history and climate of Fuji Gotemba Distillery, as well as the whiskey manufacturing process.
Distillation/pot still
This is the pot still you've been waiting for.
I think the highlight of a distillery tour is seeing the pot stills.
You will be able to see the pot still in operation through the glass.
However, you can see the pot stills that were previously used up close and feel free to touch them.
You can also check what's inside through the peephole.
Heating is achieved by passing hot steam through this tube.
Another nice feature is that you can see the actual continuous distillation machine that was previously used.
Fuji Gotemba Distillery is famous for its grain whisky.
Grain whiskey is often made in continuous stills like this, rather than in pot stills.
Grain whiskey producers in Japan are quite limited, including Suntory, Nikka, Kirin, Venture Whiskey, which will operate a grain distillery in Tomakomai from 2025, and emerging distilleries such as Yoshida Denzai Distillery in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture.
Suntory manufactures grain whiskey at the Chita Distillery, but it is not open to the general public for tours.
Nikka manufactures grain whiskey at the Miyagikyo Distillery, but you cannot enter the building where the continuous distillation machine is located.
The Yoshida Denzai Distillery is also not open to the general public.
Although you cannot see the continuous distillation machine that is in operation here at Fuji Gotemba Distillery, you can actually see the real thing, although it was used in the past.
fermentation
Next is the fermentation process.
Since it is behind glass, you cannot see the aroma or see the state of the fermentation tank, but you can also see the relatively new wooden vat fermentation tank.
Barrel filling
This time I visited on a Saturday, so it wasn't in operation, but you can see how the barrels are filled.
You can also touch actual barrels and barrel plugs (dowel plugs).
ripening
Next is how it matures.
You can see the storage for samples and exhibitions, not the actual storage.
It's not just about aging whiskey; there is an appropriate number of years for each type of whiskey to age.
If it is too young, the so-called alcohol attack will be strong, and if it is too long, the whiskey will have a bitter, barrel-like or glue-like taste.
If you're a whiskey lover or have been to other distilleries, you've probably heard that it's important to determine the appropriate age for aging.
What I thought was interesting when I heard that it is possible to make whiskey by aiming for a certain appropriate age, such as having the whiskey reach its peak after three years.
It's the 50th anniversary, so a certain amount of knowledge has been accumulated.
labeling
Although it was not in operation, you can also see the labeling process.
I think people who want to see the labeling must be serious enthusiasts, but I think this is the only distillery where you can see the labeling process.
Tasting
After the tour, it's time for a long-awaited tasting.
As a tastingfuji single grain” and “Land” I was able to receive two types.
fuji single grain
I haven't had much experience with Fuji so far, but I can definitely feel the sweetness of the grain, even though it has a bit of a bourbon-like nuance.
From April 2024, the price of Suntory Chita will increase to 6,000 yen, but I think Fuji is sold for around 5,000 yen, and there are no plans to raise the price at the moment, so I hope it will be the one to replace Chita.
Land
I think this is one that you can find in supermarkets.
We also have carbonated water and ice, so you can make a highball to your liking.
I had it as a highball, but personally I think I would prefer it with a coke as it has a stronger bourbon flavor.
After the tasting, I had already completed the shop and tour, so I boarded the shuttle bus and left the distillery.
Impressions
As for the tour, I have also visited Suntory and Nikka distilleries, but I think the guide at Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery this time gave the most thorough explanation.
As for the exhibits, I thought it might be a little underwhelming, as there are some distilleries where you can see the actual aging cellar, see the pot stills directly rather than through glass, and see the fermentation tank up close and see the aroma and fermentation process.
I felt that there were things that could only be seen here, such as being able to touch the pot stills, continuous distillation machines, and barrels that were used in the past, and if they were in operation, you could see the process of filling and labeling the barrels.
It's relatively easy to access from Tokyo, and it's relatively easy to make reservations for a tour, so if you've never been before, please give it a try.
Bonus (sushi and shimen)
I visited Fuji Gotemba Distillery, but this was not my only purpose.
The main purpose is to be held tomorrow.Whiskey Lovers Nagoya” On my way from Tokyo to Nagoya, I took a detour and visited Fuji Gotemba Distillery to participate in a whiskey event called “Fuji Gotemba Distillery.”
After arriving at Gotemba Station, I took a shuttle bus to Numazu and took a train to Numazu.Numazu Uogashi Sushi Edomae Sushi Numazu Branch” to satisfy your hunger.
There are also stores in Tokyo.Numazu Uogashi SushiAlthough it was a store belonging to the ``Numazu Group,'' I was satisfied because it seemed to carry local products from Numazu.
After dinner, move on to Mishima.
By the way, you need to take a detour to get to the opposite exit at Numazu Station and Mishima Station, so please be careful not to exit at the wrong ticket gate.
From Mishima, take the Shinkansen and head to Nagoya.
After arriving at Nagoya Station, there is a ``Kishimen Sumiyoshi JR Nagoya Station Shinkansen Outbound Platform Store'I'll have some shimen noodles.
Although the noodles are frozen, you can enjoy the firmness and smooth texture that only frozen noodles can provide.
The soup has a strong soup stock, and I think it's a soup stock from Kansai, which is different from the standing soba noodles in Tokyo.
It's the most normal kishimen, but it has fried rice in it.
I feel like this is the most delicious.
If you want to enjoy the atmosphere, there is ``Miya Kishimen Jingu branch' is also recommended, but considering the location and cost performance, 'Living is good”I think so.
It's also available on the downbound platform (bound for Osaka) when heading from Tokyo, and also on the upbound platform heading toward Tokyo, so if you want to eat it, you can eat it both when you arrive and when you leave.
After dinner, we will head out into the streets of Nagoya.
I would like to separately introduce the accommodation I stayed in, the food I ate, and the whiskey event this time in Nagoya.
To be continued. .
