[One of Japan's Largest!!] Whisky Festival 2024 in Tokyo Report

Whiskey Festival 2024 in Tokyo

“Whiskey Festival 2024 in Tokyo”.

Whisky Festival－ウイスキーフェスティバル

ウイスキーフェスティバルは国内最大級のウイスキーイベントです。

whiskyfestival.jp

Two sessions are held each day, and this time I participated in the third session.

If the event is divided into several parts, some brands may be sold out and unavailable for purchase in the latest part, so we recommend participating in the earliest part if possible.

However, if you are looking for a limited edition bottle, the atmosphere can be brutal, especially in the first part, so if you want to enjoy it more leisurely, you may want to participate in a later part.

I participated last year as well, and the situation at that time was ``here』。

[The Finale of 2023!!] Whisky Festival in Tokyo 2023 Report

ウイスキーフェスティバルin東京2023 2023年12月2日（土）、3日（日）に開催された『ウイスキーフェスティバルin東京2023』に参加してきました。 第1部：12/2（土） 10:00 - 13:30 第2部：12/2（土） 14:

nww-blog.com

Participation fee

Tickets sold out within two weeks after they went on sale.

It is likely that the next event will be sold out quickly, so if you are planning on going, we recommend purchasing tickets in advance.

Entrance waiting line

The opening time was 10:00, but we arrived around 9:30.

At this point, based on a visual count, there were over 200 people in line.

Event-limited bottles may be sold at each booth on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you're sure you want it, you'll probably need to line up earlier. .

Introduction of brands sampled

Now, I would like to introduce all the brands that I sampled this time.

1st cup: Shinanoya Imperial 1995 24 Year Barrel for SHINANOYA

First of all, I'm going to try a good bottle with a paid tasting while I'm not drunk.

Imperial is a closed distillery that closed in 2005.

I could really feel the peach flavor that is characteristic of long-ripened Imperials, and I thought it was a little woody, but I think it's delicious.

It costs about 50,000 yen per bottle, which is expensive if you just look at the price, but releases from other bottlers cost around 100,000 yen, so I think it's cheap compared to those.

I'm sure the price will go up in the future, so I'd like to own one now.

By the way, a lottery was held at a later date, and unfortunately I didn't win.

2nd cup: Shinanoya Antique Blended 1976 47 years for SANSIBAR × SHINANOYA JAPONISM

This is a Highland teaspoon malt with a hit year of 76.

Since the inside is Secret Highland, there is a debate as to whether it is Tomatin or Glenmorangie, but personally I think it is Tomatin.

It was very fruity, and although it wasn't quite lychee, I did feel the nuances of white fruit.

I drank it quickly because it was a tasting, but I think the nuances will change if you wait a while or let the bottle run down.

3rd Cup: Maltyama Scapa 2001 22 Years 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel for Maltyama 11th Anniversary

The refreshingness of the citrus and the juiciness of the apple were both impressive and delicious.

This was also a tasting, so I drank it quickly, but I think it would be better to wait some time and wait for the bottle to run down before drinking.

4th cup: Rudder Hyakusei Fuma Saburomaru Single Cask FOR THE ULTIMATE SPIRITS

Image right

This is Saburomaru, a single malt single cask.

It had a lot of peat, and I felt the nuances of red fruits such as apples.

Up until now, Saburomaru had felt the nuances of yellow fruit, so I think I was able to see a different side of him that I had never tasted before.

5th glass: Rudder Hyakusei Fuma BLENDED MALT BY Saburomaru Distillery “LESS IS MORE”

Above image left

This is Saburomaru from Blended.

I felt the gentle peat and brown sugar sweetness.

Personally, I preferred blended.

I made a mistake in forgetting to apply for both lottery tickets. .

6th glass: Single Malt Kanosuke The Mellow Bar Reserve

Image in front

This is Kanosuke's single malt that was released for duty free stores around mid-November.

The alcohol content of the ones sold nationwide is 48%, but this one is 55%.

What's more, the unblended sake from Mizunara barrels is also vatted, which means they use luxurious unblended sake.

As for the taste, I felt an apple-like nuance, and I had the impression that it had a scent of Quercus oak.

This was delicious, so I would like to buy it if I have a chance to go abroad.

7th cup: Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY The Mellow Bar Reserve

middle of the image above

Three bottles have been released for duty-free stores, and the next one is DOUBLE DISTILLERYDD (commonly known as DD).

Since it is a DD, unblended sake from Kanosuke Distillery and Hioki Distillery is vatted.

This has an alcohol content of 58% and is also made from Mizunara oak barrels.

Personally, I didn't find it stinging, as I felt the brown sugar and kelp flavor, which I personally don't like. .

8th cup: Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL The Mellow Bar Reserve

Above image back

The last stop for duty free shops is Hioki Distillery.

It has the highest alcohol content of the three at 61%.

Hioki itself is based on single pot still bourbon and Irish whiskey, but personally I don't like bourbon or single pot still. .

I felt the flavor, which I don't like, on full blast. .

I thought I was overcoming my weaknesses recently, but it seems like I still need more practice. .

9th Cup: Lagavulin Diageo Special Release 2024

The 2024 edition of Diageo Special Release has already been released overseas, and I think it has finally arrived in Japan.

Recent Diageo special releases have often been in strange casks such as tequila casks, but this time they used 1st fill and refill bourbon casks, aged for 12 years, and had a cask strength of 57.4%, which is finally a decent release.

It has a bit of spiciness from the barrel, but it also gives you a strong sense of Lagavulin's peat sweetness, so I think it's a good bottle to buy.

10th cup: Niigata Kameda 2021 3rd year

This is the 3rd year of Niigata Kameda, which is an event-limited bottle of this Whiskey Festival 2024 in Tokyo.

This will be the first single malt release.

This is my personal favorite distillery, but unfortunately I didn't win the lottery and was unable to purchase it. .

If that's the case, I thought I'd at least have a drink, so I did.

It has a rich honey taste, a hint of kelp that I don't like, spiciness, a slight alcohol attack from its youth, and a hint of apple in the aftertaste.

If it's been 3 years, it's delicious enough, and I think we can look forward to the future, even if you exclude the fact that it's a popular distillery.

It seems that an official single malt will be released next year in 2025, so I would like to keep up with it.

11th Cup: Maker’s Mark Private Selection Ken’s Choice × Y’s Cask

It had a taste that was full of woodiness, and it was delicious.

Even though I am slightly overcoming my dislike of bourbon, I found it easy to drink and delicious even though I still don't like bourbon.

12th Cup: Shindo Distillery Newborn Bourbon Barrel

This distillery is located in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Bourbon barrel aged for 26 months.

I think it's delicious as a sweet whisky, with hints of banana and a sticky sweetness like sugar.

13th cup: Shindo Distillery Newborn Mizunara Barrel

This is an unprocessed sake aged for 28 months in Mizunara barrels.

Personally, I preferred the bourbon barrel because it was full of youth and had a hint of thorny wood.

14th cup: Asaka Koriyama EDITION Ⅰ

On the palate, I felt a hint of plum, and towards the end I felt a tropical element.

This one was talked about as being delicious, and I could see why.

15th glass: Asaka Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Reserve

The taste is plum-like, and the second half is red wine-like, with sweetness and some tannins, which I think will appeal to some people.

I think it will appeal to people who like red wine.

16th cup: THE YUZA Lion Label

To commemorate Mitsukoshi's 110th anniversary, Yusa Distillery's unblended sake was selected.

Speaking of Mitsukoshi, there is a lion statue, the lion is the king of beasts, and this bottle commemorates the 110th anniversary.

Even though we used Quercus oak barrels, there are many cask finishes that use Quercus oak barrels at the end with Bourbon barrels in the middle, but this is a fully matured product that has been aged in Quercus oak barrels for the entire period.

The nuances of Quercus oak and the fruitiness of Yusa's unblended sake match well.

This was delicious.

17th cup: Myaoi GIN Embrase-moi

It's not whiskey, it's gin.

It is said that white peach is used as a botanical, so it has a strong peach flavor.

It's delicious as is, but tonic is also good, but I thought it would be better with soda.

18th cup: Myaoi GIN Hatsukoi

This is also not whiskey but gin.

It is said that it is inspired by osmanthus, and it is certainly delicious with a citrus-like nuance similar to osmanthus.

I want to buy this.

19th cup: Myaoi GIN The First Encounter

This is also not whiskey but gin.

It is said that it is made dry using pepper etc.

It certainly looks dry and goes well with soda, so I think it would go well with a meal.

20th cup: Glen Alahi 18 years old

It has a brown sugar taste derived from sherry and a berry fruitiness.

I drank it for the first time in 2018 after it became a new label, but it's true.

The only drawback is that the price is over 25,000 yen. .

21st cup: Penderlin Single Cask

Penderlin is a single cask bourbon barrel.

I had the impression of a chemical fruit, but this one felt real fruity.

Penderin hasn't been mentioned properly, so I think I'll try it next time.

However, there are no bars where you can compare drinks. .

22nd cup: Ethical Spirits Ethical Gin LAST ELYSIUM

This is a gin made in Kuramae, Tokyo.

It is characterized by the use of sake lees as a botanical, and other ingredients such as citrus fruits, ginger leaves, and chamomile are also used.

It has a dry but gorgeous impression.

It seemed like it would be good with soda.

23rd cup: Ethical Spirits Ethical Gin LAST ELEGANT

This also uses sake lees, lavender, and hibiscus tea as botanicals.

It was a very floral drink, and I felt that gin could bring out this gorgeousness.

24th glass: Sake gin original

It is said to be a sake-based blend of spices that go well with meat dishes.

It certainly had a spicy impression that would go well with meat dishes, and I felt like I would want to drink it with soda at a barbecue.

25th glass: Sake gin cola

It certainly has a cola-like sweetness and spicy impression.

I thought this was also good with soda.

26th cup: Niigata Kameda Constituent Unblended PX Sherry

I forgot to take a photo.

Since it's PX, it has a barrel taste, but I think it also has the honey-like taste of the unprocessed sake, so I don't think it's bad.

27th Cup: Shinanoya Caroni 1997 22 Year Barrel for SHINANOYA

It's not whiskey, it's rum.

The taste and aftertaste are quite tropical, and although the body seemed a little weak, I think it was delicious overall.

And if you can buy Karoni, which is a closed distillery, at this price, you should buy it.

Impressions of the event

I attended last year as well, and I think it was just as crowded as last year.

Recently, it has become somewhat easier to purchase whiskeys that were previously unavailable, such as Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, and Shinko Distillery.

For this reason, it is often said that the Japanese whiskey boom is nearing its end, but looking at its popularity, I think it's still going strong.

We mainly sell official products from new and major Japanese distilleries, Scotch, Irish, and Bourbon, but we also have a wide lineup that you don't usually see.

I think it was a good event where you could sample many of them for free or at a low price.

Points to note

A note for those using Rakuten Mobile.

There is no Rakuten Mobile signal in the basement of Bellesalle Takadanobaba, the venue.

There is no free Wi-Fi, so you will be out of range for several hours.

There is no signal inside the venue, but there is barely a signal in the hallways, so if you want to communicate something, you will need to move to the hallway to communicate.

There is also a problem in terms of payments; some electronic money such as Suica and QUICPay can be used to make payments even when you are out of service area, but QR code payments such as PayPay cannot be made when you are out of service area.

It did not improve in 2022, 2023, and 2024, so it probably will not improve in the future. .

Recent smartphones support dual SIM (physical or eSIM), so I think it's a good idea to sign up for a backup service such as Povo (au line), which can be used for 0 yen.

Closing Thoughts

This is the last whiskey event for 2024.

There are many things that I can't do without participating in whiskey events, such as drinking the whiskey from Shinko Distillery to check its aging and completion level, and checking out new products from bottlers, so I plan to continue participating in these events.

In addition, more and more whiskey events are being held, starting with Whiskey Lovers Nagoya, which will be held in late January 2025, and various large and small events are being held all over Japan, so I plan to participate in various events next year as well.

YouTube