[Drink Responsibly!] Tokyo International BarShow 2024 Report

Tokyo Internal Bar Show

May 13th is Cocktail Day, and ``Cocktail Day'' is held every year around this day.Tokyo Internal Barshow”.

Tokyo International BarShow 2026 ～ Smash the World ～

tokyobarshow.com

It is held every year at Tokyo Dome Prism Hall in Tokyo Dome.

Although cocktails are the main event, you can enjoy not only single distilled spirits such as whiskey, gin, vodka, and tequila, but also cocktails made with them.

Participation fee

Tickets will never sell out, so it's best to buy them when you're sure you can go and when it's convenient for you.

If you can go, it is cheaper to buy a 2-day ticket.

You will need to show your ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) when entering the venue, so be sure to bring it with you.

Introduction of brands sampled

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

1st cup: 2024 commemorative bottle Ichiro’s Malt CHICHIBU 2014 refill bourbon barrel

Image far left

A commemorative bottle is bottled every year for Barshow, and this time it's Chichibu's 2014 refill bourbon barrel.

It had a plum flavor and sweetness, but I didn't have a good impression of it, perhaps because of my physical condition.

2nd drink: 2024 commemorative bottle Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Single Cask World Blended Whiskey

Second from the left in the image above

This is also a commemorative bottle for Barshow and is a world blended whisky.

I didn't get a very good impression of the adhesive, the rubberiness, the plums, and the nuts.

As for the commemorative bottles mentioned earlier, these are available for tasting for a fee.

For paid tastings, purchase a 5-piece ticket for 1,000 yen each, each costing 200 yen, and use this ticket to pay.

Third cup: Old Pulteney 18 years old

It gave me the impression that it had a very strong barrel feel.

I felt that the 2012 version had a more salty, Pultney-like feel to it.

4th cup: Speyburn 18 years old

It had a gorgeous feel typical of Speyside.

5th cup: Talisker 25 years old

It has quite a deep smokiness and iodine flavor, with a sweetness in the second half.

I'm a short-ripening type of Talisker, but after drinking 25 years, I thought that a long-ripening Talisker would also be a good idea.

However, Lagavulin 16 Year Old has similar nuances, so considering the price difference, I thought Talisker would be short-lived.

6th Cup: Talisker 10 Year Highball

At Barshow, you can also have highballs at some booths.

Plus, the actual bartender makes the food right in front of you, so it tastes even better than usual.

Also, at regular whiskey events, drinks are often served in plastic cups, but at Barshow, there are booths where drinks are served in plastic cups with logos on them.

7th Cup: Deacon

Since I was able to drink the popular Deacon, I went for a highball.

It was less smoky and more fruity than I expected.

The luxury of each booth's decoration is unique to Barshow.

8th glass: Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition

We were able to preview Fuji Gotemba Distillery's 50th anniversary bottle, which will be sold in limited quantities in June.

It's full of vanilla, and the goodness of the grain is clearly coming out.

I came to Barshow just to drink this, and it's a great buy.

9th cup: YA#03

It had cider and tropical fruit elements, but it also had a banana flavor.

Compared to YA#01 and 02, I like 03 the most.

10th cup: Brooklady 18 years old

It had the wheat taste that I'm looking for in Bruckladdich, but while it had a nice mouthfeel, I felt that the second half was weak.

Brooklady is rumored to be getting weaker every year, but what will happen in the future? .

11th drink: Glen Alahee Cocktail

I had a cocktail made with Glen Allahi 12 Year Old.

Although it had a slight arahi feel, it was quite delicious.

I think cocktails are also very profound.

I usually drink mainly whiskey and Nihonshu (Sake) and beer, but when I started dabbling in cocktails, my liver didn't seem to hold up. .

12th drink: Busker Cocktail

Next, we had a cocktail made with busker.

Delicious is delicious, but I didn't feel much busker-like.

13th to 20th cup: Kasasha

Personally, the booth I was most looking forward to at this Barshow was Kasasha.

The Akashi Kasasha Cask released by Shinanoya was shocking, so I was curious about what the Kasasha was like.

Casacha is a Brazilian distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane.

Rum is also made from sugarcane, so when I tried it, it had a similar taste to casascha.

The biggest feature of Casacha is that there are many types of wood used for aging.

There are various types of barrels for whiskey, but oak is basically used for whisky, but it seems that various types of wood other than oak are used for Casasha.

Speaking of Brazil, it is the Amazon, so there are many types of trees.

And of course, if the wood changes, the flavor will also change, which makes it attractive that you can enjoy a variety of flavors.

I think there were eight different types on display, and I tried all of them, and they were quite interesting.

Like whiskey, they also have local casasha and craft casasha, so I'd like to visit a bar that sells a lot of casasha next time.

21st cup: THE HERBALIST YASO GIN ORANGE

It had a strong orange flavor and was delicious.

Gin is also delicious these days.

22nd cup: Peach tree

It tasted like peach juice.

23rd glass: Nagahama Distillery Monpera Batch

2nd from the right in the photo

It had a slightly spicy impression, and I didn't really feel the red wine element.

24th glass: Nagahama Distillery AMAHAGAN red wine

2nd from the left in the photo above

AMAHAGAN had a lot more tannins and gave me the impression that it had a distinct red wine flavor.

Since it's a red wine, I think everyone's tastes are different.

25th cup: Ardbeg TEN Highball

I received a regular Ardbeg TEN highball.

It's a stable taste.

26th drink: Talisker cocktail

I felt the melon-like and creamy taste, and the sweetness of sugar in the aftertaste.

27th cup: Monkey Shoulder Highball

It's a stable taste.

28th glass: Absinthe 55

Personally, I like all kinds of alcohol, including whisky, Nihonshu (Sake), beer, and wine, but the only thing I don't like is absinthe.

When I drank it for the first time, the taste was out of this world. .

This time I tried it for the first time in a while and it was delicious.

It had a chemical taste and gave me the impression of herbs.

Impressions of the event

Tokyo Internal Barshow 2024 was quite exciting.

By the way, Nogizaka's live performance was being held at Tokyo Dome on that day, and it was a bizarre scene with young people and drunken old men mingling together.

Caution ①: Be careful not to get too drunk

It's easy to drink when served as a cocktail or highball, so it's easy to drink.

However, since it has a high alcohol content, it is easy to get drunk. .

Drink more water than usual, take regular breaks, and be careful not to get too drunk.

I also got quite drunk this time. .

Points to note ②: Be prepared for crowds

The venue will be quite crowded.

In some places, there were streets where it was difficult to pass each other.

Some booths were crowded, and you had to wait a few minutes to get your drink, and at Suntory, which was the busiest, you had to wait 20 to 30 minutes.

If you don't like crowds, I think it's a good idea to come prepared.

Also, depending on the time of day, admission may be restricted.

Closing Thoughts

Personally, I'm glad I participated because I was able to drink Casasha, I was able to sample the 50th anniversary Fuji in advance, and I was able to drink Deacon and Brooklady 18 Year Old, which I was interested in.

It's not focused on whiskey, so I think it would be more meaningful for whiskey lovers to participate in a whiskey event.

If you like alcohol in general, you can enjoy arranging it with a variety of alcohol and cocktails, so I think there is no harm in participating.

I think it will be held again next year, so if you are interested, why not take advantage of your convenience and participate?