[Tokyo] Tokyo International BarShow 2025 Event Report — Discovering New Drinks!

TokyoInternalBarshow2025

We participated in Tokyo Internal Barshow 2025, which was held on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th, 2025, and we would like to introduce you to the event.

Cocktail Day is held on the 2nd Saturday and Sunday around May 13th every year.

This time I attended on Saturday.

By the way, Rudder's anniversary event is held behind the scenes every year.

The reason why they chose to do it on the same day is because bartenders and related parties come from all over the country for the Barshow, so it would be easier to visit if they matched the dates, and when I asked them why, it made sense.

As a whiskey lover, I have a hard time deciding which one to attend, but this year I attended the Barshow on Saturday and Rudder's anniversary event on Sunday.

Participation fee

Same-day tickets are 1,000 yen more expensive than advance tickets, so unless you have a special reason, you should buy advance tickets.

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.

In the case of a one-day ticket, there are no tickets for Saturday or Sunday, so even after purchasing the ticket, you can still decide to go on Sunday even though you were planning to go on Saturday.

When entering the venue, you will be required to present an ID (something that shows your face, such as a driver's license or passport) to verify your age, 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.

Some stores were selling products, but there wasn't anything particularly special about them, so I arrived leisurely around 12:00 when the doors opened at 11:00.

1st cup: Talisker 10 Year Highball

The first drink is a Talisker 10 Year Highball.

It's a stable taste.

Barshow is more of a cocktail event than a whiskey event.

There are bartenders who actually run the bar at the booth, and they make not only highballs but also cocktails right in front of you.

In other words, it's an event where you can drink alcohol made by professionals.

2nd cup: Barshow2025 Chichibu 2016 Refill Bourbon

Chichibu distilled in 2016 and aged for 8 or 9 years.

It seems that each time it is bottled for Barshow, and it used to be sold, but since the end of the corona virus, it is only available for paid tasting.

It's heavily peated, so you can feel the smokiness of the peat, but also the orange and vanilla.

The alcohol attack was a bit harsh.

3rd cup: Nagahama Rum Cask Cask Strength Batch 2524

Single cask Nagahama, lamb cask.

Although it is said to be a peated whiskey, I didn't feel much peat, and the rum-like tropical elements and the lingering nutty and banana notes were impressive.

4th cup: Kanosuke constituent raw sherry

It is the constituent unblended sake of Kanosuke Single Malt, and multiple unblended sakes are vatted together.

It had a delicious taste that didn't make you feel the bad parts of sherry, just the good parts of the sweet part.

5th glass: Kanosuke Single Cask Oloroso Sherry

I apologize for not showing a picture of the bottle, but this is a single cask Oloroso Sherry.

I felt the spicy part of Oloroso Sherry all over.

6th cup: Kanosuke Single Cask Cream Sherry

I don't have a picture of the bottle, but it's a single cask cream sherry.

I got the impression that the rubberiness of the sherry was all over the place.

7th cup: Kanosuke Single Malt Peated

Barshow will be held on May 10th and 11th, and Kanosuke Single Malt Peated itself will be released on May 22nd, so I was able to get it before it goes on sale.

To be honest, I've tried Kanosuke's peated wines in single casks, and none of them were to my liking. .

This was a delicious combination of just the right amount of peat and the sweetness of Kanosuke's original sake.

The highball looked good, and it was so delicious that it seemed like it would disappear quickly after drinking Bakasaka.

8th cup: Shizuoka Pot Still K Secret Warehouse South

Label with a red line at the bottom left of the center of the image

This is a bottle of unprocessed sake distilled at Pot Still K in Shizuoka and aged for 5 years in a special aging cellar outside Shizuoka Prefecture.

There are two releases, South and North.

First of all, let's look at the south one, but this one picked up the plum flavor to the fullest, giving me the impression of a new potty.

9th cup: Shizuoka Pot Still K Secret Warehouse Kita

Label with a golden line at the bottom left of the center of the image

Next is the north.

I personally liked the north one, as I felt the nuances of brown sugar and banana.

10th cup: Ichiro's Malt Chichibu Distillery II

The Chichibu Second Distillery single malt, which will be released from June 8th, was unveiled for the first time at Barshow.

Although it tastes orange, there is a tropical element in the second half, which I think is delicious.

If I win it in a lottery or come across it by chance, I'd like to buy it.

11th cup: Chichibu Distillery 1 Bourbon Barrel 1st fill 10 years aged

Image left

It was my favorite Chichibu, with its orange flavor and tropical elements in the aftertaste, making it fruity.

I felt that this one was more delicious than the second one, as it was aged for a different number of years.

12th glass: Chichibu Distillery 1 Madeira Hogshead 1st fill aged 13 years

Image right

Madeira is a fortified wine from Portugal.

≒I think the image of Sherry is fine.

I felt the sweetness, the freshness of the eucalyptus, and the brown sugar.

It's delicious.

I wonder if Madeira Cask will be released in some PB somewhere. .

13th cup: Y.A. #04

I felt a sparkling fruit.

If you have a chance to buy it, you should buy it.

14th cup: Dassai Junmai Daiginjo Nigori Sparkling

Barshow also has Japanese sake.

While you can feel the richness of the rice, the carbonation gives it a slightly bitter and dry impression.

I feel like it goes well with light snacks such as toast sake, or as the first item at a Japanese restaurant or sushi restaurant.

15th glass: Kavalan Classic

I've had Kavalan before, but I think this will be my first time drinking Classic.

Although it had a slightly woody element, it had a distinct brown sugar-like sweetness and was delicious.

16th glass: Kavalan Soloist Fino Sherry

Kavalan's Soloist series is single cask and cask strength.

Kavalan is sherry, and they had a rare fino sherry, so I tried it.

It was delicious, with only the good things about sherry, the aroma of sherry wrapping my mouth and nose.

17th glass: Mixed Up Apple Bourbon Mule

This is an innovative item that allows you to drink cocktails in cans.

First of all, it's an apple bourbon, so it's delicious because it retains the flavor of bourbon with the apple liqueur.

At around 500 yen per can, it's close to the price of highball cans sold by various companies, so I think it's a good option for occasional drinks.

18th cup: Mixed Up Grapefruit Mule

This is just grapefruit juice.

It's easy to drink, and if you drink it stupidly, you'll suddenly get drunk.

19th drink: Glenfarclas Cocktail

Next up is a cocktail using Glenfarclas.

The taste is orange and easy to drink, with a lingering aftertaste of Farclas-like brown sugar.

Short break & entry restrictions

By this time I was getting hungry, so I went out of the venue and had some food.

When I returned to the venue, entry restrictions were in place.

There was a long line waiting to enter the venue, and in the end, we were able to enter the venue after 45 minutes, which was quite a long wait.

It's good in the sense that I'm less drunk. .

20th glass: Kirin Comparison of constituent whiskeys and bourbon

Image left

Let's take a fresh look at Kirin's original sake comparison set.

The bourbon type has a grape-like nuance that feels like a high-quality bourbon and is delicious.

21st Cup: Kirin Composition Unblended Sake Comparison Canadian

image center

It has a glue-like feel, but there is a sweetness deep inside.

22nd cup: Kirin Comparison of constituent unblended drinks Scotch type

Image right

It gives a plump impression.

There's also a hint of adhesive here.

23rd glass: Barshow2025 Akkeshi Peated Sherry

This is Akkeshi for the Barshow2025 event.

The New Potty precedes it, but I felt the sweetness of peat and brown sugar, and the citrus like orange.

I think Akkeshi should be aged a little more, like 8 or 10 years. .

One sheet costs 200 yen, so you need 8 sheets, so 1,600 yen is expensive considering the current taste.

24th glass: Glenmorangie The Nectar

This is my first drink since the label changed from Nectador to The Nectar.

It's sweet, but it's thin. .

25th cup: Glendronach 18 years old

This is my first drink since the label changed.

The brown sugar and the aftertaste give it a tropical feel, but it's very light. .

26th cup: Glen Alahi 12 years old

I've taken it several times since the label changed, but it's been over a year, so I'll just wait and see.

It's delicious, but it's also thinner. .

27th cup: Glen Alahi 15 years old

This is also a progress observation.

The lingering nuttiness still feels strong.

I like Glen Alahi, but I don't really like 15 year old bottles, including old bottles. .

28th Cup: Deacon

It has a unique peaty and fruity taste, so it seems like there are few competitors.

I think it will sting the people who like it and they won't be able to replace it.

The problem is that each bottle costs 3,500 to 4,000 yen, which is the most competitive price range for highballs.

If this was 1,000 yen cheaper, I think they would have taken over.

29th drink: Highland Park Cocktail

A cocktail using Highland Park.

It tasted like grapes throughout, and although it might be a bit rude to describe it as I'm not used to drinking cocktails, it was just like a non-carbonated Fanta, and it was delicious.

30th glass: Absinthe 55

You can really feel the flavor of absinthe, and the alcohol content is 55%, but personally, I would have liked a little more flavor.

31st glass: Grand Absinthe 69

The alcohol content is 69%, so it has a stronger taste, but personally I think it should have more.

32nd drink: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel

It's delicious.

It's a little woody, but you can feel the juicy grapes of a high-quality bourbon.

33rd cup: Classic Ladi

You may drink it for the first time in a new bottle.

It's delicious with barley and fruit.

I liked the old bottle, but the new bottle is also delicious, so I'm thinking of buying it next time.

34th Cup: Bruichladdich Aira Barley 2014

It gives the impression of wheat and tide.

It's not bad, but I personally prefer Classic Ladi.

35th glass: Casacha da Quinta Blanca

This is casasha, a Brazilian distilled spirit.

It has the impression of white rum, as it is made from sugar cane.

36th cup: Fazenda Soledade Ipe

Because Brazil is located in the Amazon, there are many types of wood, and the variety of barrels available is what makes Casacha so appealing.

This time, it is aged in barrels made from Ipe wood.

It has a fragrant oriental feel, and the aftertaste is sweet and herbal.

37th cup: Wakaha Espatin

This is mezcal, and I hope you can think of it as almost tequila.

Strictly speaking, the manufacturing regions and manufacturing methods are slightly different.

It had a glassy, trefoil-like aroma, and the aroma of herbs filled my nose.

38th cup: THE HERBALIST YASO GIN ORANGE

YASO's oranges are stable and delicious.

39th cup: Seasonal Pearl Gyokuro

This is Ki no Tama Gyokuro from Ki no Bi's premium series.

You can really feel the aroma of the tea and it's delicious.

40th Cup: Bushmills 21 Years Old

It has a grape-like taste and brown sugar-like taste that you would expect from a high-quality bourbon.

Recently, I had the opportunity to drink several bottles of single cask Bushmills, and I learned that the nuances of grapes and grapes are also present in the official product.

Impressions

I participated in Tokyo Internal Barshow 2025.

It's not a whiskey-focused event, but a cocktail-focused event, but there are exhibits from the three major companies, Suntory, Nikka, and Kirin, as well as long-established promotion distilleries such as Chichibu and Kanosuke, as well as official Scotch companies, so I think whiskey lovers will have plenty of fun.

I usually go to bottlers even when I participate in regular whiskey events, so I think it was great to be able to drink a variety of official whiskeys.

I think it's a fun event because you can encounter new alcoholic beverages other than whisky.

Caution ①: Be careful not to get too drunk

We offer distilled spirits such as whiskey and gin, as well as brewed alcoholic beverages such as sake, sherry, and beer, so you'll be in the mood to drink a variety of alcoholic beverages.

And since it's served in cocktails and highballs, it's easy to drink, so it's easy to guzzle it down and find yourself drunk before you know it.

Be careful not to get too drunk by drinking more water than usual and taking regular breaks.

Points to note ②: Too crowded

I've been participating every year since 2022, after the coronavirus pandemic, but it's getting more and more crowded each year.

There were places where it was difficult to pass each other, and above all, the admission restrictions were strict.

It's a timed event, so to speak, it's a time-limited event, so you won't be able to drink during the admission restrictions.

As expected, I think it's a bit of a wait for about 45 minutes. .

I think some kind of countermeasures will need to be taken in the future, such as limiting the number of tickets and making the venue larger.

Closing Thoughts

It's not focused on whiskey, so if you're a whiskey lover, I think it would be more meaningful to attend a pure whiskey event.

However, I think it's well worth participating because you'll get to experience new alcohol and ways of drinking, such as alcoholic beverages other than whiskey and cocktails using whiskey.

There are some downsides, such as the crowds, but overall it's a fun event, so please be careful not to get too drunk and consider participating.

I think it will be held again next year, so I will probably participate.

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