This time, we will introduce the delicious home-drinking whiskey in the first half of 2024.
Although the definition is a little complicated, we will introduce 3 official and 3 bottled whiskeys that were opened from January to June 2024 (first half) and were delicious to drink at home.
Of course, this includes whiskey purchased during this period, but it also includes whiskey purchased in the past that was finally opened during this period.
Please note that official products also include limited edition items.
- Official 1st bottle: AMAHAGAN Whiskey Talk Fukuoka Plum Wine Cask
- Official 2nd: Mars Malt Gallery (Komagatake)
- Official 3rd: Azaka Peated 2023
- Bottler's 1st bottle: Loch Lomond 2013 Three Tencho
- Bottler's second bottle: Whiskey Sponge Balblair 15 years
- Bottler's 3rd bottle: Asaya Shoten Williamson 17 Year Barrel for ASAYA & SHINANOYA
- Closing Thoughts
Official 1st bottle: AMAHAGAN Whiskey Talk Fukuoka Plum Wine Cask
This is a limited edition bottle sold at last year's Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2023.
I thought it was AMAHAGAN after all, so I tried it and was surprised by how delicious it was.
It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it has a tropical element and is delicious.
This is a blended malt.
When making blended whisky, I think you are aiming for a certain taste.
If you can make it with this taste in mind, and if it is reproducible, I think it will be delicious enough to be mass-produced.
Surprisingly, I thought that AMAHAGAN, which is limited to events, is something to behold.
The capacity is 100ml, but the price is 1,000 yen, so I think it would be a good idea to buy it as a souvenir when participating in a whiskey event.
Official 2nd: Mars Malt Gallery (Komagatake)
Around September 2022, almost two years ago, I visited Mars Shinshu Distillery at the time and purchased it at that time, and finally opened it.
The original sake is from Komagatake, and the specifications are Sherry Hogshead, distilled in April 2016, bottled in July 2022, aged 6 years, non-peated, and 0ppm.
It's a single cask and the alcohol content is 61%, so I think it's cask strength.
The taste is very ripe, with slightly reddish fruits like persimmons and passion fruit, and it tastes delicious.
It may be difficult to purchase something exactly like this one, but 200ml single casks are regularly sold exclusively at the distillery, so we recommend purchasing one when you visit the distillery.
I haven't been able to purchase anything because it's basically a lottery, but I think the single cask Komagatake, such as the private bottle, is quite delicious, so I'll keep an eye on it in the future.
Official 3rd: Azaka Peated 2023
This is one book that has become a hot topic.
Basically, it seems that it was only sold in Fukushima Prefecture, where the distillery is located, but Usui Department Store, located in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, where the distillery is located, was kind enough to sell it online, and I bought it there.
It had peat and fruity elements, and I think it was delicious enough to become a hot topic of conversation.
The alcohol content is 50% and water is added, but personally I think adding a little more water would bring out Asaka's fruitier flavor.
I think it will be difficult to purchase it regularly from now on, but I occasionally see lottery sales at whiskey events, so it may still be available.
Even if you can't get your hands on it, if you see it at a whiskey event or bar, it's definitely a must-try.
Bottler's 1st bottle: Loch Lomond 2013 Three Tencho
This bottle was selected by three store managers: Mr. Yoshimura of the famous store M’s Tasting Room in Itabashi, Mr. Kurashima of Liquors Hasegawa main store in Yaesu underground shopping center, and Ms. Niimi of Liquor Man Ginza 777 store.
There are three managers, so it's called Three Tencho.
Distilled in 2013 and aged for 10 years in 2nd fill Oloroso Hogshead.
Single cask with cask strength alcohol content of 55.4%.
First of all, you can buy a single cask aged for 10 years for about 10,000 yen, so I think it's pretty good at this point.
It's not just that it's cheap; taste is also important.
Although the taste is not quite peach, you can definitely feel the chemical fruitiness and it is delicious.
Personally, I used to think of Loch Lomond as a lucky bag, but this image instantly dispelled that image.
It was a bottle that I thought was good value for money in terms of price and taste.
It seems like it's still available for purchase, so I'm wondering if I should buy another one.
Bottler's second bottle: Whiskey Sponge Balblair 15 years
Distilled in 2008 and aged for 15 years in 1st fill barrels, we vatted 2 barrels and then added water to bring it down to 48.5%.
I wouldn't normally buy this because it's vatting and has added water, but I drank it at a bar and it was delicious, so I bought it.
At first it tastes like wheat, but towards the end you can feel a slight hint of apple.
I don't think it's flashy, but I think it's just a nice piece.
If you're at a bar, I think it's good for your first drink.
Personally, I don't get tired of drinking at home, so I like to drink a few sips of this while reading books or watching videos at night.
I think it might be difficult to buy it from now on, but if you see it at a bar, give it a try for the first drink.
Bottler's 3rd bottle: Asaya Shoten Williamson 17 Year Barrel for ASAYA & SHINANOYA
This is a single cask Williamson PB from Asaya Shoten, a famous liquor store in Chichibu.
Williamson means Laphroaig.
The 2006 distillation has been aged for 17 years, which is a medium-ripening period that cannot be called long-ripening.
However, the price is around 55,000 yen, so when I looked at the specs alone, I was shocked to see how the yen's depreciation and price increases have finally come this far.
Held in April, “Whiskey Harbor Kobe” I tried it atIt has the strong iodine and peat of young Laphroaig and the yellow fruitiness of long-ripened Laphroaig, making it extremely delicious as it combines the best of both short-ripening and long-ripening.
I think if you take your time and drink it slowly, you'll notice more of the fruity elements.
Although it wasn't named Laphroaig due to contract issues, it is 100% Laphroaig single malt, and I think it's reasonable to say that it costs 55,000 yen for the taste.
I think it will be difficult to purchase from now on, but if you see it at a bar, please give it a try.
Closing Thoughts
This is the lineup for the delicious whiskey home drinking edition for the first half of 2024.
Separately “Whiskey I drank in the first half of 2024”, but I have mainly finished drinking and organizing the bottles that were at the bottom, and although I have purchased them, the lineup is based on the situation that I have not been able to open them much.
In the second half of 2024, there are still some bottles at the bottom and some that are down to half, so I'm prioritizing sorting them out, and the shelves are starting to become empty, so I think I'll start opening the bottles.
We also plan to post the second half of the year around the end of the year or the beginning of the new year, so please look forward to it.
