Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

Akemi had been talking about going out to see the Suntory whisky distillery for a few months. Well, we finally made it. It was surprisingly easy to get to. About half an hour from the main Osaka station. When we got there, I was taken aback by the beautiful location and the wonderful smells. The distillery is located in Yamazaki, between Osaka and Kyoto. Surprisingly, it feels very rural. All you can see is mountains and a few small shops. It was a misty day. Everything felt perfect for making whisky. Not too far from how I'd imagine a distillery in Scotland. And, actually, Japanese whisky has its roots in Scottish whisky. The first men who made whisky in Japan learned the trade in Scotland. And, having tried many different kinds of whisky, I think it's fair to say that Japanese whisky tastes more like Scottish whisky (aka Scotch) than anything else.

The tour was great. My absolute favorite part of it was the smells. It was a little like being in a bakery. I guess the smell of whisky distillation isn't that different from the smell of yeast and wheat. The air was great. We saw all kinds of equipment. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't see where the grains are sprouted, but they said that's actually done at a different location.

At the end of the tour, they took us to a room and let us sample a few different kinds of their whisky, including some stuff that would be too expensive to drink anywhere else. Akemi can't drink alcohol at all, so she had juice.

I should add that there is a certain amount of bullshit added to many of the explanations they give. They'll tell you about the proper way to drink your whisky and how this one tastes like flowers and how profound the traditions are and all kinds of crap like that. Well, I like whisky and I can honestly say that I like some whisky better than others. In fact, I even have a way I like to drink it that makes it taste better. And, the thought of my whisky having been made in a beautiful place in a historical way somehow does add to the experience a little. But, some people really go overboard with all this stuff. Some of the people from the distillery really wanted to milk all that and convert their small tour group into an army of conneseours ready to educate the world. But, I guess it's neither surprising nor terrible. The tour was free and well done. It's done partly as PR for Suntory and advertising for their whisky. So, okay.

After the whisky tasting, we went to a good sized shop (say, the size of a 7-11) with all kinds of whisky, including Scotch whisky from other companies. They also had whisky cake, sweets, and other stuff. I picked up a very small bottle of fancy looking Suntory whisky for about ¥1000 (≈$10) and some smoked cheese for Akemi.

Looking at the mountains between two buildings of the distillery.

Contents of a barrel of whisky as it is aged.

They call this the Yamazaki Whisky Library. Interesting how they equate a bottle of whisky with a book. I like whisky a lot, but I don't think a bottle of whisky, even really good whisky, is as profound as a good book.

Outside the distillery. It's very pretty. They've made it nice, almost like a Japanese garden.

Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

5/22/2005, Visiting the Suntory Whisky Distillery