Why Labels Can Be Confusing Recently, many guests visit my bar, Little Happiness, asking for “Real Japanese Whisky.” However, the world of whisky is more complex than just a label. As someone who has curated over 1,000 bottles, I want…
“It smells like medicine, but it’s incredibly addictive.” This is the conversation that often begins at my counter whenever I pour a glass of Laphroaig . For me, this bottle represents more than just a peated malt; it holds a…
In the picturesque town of Elgin, Speyside, there lies a distillery with a mysterious gap between its history and its flavor. This is Glen Moray. While renowned for its creamy, floral, and fruity profile, few know of the dark “history…
I have been eagerly awaiting this moment: the arrival of the “Single Malt Japanese Whisky Sakurao Sherry Cask HIROSHIGE COLLECTION.” Just having this bottle on my counter feels like it’s elevating the energy of the entire bar. A Symbol of…
Since its founding by Ichiro Akuto in 2004, Ichiro’s Malt has evolved from a local craft brand into a global legend. From the iconic “Card Series”—which famously fetched a record-breaking price at auction—to the innovative releases of today, the brand…
The birth of Kameda Distillery began with a single, casual sentence that changed everything. When President Dota lamented that his favorite “Taketsuru 17-year-old” was becoming out of reach, his wife simply said: “Well, why don’t you just make it yourself?”…
Ever since that shocking encounter at an event, I had been searching everywhere for a bottle of Kameda Whisky, only to find it “out of stock” at every turn. Driven by this obsession, I finally visited its birthplace in Niigata,…
Stepping into Kameda Distillery in Niigata, I found myself in a world where clinical precision meets artisan passion. Today, I want to share the secret behind that “beautiful” taste that shocked me at our first encounter. President Tokida’s approach to…
To travel the long distance from Hiroshima to Niigata, one needs a powerful “incident.” For me, that incident was a shocking encounter at a whisky event. In the midst of the craft distillery boom in Japan, I must admit that…
For a long time, I carried a single question in my heart. Why would a man who had already achieved great success in Japan choose to cross borders and pour his entire being into making rum in a foreign land,…