In April 1867, a 19-year-old named Isaac Wolfe Bernheim stepped off a ship in New York harbour. In his pocket: four dollars. He spoke almost no English. His uncle, who had promised him a job, had just gone bankrupt. And…
There is a word that comes up every time serious whisky people talk about Clynelish: waxy. It sounds clinical, but in the glass it means something close to silky, creamy, mouth-coating — a texture unlike almost any other Scotch whisky.…
For twenty years, Ardbeg fans around the world had one wish: bring back the Ardbeg 10 Year Old at cask strength. In 2026, that wish was finally granted — and the result, bottled at 61.7% ABV, is the highest-strength Committee…
On Saturday, July 4, 2026, Bar Little Happiness in Hiroshima will host a special tasting event with Ian Chang — former Master Distiller & Blender at Kavalan Distillery (Taiwan), and current Master Blender at KOMORO Distillery (KDI), Nagano, Japan. About…
On a quiet afternoon in Hiroshima, I sat across from Ian Chang — Master Blender at KOMORO Distillery (KDI), formerly Master Blender and Distiller at Kavalan — and listened to him talk about his life for nearly two hours. He…
It was raining the day I visited. A light drizzle, wind pressing against the warehouse walls, making a low, insistent sound. Mr. Oshima stood in front of the still, checking the spirit as it ran — nose first, then a…
Once a year, a single bottle unites Ardbeg fans across the world. That day is Ardbeg Day — the finale of Fèis Ìle, the legendary Islay music and whisky festival. And the bottle chosen for 2026 is Ardbeg Dolce. The…
Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Bar Little Happiness is in Hiroshima’s Nagarekawa district — the city’s central entertainment area, a short walk from Hondori shopping street and…
Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Scarlet Muscat Amaro is one of those products that makes you pause and reassess what you thought you knew about a distillery’s…
Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Bowmore occupies a particular place in Islay whisky — not the most aggressively peated (that is Ardbeg or Bruichladdich’s Octomore), not the…