Long-Awaited Suko Bunkan Tasting

On December 25, 2015, despite it being Christmas (laughs), the Suko Bunkan Tasting was held after a long time. This was my first visit to their newly relocated office. The Suko Bunkan Tasting used to be held monthly as a regular meeting with Tsuchiya-san, but due to low profitability and frequent attendance by the usual members leading to a decline in frequency, it had completely stopped after the start of 'Maccan.' I mentioned this to Tsuchiya-san at a recent festival, and surprisingly, they decided to hold it at this timing (laughs). Despite the date, 14 enthusiastic participants gathered, creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of old times. The main tasting items were the following five: As it's customary for year-end to have luxurious lineups, this time was exceptionally lavish. 1. Mortlach 25 Years Old 2. Highland Park 40 Years Old *Tsuchiya-san's 60th Birthday Commemorative Label* 3. Glen Grant 1954 Gordon & Macphail RARE VINTAGE #1818 4. Talisker 30 Years Old 5. Cabernet Fino Solo Cask Strength Additionally, surprises like Cabernet's Orroso Solo were added. As usual, we drank bottles taken from the office and brought by attendees, leading to a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, though not as much as before (laughs). While I didn't take detailed tasting notes, the samples provided were thoroughly tasted. 1. Mortlach 25 Years Old Official This was a bottle I once deeply appreciated at IAN's, even having seconds. It's an outstanding Speyside malt with a mature texture and old wine-like characteristics. This time, I tasted it while searching for the house style's 'meetsa' (sweetness), and from the latter half onwards, it had a pleasant finish. The lingering aftertaste was intoxicating and long-lasting; indeed, it's remarkably delicious. 【VG】 2. Highland Park 40 Years Old Official *Tsuchiya-san's 60th Birthday Commemorative Label* Each batch of this 40-year-old is different, and I've had it a few times before. However, the batch specially prepared for Tsuchiya-san's 60th birthday was notably peaty. Unlike the smoky, peat of Islay, this had a stronger smokiness with earthy and grassy notes. Of course, there were also subtle nuances of old sherry, giving it a thick, complex aroma befitting the 'Northern Giant,' which was very satisfying. 【VG】 3. Glen Grant 1954-2006 Gordon & Macphail RARE VINTAGE #1818 This Glen Grant, from Tsuchiya-san's birth year, was bottled in 2006 after approximately 52 years of aging and purchased from JIS-san. Glen Grant from this era is known for its unique, intoxicating old sherry character, whether official or GM. This one also had that nuance clearly. Despite its long aging, it had some astringency. However, considering the specs of 52 years and first-fill sherry casks, it was surprisingly minimal, only tightening the flavor. It was discussed that this must be due to GM's American white oak sherry casks. If it were Spanish oak first-fill sherries, especially seasoned ones, making such a long aging would likely result in strong woody and bitter notes. It's only because GM, with its abundant access to good casks from importing large amounts of wine, was able to create this flavor by bottling it into Glen Grant. However, the specifics of how GM acquired these sherry casks remain a mystery. 【VG】 4. Talisker 30 Years Old With a plain cask character typical of Diageo, it had a clean aroma with minimal seasoning. It was clearly spicy but had natural aging notes, making the peat feel lighter than usual for Talisker, giving it a slightly light body. Nevertheless, the finish was long and very delicious. 【G/VG】 5. Cabernet Fino Solo Cask Strength Given that the distillery is only 9 years old, this bottle naturally has short aging. It felt quite rough compared to the long-aged ones I've had before, but it still had a certain aged character and was well-crafted. It was very nutty and rich, with clear creaminess and fruitiness. While the intense flavor had some seasoning notes, it didn't feel overly artificial. It's hard to describe precisely, but compared to naturally aged Scotch, it had a nuance where only parts of the aroma were extremely matured. At 45,000 yen, it's surprisingly expensive for its specs, so I wouldn't buy it myself. However, as a Bodega-style Fino cask, the barrel character was excellent. 【G/VG】 Incidentally, after this, the Solo Orroso cask was also compared. This one, being Bodega-style and sherry cask, had many attendees saying they preferred it. However, personally, I felt it had a nuance similar to recent seasoned sherries, so I clearly preferred the Fino. There was an Orroso cask from when Solo first released, which I had tasted with Yamagoka-san. That one had a noble, old-style sherry character that was impressive, which might have influenced my lack of surprise here. This Suko Bunkan Tasting, which I had attended back when the office was small and not particularly clean, still holds its charm even now with my increased knowledge and experience. Tsuchiya-san's frequent travels to Scotland, directly obtaining the latest information from distilleries and bottlers, greatly broadens his perspective on industry trends. This offers a different kind of stimulation compared to many whisky enthusiasts and bartenders I usually discuss with. With 'Maccan' now concluded, they plan to hold these regular meetings again. If the timing aligns, I'd definitely like to attend again. #Glen Grant (GLENGRANT) #Talisker (TALISKER) #Highland Park (HIGHLANDPARK) #Mortlach (MORTLACH) #Event