Participated in the Whisky Festival 2014 in TOKYO - Part 1

I attended this year's Tokyo Whisky Festival, which took place on November 24th. As I had a lot of fun with my friends, I didn't drink as intensely as usual, so this is a light report. First, the customary warm-up (sort of) blind tasting contest. In previous years, the preliminary rounds only featured Scotch single malts, but this time for some reason there were no Scotch malts. Instead, the options were limited to blended, Irish, Japanese, and American whiskies. Looking at the choices, it was a bit sad to realize that I had only drunk Japanese whisky in recent years. However, I approached the contest seriously. A was a slightly shochu-like young blended Scotch, B had an oily tropical fruitiness that felt like Irish or grain (but not in the options), C had a coniferous woody character with fresh fruity notes, giving me the impression of Yamazaki or Miyagikyo, and D was clearly a bourbon. I could identify the genres fairly easily, but since I had never tried some of them, it was quite difficult to name the brands. In the end, I correctly identified A as Balvenie Fine Stag, but for B-D, I got the genres right but not the brands. This meant elimination in the preliminary round. For C, I hesitated and chose Miyagikyo over Yamazaki because it didn't feel smoky enough, but the correct answer was Yamazaki 12. Honestly, I had some distractions thinking that since Yamazaki also released a non-age statement last year and Macallan is available this year, it must be Nikka... (laughs). With only one correct answer and the rest not matching, I had hoped for partial points to qualify for the finals, but unfortunately it didn't happen. The options were quite challenging, making me wonder if I'll participate next year, but overall it was a great experience. Then, arriving at the venue late. I spoke with malt enthusiasts, manufacturers I knew, and even first-timers, enjoying the tastings while chatting. Although the tasting was somewhat casual, I managed to sample various delicious whiskies. First, I was excited about the collaboration bottling between Shin'noya and Bow Bar - Glenfarclas 1979. This was a fruity malt with the same North Kaji flavor profile as Shin'noya's previous Glenfarclas 1979. It had a cake-like character with diverse fruits like loquat, peach, banana, and pineapple along with cream. The lack of sherry influence made it feel more like the elegant Speyside long maturation. Considering its high price, I think the value is justified given its content. I also tasted Ben Nevis 1996 and Dalmore 1994, both of which were brought in for Shin'noya. Both had prominent fruity nuances that reflected the Shin'noya style. Ben Nevis had less of my usual paper-like dryness and bitterness, while Dalmore was more fruity than its specs suggested, which was impressive. At Bar Pashara's booth, there were many rare malts on display. Although the tasting samples were expensive, they were reasonably priced considering what you get in a bar. I was given my favorite Laphroaig King'sbury 1976, 22 years old. It had a concentrated fruity character with citrus and melon notes, along with a calmness that coexisted with strong peat. While I thought this vintage might have some tropical notes like Bowmore, I didn't detect them yet. Perhaps they'll come out later, but honestly, I felt the potential wasn't fully showcased during this tasting. I'd like to have more time with this bottle if given another chance. At the Diageo booth, I was given Lagavulin's official 37 year old. It had a powerful apricot fruitiness, a strong peat presence, and savory seafood dashi umami along with refined grain flavors. It had a complex aroma that showed aging, but most importantly it was big and rich Lagavulin. Despite being an extremely aged bottle, the tasting price wasn't unreasonable considering its cost, and I was thrilled to finally taste a bottle I thought I'd never get to drink. At Yamagoka's booth, I tasted OMC Old 1967, 39 years old. Compared to the Old 1970 mentioned later in the seminar, it was slightly lighter but very fruity and delicious. Afterwards, I also had the chance to taste high-priced bottles from Samaroli: Glen Grant 1973 and Tomintoul 1967. Although Tomintoul was popular, it had a very matured and elegant fruity character but with a lighter body. Glen Grant wasn't as showy as Tomintoul, but it was still very fruity with a well-maintained body. Personally, I preferred this one. Both had an amazing aging character that made me want to keep drinking them, but the prices were definitely daunting! Not a malt, but at the Scotch Malt Sales booth, I tasted Cognac Borderie 1970, which was very intoxicating with a wonderful aroma. It had the classic 'rancio' scent, and I could definitely see similarities with some of the great old malts. Writing this out, it's unexpectedly long. I'll end here with the booth tastings and save my experience at the seminar for next time's Part 2.