Participated in the Whisky Festival 2014 in Tokyo – Part 2

This is the second part of my account of attending this year's Whisky Festival, held on November 24th. This time, I'll focus on the seminars. First was Mr. Moriya's session: 'One-Punch Drinking of the "Phantom Single Cask Collection" – Second Edition' and Mr. Yamagoka's 'Tasting the North Highlands Malt'. I was able to attend both. Starting with Mr. Moriya's 'One-Punch Drinking of the "Phantom Single Cask Collection" – Second Edition'. This series was selected by Mr. Moriya from around 1998 and bottled by Alan Japan (now Whisky One). Having attended several events at the Scottish Whisky Research Group, I've had many of these bottles before. While some younger ones weren't particularly enjoyable in the past, after tasting both the first edition and this second edition, I found most of them more enjoyable than before. The bottles included: - Dumbarton 1987, 12 years old - Clynelish 1989, 9 years old - Bunnahabhain 1979, 19 years old - Springbank 1967, 31 years old - Dalmore 1989, 11 years old - Bowmore 1989, 11 years old Dumbarton 1987: Once I wondered why such a short-matured grain whisky was included, but now it's quite mellow with less stimulation. The light original character gives a pleasant oily sweetness and vanilla-like notes. Clynelish 1989: Though young, it has a smooth texture and oily nuances with fruity notes like apricot and orange. A classic Clynelish that exceeded expectations. Bunnahabhain 1979: Previously tasted at home, it has refreshing nuances of green apple and grapefruit. Though lacking cask influence, the distinct 'eggy' flavor I often associate with Bunnahabhain was clearly present in the finish. Springbank 1967: Previously tasted at home, it remains a remarkable bottle even compared to its past. The woody notes are strong but the fruitiness of strawberry jam comes through clearly, creating a delightful 1960s Springbank. Dalmore 1989: I recently tasted this at home and won't go into detail, but it was still quite good. Bowmore 1989: A dark Bowmore from the last year of the 1980s. The perfume is faint, but tropical fruit nuances linger subtly. Based on sherry notes with a jammy sweetness and strong peat, it's a rich bottle. The tropical character might develop further with time. Though I've been following Mr. Moriya for some time, his storytelling is truly engaging. Even average whiskies become enjoyable when listening to his tales, sometimes making them taste better than they actually are. (laughs) He also discussed the NHK drama 'Matsan' as a whisky reference, making it an enjoyable session. Next was Mr. Yamagoka's seminar: 'Tasting the North Highlands Malt'. Focusing on North Highlands, this was a personal favorite region. The tasting bottles were: - Balblair 1965, OB - Pulteney 1997, 17 years old Hand bottled at the distillery OB - Teaninich 1972, 27 years old The Rare Malt Selection OB - Dalmore 1979, 23 years old for Japan OB - Glenord 1970, 33 years old Douglas Laing OMC - Glenmorangie 12 years old Port Wood Finish OB This was a blind tasting where participants shared impressions sequentially, with Mr. Yamagoka summarizing at the end. This format is common in recent seminars. The bottles are so exceptional that it's tempting to judge by labels, but the blind format allows for a more objective tasting. Despite the high quality, not revealing labels was characteristic of Mr. Yamagoka. Not including Clynelish or Blairtoun from the North Highlands also felt like him. (laughs) The order of presentation was: Morangie, Dalmore, Ord, Teaninich, Pulteney, Balblair. Glenmorangie's Port finish had clear wine cask maturity with lower ABV, as expected. Dalmore 1979 had a fruity maturity with tropical notes, lacking sherry influence. After the correct answer was revealed, I realized it was a bottle I'd tasted before with similar notes. (laughs) Teaninich 1972 and Glenord 1970 were both exceptional, leaving the strongest impression of the day. Both had distinct maturation from Speyside with ripe fruits, coarse graininess, subtle peat, and balanced complexity. Teaninich had a cinnamon-like note from the back. Both were surprisingly delicious, awakening my senses. Pulteney's hand-bottled version had the typical Pulteney charm and elegance, with youthful malt that didn't lag behind others. Finally, Balblair 1965 was Mr. Yamagoka's prized bottle costing over ¥200,000. Opening it was truly generous. It had a rich fruity aroma with floral notes, but the body seemed slightly dry for its ABV. Still, it was a precious official bottling that I'm grateful to have tasted. I was allowed to taste many exceptional whiskies, ending the seminar slightly drunk but having tasted everything. (laughs) However, I felt my tasting abilities were reaching their limit here, so I mostly skipped tastings and chatted with acquaintances at the booths before leaving. I should have played with my kids happily after returning home, but I don't remember much. (laughs) Both the tastings and seminars provided a rich, enjoyable experience. Thank you to everyone involved. #Clynelish #Glenord #Glenmorangie #Springbank #Dalmore #Teaninich #Balblair #Bunnahabhain #Pulteney #Bowmore #Grain Whisky