We have been doing our best to enjoy the last few warm days and continue exploring the area around us. Last weekend, we decided to continue an adventure we had abandoned previously: Taking a tour of Suntory Whiskey Distillery. For those of you who sampled the whiskey Russell brought back to the states, this is a different brand, but it is distilled in our general vicinity, so we clearly needed to check it out. We rode the train out to the small town where the distillery is located and signed up for the free tour.
We all met in a side room and then walked over to the main building. Inside we saw the vats where they put the mash, we saw the room full of enormous, shiny copper stills bubbling away (the tour guide pointed out that there was a wide variety of styles of stills, which is apparently unusual in one distillery). We saw the room where the empty barrels are kept, and then we got to tour the cellar where they keep all of their back log of whiskey with the year printed on the front. It was quite impressive. Apparently the alcohol evaporates while it is in the barrels. This made the walk through the cellar an experience not for the weak of heart. A few children had to turn back and be escorted outside from a side door.
Once we were done with the tour we got to walk through the Japanese garden in the back (highlighting the pure mountain spring water they use for their whiskey) and then on to the tasting room. We were greeted with a choice of the afore-mentioned spring water, a glass of the 10 year whiskey on the rocks or the 10 year whiskey with soda. We were guided to a seat (shared with other people from the tour) and were given a variety of snacks that supposedly paired well with the whiskeys. Once we had enjoyed the first whiskey, we were given the chance to try the same whiskey neat and we were also offered another style of whiskey that was a bit smokier. Between us, Russell and I had four or five glasses of whiskey and a variety of snacks.
Keep in mind this was a free tour.
After the tasting, of course, we were guided to the gift shop, where bottles of these whiskies could be had starting at $100 a bottle. The whiskey was definitely tasty, and the tour was worth repeating, but the whisky was not as good as the Yoichi whisky from Hokkaido that we had found before. The Suntory whiskies were also more expensive, so we passed on the souvenirs. We did go home and buy another bottle of Yoichi, though. I am slowly being won over to whisky.
Since we were passing through Osaka on the way home, I convinced Russell to go with me to my Japanese teacher's cafe (the one she helped design). Russell is generally not a fan of trendy cafes, but this one had the marked attraction of building materials on the tables. Russell happily ate his dessert and rearranged interlocking blocks for about an hour. This is clearly a cafe that can appeal to multiple tastes. If you are in Osaka, I recommend it.
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