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24|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKOSAKATHEYSAYINTHEORIGINALGAELICITMEANS“WATEROFLIFE”BUTINMOSTOFMYEXPERIENCESIT’SHADTHEOPPOSITEEFFECT.IFIRSTTRIEDWHISKYATTHEAGEOF11DURINGAFAMILYHOLIDAYTOTHESCOTTISHHIGHLANDS.WE’DVISITEDADISTILLERY,ANDHADATASTINGATTHEEND,DURINGWHICHMYFATHERSNUCKMEASMALLSIP.IWASTOOYOUNG,ITWASTOOSTRONG,ANDITWASALLICOULDDONOTTOBESICK.ANDTHATWASTHEENDOFIT:IDIDN’TLIKEWHISKYANDTHEREWASNOTELLINGMEOTHERWISE.MYPOORFATHERBOUGHTMEAN18-YEAR-OLDBOTTLEFORMY18THBIRTHDAY,ANDA21-YEAR-OLDFORMY21ST.BOTHARETUCKEDAWAYINTHEATTIC,UNOPENEDTOTHISDAY.SINCEILEFTSCOTLANDTHREEYEARSAGO,THISWHISKYAPATHYHASPUTMEATALOSSSOMEWITHSOMEPEOPLE.“BUTYOU’REFROMSCOTLAND,”THEYSAY,DISAPPOINTMENTWROUGHTACROSSTHEIRFACES,“HOWCANYOUNOTLIKEIT?”(ICANHARDLYCOMPLAINATTHISLEVELOFCULTURALMISUNDERSTANDING:ASAYOUNGBOYISINCERELYBELIEVEDTHATTHEREWASSOMETHINGENCODEDDEEPINTOHUMANDNATHATGAVEALLASIANSANINNATESKILLINMARTIALARTS.)ANYWAY,IDON’TLIKEWHISKY.ORATLEASTIDIDN’T.NOWAS30APPROACHESLIKEABULLETTRAINTOTHEFACE, ITSEEMSSOMETHINGINMYOWNDNAISCHANGING.JUSTASONCEUPONATIMEIDIDN’TLIKECOFFEE,ANDCOULDN’TSTANDREDWINE,PERHAPSNOWMYTASTEBUDSAREMATURINGAGAIN.MAYBE,AMERE17YEARSSINCETHATFATEFULDAYINTHEHIGHLANDS,I’MREADYTOSTARTLIKINGWHISKY.IMIGHTBEALMOST6,000MILESFROMHOME,BUTWHYNOTSTARTGIVINGSCOTLAND’SNATIONALDRINKSERIOUSCONSIDERATIONATAJAPANESEDISTILLERY?TODAY,HALFWAYBETWEENOSAKAANDKYOTO,WEWENTTOTHETHECOUNTRY’SMOSTSUCCESSFULWHISKYMAKER,SUNTORY,TODOJUSTTHAT.SHINJIROTURII’SCOMPANYSTARTEDWHISKY-MAKINGIN1924,HAVINGDECIDEDTOSET-UPATYAMIZAKI,THESITEOFSEVERALNATURALWELLS.THEWATERHEREHADALONG-STANDINGREPUTATIONFORITSPURITY:NOTFARFROMTHESUNTORYPLOT,ITWASSAIDTOHAVEGIVENRISETOTHEPRACTISEOFTHETRADITIONALTEACEREMONY.TURIIKNEWTHEPRODUCTHEWANTEDANDHEHADSECUREDTHELAND.FORRELAXINGTIMES...THEPROBLEMWASHEDIDN’TACTUALLYKNOWHOWTOMAKEGOODWHISKY.HEPHONEDSCOTLAND’SINTERNATIONALWHISKYHOTLINE*ANDASKEDFORANEXPERT.“WHIT?NAENEEDPAL,YE’VEAWRIDDYGOATWAN,”CAMETHEUNINTELLIGIBLEREPLY. EVENTUALLYHEDISCERNEDTHATTHEREWASAWHISKYEXPERTLIVINGINJAPAN.(*THERE’SNOSUCHTHING.)MASATAKATAKETSURUHADTRAVELLEDTOSCOTLANDFIVEYEARSPREVIOUSLYTOLEARNWHISKYMAKINGATGLASGOWUNIVERSITY.HESTUDIEDHARD,ANDWORKEDATTHENOW-DEFUNCTHAZELBURNDISTILLERYINWINDYCAMPBELTOWN,KINTYRE.INTOTHEBARGAIN,HEHADFALLENINLOVEWITHASCOTTISHWOMAN,WHOHEMARRIEDANDBROUGHTBACKTOJAPAN.TURIIANDTAKETSURUWEREANATURALMATCHTOO.INSOMEWAYS,THEYNEEDEDEACHOTHER:SINCERETURNINGTOJAPAN,THELATTER’SPLANSTOMAKEWHISKYHADSTALLEDANDHEHADBEENFORCEDTOWORKASASCHOOLTEACHERTOMAKEENDSMEET.THEYSETTOWORK,BUTQUESTIONSWERESOONBEINGASKED.WHYDIDITALLTAKESOLONG?SAKEONLYTAKESAFEWMONTHS.HOWCOULDTHEMENPOSSIBLYNEEDSOMUCHBARLEY(WHISKY’SCORECOMPONENT)?LOCALSSUSPECTEDTHEYWEREFEEDINGAMONSTER.TOSETTHEIRMINDSATEASE,TURIIRELEASEDSUNTORY’S(ANDJAPAN’S)FIRST-EVERBOTTLEOFSINGLEMALT,AHEADOFTIME,IN1929.THEYDÉBUTBRAND,THEWHITELABEL,PROMPTLYBOMBED.THEFOLLOWINGYEARTHEYBROUGHTOUTTHEREDLABEL.THESAMETHINGHAPPENED.
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