>> P.25
FOOD&DRINKDAY51NOVEMBER4THYAMAZAKI,OSAKATHISWASN’TINEITHEROFTHEIRPLANS.ITTURNEDOUTTHATTHECENTURIES-OLDBREWHADATASTETHATWASJUSTTOOALIENFORLOCALPALETTES.THEPEATYFLAVOURDWARFEDSAKE,BEERANDALLTYPESOFFOOD.THISWASANESPECIALLYBITTERDISAPPOINTMENTTOMASTERDISTILLERTAKETSURU.HEHADFOLLOWEDTHESCOTTISHMETHODMETICULOUSLY,ANDYET,AFTERWAITINGFIVEYEARSFORTHERESULTS,PEOPLEHATEDHISPRODUCT.THEFOUNDERTURIIRESOLVEDTOLAUNCHASQUARE-BOTTLECONTAININGAMILDERBLENDEDWHISKYTHATWOULDAPPEALTOTHEMASSES.IRONICALLY,THISWASTHETECHNIQUETHATHADALLOWEDSCOTCHWHISKYTOBECOMEALLPOWERFUL:BEINGLESSEXPENSIVEANDMOREDRINKABLE.NEVERMINDWHATTHEPURISTSTHOUGHT,MONEYHADTOBEMADE.ALAS,HISPARTNERTAKETSURUWASONEOFTHOSEPURISTS.AROUNDTHISTIME,ARIFTMUSTHAVEFORMEDBETWEENTHETWOMEN,WHOHADVISIONSOFSUCCESSLEANINGINVERYDIFFERENTDIRECTIONS.BY1934,AFTERADECADEATSUNTORY,TAKETSURULEFTTHECOMPANY,MOVEDTOHOKKAIDO(ANDTOACLIMATEHEBELIEVED,CORRECTLY,MORECLOSELYRESEMBLEDTHATOFSCOTLAND)ANDSETUPARIVALFIRMTHATFOLLOWEDTHESCOTTISHMETHOD.LIKESUNTORY,ITWASABIGSUCCESSANDTODAYHISCOMPANY,NIKKAWHISKY,CONTINUESTOSNAPATHISOLDFIRM’SHEELSINNATIONALWHISKYSALES.ASWETOURTHEYAMAZAKIDISTILLERY, MAKOTOSUMITA,OFSUNTORY’SQUALITYCOMMUNICATIONSPIRITSDIVISION,CONCEDESTHATEVENNOWTHECOMPANIES’RIVALRYIS“NOTSOFRIENDLY”.SUNTORY ISBIGGERANDBUSIERTHANEVER,BUTITSTILLUSESTHESAMEYAMAZAKIWATER,BUBBLINGFROMTHESAMESOURCES.OVER100,000GUESTSAYEARCOMEFORTHISTOUR,TOLEARNABOUTTHEDISTILLINGPROCESS,THEIMPORTANCEOFTHECASKSUSEDFORMATURATION,ANDATHOUSANDOTHERDETAILSTHATCONTRIBUTETOSUNTORYBEINGJAPAN’SBIGGESTWHISKY-MAKER.SALESRISEYEARONYEAR,DOMESTICALLYANDINTERNATIONALLY;LOOKINGATTHEIRFIGURESFORTHELASTDECADE,THERE’SNOHINTOFAFINANCIALCRISIS.THREEYEARSAGO,ACASKOFEXTREMELYRARE50-YEAR-OLDSUNTORYSINGLEMALTWENTONSALEFOR¥1MILLION(£8,000)ABOTTLE.ITSOLDOUTINAFEWHOURS.IT’SALLDRIVENBYADEDICATIONTOMAKINGAQUALITYPRODUCT,THESAMEDEDICATIONTHAT,IN1944,HADEMPLOYEESDIGGINGHOLESINTHENEARBYHILLSTOHIDEBARRELSOFMATURINGWHISKYFROMALLIEDBOMBS(WHICHTHANKFULLYNEVERARRIVED).TODAYSUNTORY’SVARIOUSBLENDSANDMALTSAREMULTIINTERNATIONALAWARD-WINNERS.THEY’VECOMEALONGWAYSINCETHEDISASTROUSWHITELABELDAYS.ONETHINGTHEYHAVEN’TBEENABLETODOISTOMAKETHEWHOLEPROCESSFASTER.ACTUALLY,SUNTORYNOWTAKESMUCHMORETIMEOVERITSPRODUCT.THEYOUNGERBLENDSTENDTOBE10YEARSOLD,WHILETHEMOREREFINEDSINGLEMALTSTYPICALLYRANGEFROM12TO18YEARS,THOUGH30-YEAR-OLDSAREAVAILABLEFORBIGSPENDERS.ATTHEENDOFTHETOUR,WE’REINVITEDTOATASTING,TOEXPERIENCEEXACTLYHOWCASKSMADEOFDIFFERENTWOODSAFFECTTHEDRINKS’FLAVOUR.WHISKYGOESINCLEARANDCOMESOUTAMBER,ORGOLD,ORSOMETIMESALMOSTREDDEPENDINGONWHATWOODISUSED.THETASTEISDRASTICALLYAFFECTEDTOO.THATWHICHMATURESINSHERRYCASKSMADEOFSPANISHOAK,FOREXAMPLE,SMELLSDISTINCTLYOFMAPLESYRUP,THOUGHSADLYTASTESNOTHINGLIKEIT.MOREUNFORTUNATEISTHAT,ASMYCHEEKSSTARTGLOWINGWITHINVESTIGATIVEPROFESSIONALISM,IDECIDETHATTHEFIFTHWHISKYISMYFAVOURITE.ISAYUNFORTUNATEBECAUSEITISTHEYAMAZAKI18-YEAR-OLDSINGLEMALT,WHICHRETAILSFORAROUND¥20,000(£160)ABOTTLE.THEOLDERWHISKIESAREMOREEXPENSIVEFORANUMBEROFREASONS,BUTMOSTLYBECAUSEOFEVAPORATION.EARLIERINTHEDAYMRSUMITAHADEXPLAINEDTHATTHECASK’S“BREATHING”CAUSESAROUND3%EVAPORATIONEVERYYEAR.AFTERABOUT15YEARS,THATWILLHAVETAKENMORETHANATHIRDITSCONTENTS.BY,SAY,30YEARS,THERE’SMOREAIRTHANLIQUID.“IT’SAKINDOFTAX–ANGELSDRINKINGIT,”SAIDSUMITA,ASWEWALKEDAROUNDANENORMOUSMATURATIONROOMWITHSEVERALHUNDREDTHOUSANDLITRESOFWHISKYINDIFFERENTCASKS.“THEREMUSTBEALOTOFDRUNKANGELS,”HESAID.ATTHESEPRICES,THEY’REWELCOMETOIT.
| < 
| 
> | 
>>
