PROFILE
Let me tell you something about me!
By MK Production
My interest in Scotch grew with the frequent visits to bars in Tokyo and around, through the communication with the owners and barternders, noticing their love and respect for the drinks, and I have learned so much in the conversations. The story varied in its orientation on how they met Scotch whiskies initially, most of which come with a surprise or unintended meeting with the deepness of the Scotch whiskies. I am also one of the kinds. Rarely do you intend to liken the drinks, but at some point in your life, you go through it and then bang! Here it is. The bottles of Scotch are always sitting behind the bar counter, but it takes some while to find the true beauty of the drinks.
Let me talk more about how I came to like the Scotch. It came late compared to those young folks I met in the bar. I could not imagine if I could drink the alcohol so intensely that it went up to 40 degrees; I was okay in my 20s to drink beer, Zhuhai, highball, or something of that sort in a lower alcohol level. Still, I was forced to have many drinking parties, which were often organized in my work-related meetings. It was a duty; I wouldn’t say I liked it. The turn of even comes funnily. One of my acquaintances in my work quit his job suddenly and became an owner of the bar; by the way, he did not drink at all, or he could not, as I knew. Why he wanted to open a bar was answered, but it allowed me to visit his bar, for it was my first visit to any bar. The fact that he did not drink gave me the comfort of the visit, or at least did not give me any intimidation. It may sound funny, but I felt an advantage that I could do better (don’t ask better what), as I knew he could not drink.
As you can imagine, once I have experienced visiting a bar, the second and the third come by myself to create more challenges. I liked sitting at the bar counter and talking to the bartenders, listening to the stories, asking what drinks they wanted, and seeing how they drank. So I went and went. One day, I entered the bar that needed more recognition. After sitting at the bar counter and gazing at the bottles behind me, I felt something different. I could see the bottles were of whiskies, but I could not recognize any of their bottles; those were nicely labeled, and some had artistic illustrations. All looked very good and expensive; the colors inside showed their worth. I asked the owner of the bar what they were, and he told me that those were the ones we call “the bottlers’ bottles.” I had never heard of them then. I tried a couple and was amazed by the liquid, the color, the aroma, and the taste.
After the visit, I looked into the content of how they came up with it and learned the unique features of how they came into the world. I had some knowledge about whiskies before, but through finding the excellence of the Scotch, my interest grew, and I was especially drawn to find the stories behind how the Master Distillers of each distillery thoroughly thought about making their whiskies in their manner, extracting the utmost of the liquid which comes entirely from the nature.
And here in Japan, it is a perfect place to try and taste all kinds of alcohol and whiskies worldwide. I will not go deep about the drinking culture of Japan, but from the local izakaya to sushi bars, the drinks are available to the full extent; they are there to make ready for all kinds of interest, and paring the foods they offer with the glasses. Also, you may find an exciting corner such as Shinjuku Golden Gai, which attracts locals and travelers alike and provides a spot to have fun together; the drinks serve as a tool to open your mind to strangers you encounter. You may find other interesting places like “Snack” or “Clubs” in night towns, where the girls or lady companions attend to you to drink and chat.
I am here now trying to find out the unique chemistry it creates. I want to touch on the matter of how lovely Scotch as alcohol is and the mystery or the boom it encompasses, as it says the word “whisky” comes from the old Gaelic word for “uisce”(water), which is essential for life. And all the varieties of bars in Japan through my travel fun, and I am making notes of the impressions and experiences I pushed through those discoveries, which you may refer to for yourself to visit someday. It helps as a guide to go through challenges that often require you to make decisions without advice, unlike major travel spots full of explanations in the guidebook or webpages. I am still thinking about organizing the pages neatly, but I want to keep collecting notes, share my experiences, and make the readings more exciting and beneficial.