The final whisky bar we visited in Japan was Aloha Whisky in Ikebukuro. The bar was a bit of a journey from where we were staying, but we could not miss seeing our buddy David pouring whisky in his natural habitat, and as frequent train/public transport commuters at home, we undaunted by the rail journey. Unfortunately, we were running low on gas that evening and arrived late, so we only had a brief period with the bar to ourselves before an SMWS tour group arrived— they were not there to crash out private experience, rather we were the party crashers for their tasting. We avoided tasting too many additional drams that night, we could only taste so much exhausted as we were, but it is hard to say no when people start sticking glasses in your hands. Good whisky should not go to waste.
Aloha Whisky will be top of our list to revisit next time we get to Tokyo. The two drams below are the only two I took notes on, my palate was more or less dead after that, though the bonus drams people bought for us or shared with us were all excellent as well.
The Unicorn Gundam is nowhere near Aloha Whisky (you can visit the life-size gundam at Odaiba, while Aloha Whisky is over in Ikebukuro), I just whiffed on taking much in the way of relevant photos on this trip and haven’t had a chance to draw anything new.
WHISKY: Tobermory 28 Year (1995), The Maltman Cask 1133
NOTES: The aroma was chalky and fruity as if we were enjoying freshly cut fruit by towering sea cliffs— or doodling in chalk for fun in an empty classroom. Waxy at times with orange and lime citrus zest, occasional florals and heather appeared with dried grass and a kiss of brine. Medium to light-bodied on the palate, the flavor profile featured bright fruits and crumbling driftwood. Tea leaves with hints of rose and vanilla matched with dried mango scones and pineapple cubes. A soft brine and pepperiness arrived later as the profile gradually became more austere with hints of white gummies. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with citrus zest, pepper, soft brine, and driftwood.
SCORE: 8 (87)
IMAGE: Picturesque Tea by the Sea
THOUGHTS: I lucked into the final dram of this bottle— and it was one I was looking forward to trying, so I was glad the whisky fates smiled on me. I have a penchant for these early to mid-1990s Tobermory and Ledaig, and while I found the one at SMWS rather disappointing, this was right in line with what I wanted. It had similar austere and woody elements, but the volume on those qualities was lower with far more fruits and mild florals appearing. It swapped out some of the metallic elements I frequently find on these whiskies for some chalkiness and grass instead, but was otherwise familiar. Overall, delightful fare, a perfect place to start an evening.
WHISKY: Bowmore 28 Year (1997), Scout Drinks Cask 323047
NOTES: The aroma was fruity and beachy with mango and beach flowers in the cool morning sun. A salty maritime breeze brought brine, wispy smoke, orange flowers, driftwood, sea shells, and pink peppercorns. Medium-bodied on the palate, the whisky was surprisingly creamy with a soft brine, orange blossom, plumeria, passion fruit, wispy smoke, pepper, and sun bleached driftwood. The finish was long and waxy with a gentle brine, dried mango and pineapple slices, and beach flowers.
SCORE: 8 (88)
IMAGE: Beach Pastels in the Pre-Dawn Light
THOUGHTS: Since I knew I was not going to take notes on anything past the first dram or two of the evening, I decided to go big for the second pour. The price of this Bowmore was not cheap, something around $50 for a dram, but the promise of an intensely tropical Bowmore that cast shadows of the 1960s… how could I possibly say no? Perhaps my palate was already deader than I had realized, I never got this whisky to really pop for me in the way I expected. It was always rather quiet, shy, and more austere than I expected. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but maybe on another evening it would have reached another level. Perhaps someday I will get a chance to retry it! If not, there is plenty more Bowmore out there, as I found out in Tokyo.
Whiskery Turnip 
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