{"id":7650,"date":"2015-02-21T15:40:04","date_gmt":"2015-02-21T15:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidejapanblog.com\/?p=7650"},"modified":"2020-01-28T17:07:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T17:07:29","slug":"the-yamazaki-whisky-distillery-is-pretty-neat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/21\/the-yamazaki-whisky-distillery-is-pretty-neat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yamazaki Whisky Distillery is Pretty Neat!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>A favourite pastime in Japan in summer is to get together with friends and while away the balmy nights around a <em>habachi<\/em>\u00a0barbecue with some ice cold beers. In February however, what with the frequent snowfall and early sunsets, those long evenings can seem a distant memory. Beer is not called for at this time of year. This season calls for something a little stronger, and what tipple could be more fitting\u00a0than a wee dram of whisky?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7661\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7661\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7661 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181.jpg?w=660\" alt=\"Slightly more than a wee dram here...\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0181-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7661\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Slightly more than a wee dram here&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although whisky production has a history going back nearly 100 years in Japan, until recently Japanese whisky hasn&#8217;t had widespread recognition within the international market. Over the last decade this has begun to change, and this year with a <a href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/3555773\/worlds-best-whisky-yamazaki-single-malt-sherry-cask-2013-suntory-jim-murrays-whisky-bible-2015\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese whisky named as the best in the world<\/a>, Japanese whisky is finally getting the appreciation\u00a0it deserves.<\/p>\n<p>Although we might not all be able to afford a bottle of the award winning\u00a0Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 (only 18,000 bottles were produced and it retails for US$160 a bottle), the Yamazaki distillery also produces some more affordable\u00a0whiskies. As a bonus, the distillery is just a short 15 minute minute train ride from Kyoto (a destination which features on the majority of our Small Group Tours and Self Guided Adventures) and there\u00a0are free daily guided tours of the distillery.<\/p>\n<p>I recently visited the distillery to experience one of their guided tours, and of course to have a wee tipple! Here&#8217;s a brief look at what I saw and learnt!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7667\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7667\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"After a short train ride from Kyoto station, you will arrive at JR Yamazaki station. Much smaller then Kyoto station!\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0506-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7667\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After a short train ride from Kyoto station, you will arrive at JR Yamazaki station. Much smaller then Kyoto station!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7669\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7669\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7669\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The distillery is less than 10 minutes walk from the station and is clearly signposted.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0509-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7669\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The distillery is less than 10 minutes walk from the station and is clearly signposted.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7668\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7668\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Although Yamazaki station is in Kyoto prefecture, you will actually walk across the prefectural boundary in to Osaka prefecture on your way to the distillery. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0507-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7668\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Although Yamazaki station is in Kyoto prefecture, you will actually walk across the prefectural boundary into Osaka prefecture on your way to the distillery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7676\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7676\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Before long the distillery looms into view! As you can see, it was a slightly wet and dreary day. But I just imagined myself in the Scottish Highlands and suddenly it didn't seem half as bad!\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0541-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7676\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Before long the distillery looms into view! As you can see, it was a slightly wet and dreary day. But I just imagined myself in the Scottish Highlands and suddenly it didn&#8217;t seem half as bad!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7670\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7670\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7670\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"After reporting to the customer reception and confirming your appointment, you will be directed to the Yamazaki Whisky Museum (the white building on the right), which is where the tours start. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0516-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7670\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After reporting to the customer reception and confirming your appointment, you will be directed to the Yamazaki Whisky Museum (the white building on the right), which is where the tours start.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7671\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7671\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"I advise arriving about 30 minutes before your tour appointment, which will allow you to have a quick look around the exhibits in the museum. There were many old bottles on display charting the history of Suntory Yamazaki whisky from its birth in 1923 to the present day. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0518-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7671\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I advise arriving about 30 minutes before your tour appointment, which will allow you to have a quick look around the exhibits in the museum. There were many old bottles on display charting the history of Suntory Yamazaki whisky from its birth in 1923 to the present day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7673\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7673\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7673\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Before the tour started I was also offered an English language audio guide. The tour guide will tell you which number to press and you can follow along with the tour even if you can't speak Japanese!\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0521-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7673\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Before the tour started I was also offered an English language audio guide. The tour guide will tell you which number to press and you can follow along with the tour even if you can&#8217;t speak Japanese. Marvellous!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7654\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7654\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7654\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"My tour started right on time from the meeting point on the 2nd floor of the Whisky Museum. First we were greeted by these statues in the courtyard. The sitting statue on the left is Shinjiro Torii, who founded the distillery. I'm not sure who the chap on the right is, but I've got a feeling he likes whisky. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0170-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7654\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">My tour started right on time from the meeting point on the 2nd floor of the Whisky Museum. First we were greeted by these statues in the courtyard. The sitting statue on the left is Shinjiro Torii, who founded the distillery. I&#8217;m not sure who the chap on the right is, but I&#8217;ve got a feeling he likes whisky.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7674\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7674\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"From the courtyard we ventured into the distillery itself and were given a chronological tour of the creation of whisky, starting with this room where the malting, mashing and fermentation takes place. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0523-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7674\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the courtyard we ventured into the distillery itself and were given a chronological tour of the creation of whisky, starting with this room where the malting, mashing and fermentation takes place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7675\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7675\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"From here we ventured into the distillation hall, where three different shapes of 'pot stills' are used to create 'new-make spirits' of different characters.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0528-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7675\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From here we ventured into the distillation hall, where three different shapes of &#8216;pot stills&#8217; are used to create &#8216;new-make spirits&#8217; of different characters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7652\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7652\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"From there we continued to the rather chilly storehouse where the ageing of the spirit takes place in oak casks. Casks of different ages impart different flavours. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0163-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7652\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From there we continued to the rather chilly storehouse where the ageing of the clear spirit takes place in oak casks. Casks of different ages impart different flavours and also give whisky\u00a0its colour.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7651\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7651\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"Each cask has the year of production printed on the front. This one is quite a young one compared to some that I saw!\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0162-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Each cask has the year of production printed on the front. This one is quite a young one compared to some that I saw!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7653\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7653\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"We left through the back entrance of the storage hall and walked past the distillery's very own Shinto shrine!\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0167-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7653\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We left through the back entrance of the storage hall and walked past the distillery&#8217;s very own Shinto shrine!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7655\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7655\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7655\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The aromas floating around throughout all of the places we had visited so far had really whet my appetite for this part - the tasting hall! \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0171-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7655\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The aromas floating around throughout all of the places we had visited so far had really whet my appetite for this part &#8211; the tasting hall!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7656\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7656\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7656\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"The first whisky on offer for tasting was their signature whisky - Yamazaki 12 Years Old Single Malt. They recommend drinking it as a highball (mixed with soda water). It's not how I usually drink my whisky, but as it was free I was happy to go along with their suggestion. I was pleasantly surprised and was really enjoying my highball and packet of nuts when...\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0173-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7656\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first whisky on offer for tasting was their signature whisky &#8211; Yamazaki 12 Years Old Single Malt. They recommend drinking it as a highball (mixed with soda water). It&#8217;s not how I usually drink my whisky, but as it was free I was happy to go along with their suggestion. I was pleasantly surprised and was really enjoying my highball and packet of nuts when&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7657\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7657\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7657\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"... another whisky was offered! This time from Yamasaki's sister distillery, Hakushu, located in Yamanashi prefecture, home of Mt. Fuji. I actually preferred the fresher and smokier flavour of this whisky...\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175.jpg 2250w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-900x1200.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-720x960.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-780x1040.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0175-510x680.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7657\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8230; another whisky was offered! This time from Yamasaki&#8217;s sister distillery, Hakushu, located in Yamanashi prefecture, home of Mt. Fuji. I actually preferred the fresher and smokier flavour of this whisky&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7658\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7658\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"... but when we were given the chance to have yet another try of either the Yamazaki or the Hakushu in a form other than 'highball', I felt I had to represent the home team and tried the Yamazaki 12 Years Old neat. And jolly good it was, too! \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0176-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7658\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8230; but when we were given the chance to have yet another try of either the Yamazaki or the Hakushu in a form other than &#8216;highball&#8217;, I felt I had to represent the home team and tried the Yamazaki 12 Years Old neat. And jolly good it was, too!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7659\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7659\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7659\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Next stop was of course the gift shop. Three whiskies down and my purse strings were feeling slightly looser than usual, but I resisted and headed straight on through to the Whisky Library. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0178-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7659\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Next stop was of course the gift shop. Three whiskies down and my purse strings were feeling slightly looser than usual, but I resisted and headed straight on through to the Whisky Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7672\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7672\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"The Whisky Library contains 7,000 bottles of single malt whisky all created at the distillery. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0519-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7672\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Whisky Library contains 7,000 bottles of single malt whisky all created at the distillery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7660\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7660\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"Each bottle has detailed information about when it was created and tasting notes. Unfortunately the bottles in the library are not available for purchase or tasting. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0180-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7660\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Each bottle has detailed information about when it was created and tasting notes. Unfortunately the bottles in the library are not available for purchase or tasting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7663\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7663\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7663\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"However, don't be disheartened! The Whisky Library also has a tasting counter where you can sample a large number of whiskies created by both the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. They also have a number of other whiskies not just from Scotland but from Ireland, America and Canada as well. \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0186-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7663\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">However, don&#8217;t be disheartened! The Whisky Library also has a tasting counter where you can sample a large number of whiskies created by both the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. They also have a number of other whiskies not just from Japan,\u00a0but from around the globe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7664\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7664\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7664 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188.jpg?w=660\" alt=\"As everything up until this point had been totally free of charge, I felt duty bound to at least spend some of my money in return for the wonderful services I had received. I opted to sample the Yamazaki 18 Years Old Single Malt. After sampling its loveliness, I almost felt duty bound to sample some others, but felt that this could be a rather slippery slope, and so decided it was safer to begin my journey home! \" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0188-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">As everything up until this point had been totally free of charge, I felt duty bound to at least spend some of my money in return for the wonderful services I had received. I opted to sample the Yamazaki 18 Years Old Single Malt. After sampling its loveliness, I almost felt duty bound to sample some others, but felt that this could be a rather slippery slope, and so decided it was safer to begin my journey home!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7666\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7666\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201.jpg?w=300\" alt=\"And so my experience at the Yamazaki Distillery was concluded and I headed back to Yamazaki station. The distillery is actually located adjacent to the train line, so if you're arriving into Kyoto from Kansai International Airport or travelling between Osaka and Kyoto, keep an eye out for it on the way!\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/img_0201-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7666\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">And so my experience at the Yamazaki Distillery was concluded and I headed back to Yamazaki station. The distillery is actually located adjacent to the train line, so if you&#8217;re arriving into Kyoto from Kansai International Airport, or travelling between Osaka and Kyoto, keep an eye out for it on the way!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I highly recommend a visit to the Yamazaki distillery. You&#8217;re sure to learn something new, and who can say no to a bombardment of free whisky? Although participation is\u00a0free, appointments for the guided tours are essential and need to be arranged well in advance. If you would like to find out more about how to include a\u00a0tour of\u00a0the Yamazaki distillery into your trip to Japan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-fd017-4\/whisky-distillery-tours-\/\">please check out the experience page on our website<\/a>. This experience could easily be included into a Self Guided Adventure and could also be combined with some other fantastic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/exp-4\/food-and-drink\/\">gastronomic experiences<\/a> as part of your trip.<\/p>\n<p>Sl\u00e1inte and kanpai!<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7650\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! A favourite pastime in Japan in summer is to get together with friends and while away the balmy nights around a habachi\u00a0barbecue with some ice cold beers. In February however, what with the frequent snowfall and early sunsets, those long evenings can seem a distant memory. Beer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2366],"tags":[1342,1472,1721,2337,2338],"class_list":["post-7650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-food-and-drink","tag-best-whiskey-in-the-world","tag-drink","tag-japanese-drink","tag-yamazaki","tag-yamazaki-whiskey"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8345,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7650\/revisions\/8345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}