Private Japanese Whisky Tasting in Kyoto

Japanese whisky has a reputation for being hard to taste properly. The famous bottles are rare and expensive, and in many bars they are poured only in small, costly measures. This tasting is private and led by a local host, who takes you to a whisky bar of their choice and runs the session. It lasts an hour and a half.

Your host meets you at a station in central Kyoto and starts with a short introduction to the city and to Sanjo, which the listing calls Kyoto's main entertainment area. The tasting then begins with a highball, made here with Suntory Kaku, which the listing presents as a popular and representative Japanese whisky. A highball, whisky with soda, is the most common way to drink whisky in Japan, and you can mix it yourself.

The main tasting follows. The usual line-up named in the listing is Yamazaki 12 years, Taketsuru 12 years, Hibiki Blender's Choice and Suntory Royal 12 years, with others possible. The bar serves these as a special service because the bottles are rare and expensive. You taste each one neat first, then add two drops of water to see how the flavour opens and softens, so every pour is tasted twice. Yamazaki, the distillery behind the first of those bottles, lies near the border between Kyoto and Osaka prefectures, so a tasting in Kyoto is a short distance from its source.

You may also find yourself among the bar's regulars. The listing mentions local whisky enthusiasts who enjoy talking to visitors. At the end, your host recommends restaurants for the rest of the evening, based on what you like to eat.

The tasting is private, in English, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. The listing does not spell out what the price covers beyond the tasting itself, so check the booking page for the details of your date, and confirm the meeting station and the bar there. The line-up can change, so treat the names above as typical rather than guaranteed. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20.

It suits whisky drinkers who want to taste well-known Japanese bottles with a guide, and visitors who would rather be taken to a bar than choose one. If you prefer a longer evening with dinner, the Ginza sake and geisha bar evening in Tokyo on this site is a better match.