To celebrate this electrifying box I have paired it with “a good stiff drink”, the Yamazaki Distillers Reserve.  Japanese whisky has been around for almost 100 years, and the Yamazaki distillery was Japan’s first, founded in 1923.  Taking ages old classic scotch making techniques and giving them their own eloquent styles, Yamazaki created a world class whisky expression which has to be tasted to be believed.  I had the fortune to do just that a few years ago, when an acquaintance suggested I had to try it.  It was so good (I tried it a few times just to be sure) I resolved to pick up a bottle of my own.  Fast forward to the present, when I wandered into my local spirit shop with the intent of finally making good on that resolution, only to be laughed at by the proprietors.  Unbeknownst to me, one of the Yamazaki whiskies (the 20 year sherry cask) had recently been named “best whisky in the world of 2015” in Jim Murray’s whisky bible, and subsequently all Yamazaki and every other Japanese whisky for that matter quickly became impossible to find anywhere.  They hadn’t had any new shipments in months.  Neither had any other store in the entire city.

The Yamakazi Distiller's Reserve

What was I to do?  I did what most victims of the new whisky craze do and gave up hope of ever buying a bottle of the stuff.  Filed it away right next to Pappy.  I had other concerns anyway, I was leaving soon on a business trip to a tiny seaside resort town in the Netherlands called Noordwijk.  A few days later I was wandering about this tiny town, fighting off the jet lag, and discovered the town’s own tiny spirits shop.  And I don’t make a habit of finding every spirit shop wherever I go, just trust me this one magically appeared, with a bottle of Yamazaki waiting on the shelf inside. The Distillers Reserve is an elegant blend of different caskings from the distillery, including whisky aged in French Bordeaux casks, Japanese Mizunara casks, and the famous 20 year Sherry casks.  And it’s amazing, full of fruit, oak and spice.  There might still be a bottle left in Noordwijk, but I’d hurry if I were you.  Just like the saying goes, a good whisky is hard to find.  Or was it a hard puzzle is good to find?  Anyway this story, about whisky and wood, has a happy ending after all.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day everyone!