Suntory Time!

Photo © MAK

Whisky and I did not agree for a long time. I swore, and still swear, it’s an acquired taste. Couldn’t get beyond the initial sting of my tongue that overwhelmed anything that this libation had to offer – that something that appeared to titillate others enough to produce a very satisfied wink and a hum. Till one day, as the whisky bite was wearing off, a glimmer of epiphany struck me. The aftertaste gently coated the back of my tongue and a taste made itself know. Aha! Eureka! This must be the secret! Still, I kept on hesitating when it came to choosing whisky as the drink for the moment. Know this, my homeschooling was very clear about drinking something like whiskey. It has to be straight up, as not to mess with the selection of the exquisite ingredients, the fine skill and the hard labor of the distillation. A major affront otherwise. Period. Then one day, I was introduced to the ‘shameless’ concept of opening the whisky flavor by adding tiny amounts of water till the bite goes away. One. Sip. Two. Sip. Three. Sip. Getting there, but it’s messing with my homeschooling… Either way, I need more practice to find a nice middle ground. And here comes the next challenge. In my book, scotch is the way to go with a potential branching out into the adjacent territories. Traditional, I know, but why mess with a good thing, or so I am told. Japanese whisky?! OK, thank you ‘Lost in Translation’. Suntory it is. In fact, Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt (no need to get crazy with the Hibiki Blended Whisky, 18 Year Old Single Malt or 1984 Vintage Single Malt at this point, it’s not like I am a connoisseur or something). So here we go. Straight up. Smells nice. Fruity. Sting with a fruity flavor and warmth at the back. OK. OK. Smooth for me. Wait, there is something else there. Spice? Ever so slight. Sip, sip, sip. Well, for relaxing times… you know how the rest goes. Kampai!