I gave in a picked up a bottle of Kirin’s whisky, Fuji Sanroku (“The Base of Mount Fuji”). Previously sighted on the internet, I noticed it on the shelves of liquor stores of Japan while making purchases of some more rarefied whiskies. While I immediately liked the label and the overall look, I admit to having been a bit dismissive. Frankly put, its cheap. At under $20 bucks and 50 proof, I had some concerns about the contents of the otherwise respectable bottle. So there I was, loading up my basket with goodies and I noticed “The Base of Mount Fuji”, noticed the price, rationalized that slipping the bottle in the basket wouldn’t seriously impact the budget and proceed to do so. And something in me wanted to know what the hell it tasted like.
Jump forward to the evening and a card game was rapidly becoming a reality. Liquor goes well with cards. Simultaneously a source of solace and a reward for a hand well-played (or simply an offering to the forces of luck in the universe), whisky can play counterpoint to many card game. Malts, dense water, salt and caramel… all joined with a medicinal touch, a moment of vanilla and oak. A sip took me to a smokey/roasted aspect that quickly fled and gave way to a grain smoothness-chocolate and a sweet , numbing aspect. Respectably vibrant and chewy. Money well spent and money well-burnt. Grains are present and sugars are in the wings. And soon the bottle was gone. Seriously, I don’t have the faintest idea where the bottle went but I am sure it went there empty. Perhaps this is a new, magical form of recycling that Kirin has cooked up. In any event, if you aren’t a collector of bottles and your need a whisky to ride shotgun but not distract you from the activities at hand, this is a solid return on your investment.
The WhiskyWall 