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With Japan extending its second state of emergency, it’ll be a while until we can spend an evening out at bars again. However, whisky lovers can now take a virtual tour of two of Suntory’s Japanese distilleries and even participate in virtual whisky tastings.
Despite both Yamazaki Distillery and Hakushu Distillery being closed to visitors for the time being, they’re gearing up to release new limited-edition whiskies in May and bring back fan favorite Hakushu 12 Year this March. To help tide you over, Suntory is now offering a free virtual tour of the distillery museums where you’ll get to see the history and process behind Japan’s beloved whiskies from the comfort of your own home. Descriptions and audio clips are attached to certain areas, but they’re only available in Japanese.
For those living in Japan, you might want to consider the paid 60-minute guided live tour, which will be available from February 6. Unfortunately it’s conducted only in Japanese for now, but if you speak the language, you can interact and ask questions of the tour guide, just like you’re visiting in person.
There are a total of 100 spots available per session and tours are expected to run mostly on weekends. The cost of ¥3,000 also includes a whisky tasting package that will be posted to you, to enjoy throughout the virtual tour. Book a spot on the website early so you don’t miss out.
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