Skip to content
Philip Ilic Thomas

Whiskey tasting

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery, Shimamoto, Osaka
  • Camera: Leica M11-P
  • Lens: Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH.
  • Focal length: 35 mm
  • Exposure time: 1/125 s
  • ISO 1600

I planned much of this trip with ChatGPT, which suggested a visit to Yamazaki. The distillery is about 20 minutes outside Kyoto, a city I had never visited, so I made it an overnight stop.

I liked seeing how Suntory mixed classic whisky techniques with Japanese ingredients and local constraints. The tasting bar had many rare bottles, and I tried three of the oldest offerings: whiskies from before the international hype, when Yamazaki still felt more like a local experiment.