drinking for Tohoku — the rare single cask malt whisky version

Downing rare malt whisky to raise funds for Tohoku. That's my kind of charity event. Especially if it's at an exclusive (and little known) bar inside the hallowed campus of Todai (University of Tokyo)...

The original communique went like this:

Rare single cask whiskies + hidden Tokyo bar + quake aid

Here's the deal: We go to a posh bar hidden on the University of Tokyo's main campus, they sell us shots of their rare single-cask whiskies at up to half the normal price, and 50% of the takings go to Tohoku. Win win.

Indeed. Here are a few snaps of the event...

 

This was just some of the premium Scotch we got to choose from...

 

But the undoubted highlight was this selection of very special bottles, all donated by the Japan branch of The Scotch Whisky Society — and totally unavailable elsewhere:

 

Plus this one, the pick of the lot:

A Longmorn (Speyside), put down in 1968 in an oloroso sherry butt and left to mature for 38 years.

Lovely.

Or, as the pithy quote on the label says: "An absolute stoater".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better yet, the full amount (a very reasonable ¥1,000 per snifter) for these exceptional bottles went to the Tohoku fund. I'll drink to that. Indeed, I did drink to that. A number of times...

 

There was a very good turnout, and a good time was had by all...

 

And at the end of the day, the final tally (or at least the interim accounting I heard) was this: 80+ drinkers raised 245,000 yen for Tohoku.

 

Well done us.

And a big shout out to the Todai S Bar, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society — and to Nick Coldicott for getting it all together!