The end of the year has been a very busy, exciting time for our team here at dekantā. Last month took us across Japan revisiting whisky distilleries, finally attending the amazing annual Tokyo Whisky Festival, before heading to Europe.

Yet, one of the most exciting events of the year came last weekend, on the 1st and 2nd of December. Over the weekend the London Spirit Show opened to thousands of thirsty spirits lovers from all over the globe.

This year was particularly busy, as the Business Design Centre in Islington showcases some of the most interesting and delicious new spirits to enter the market. Craft gin was the theme this year, with expressions from Australia, the U.S., and of course, Japan on display.

This year was extra special for our team here at dekantā as it marked an important step for our company. As one of the largest online retailers of Japanese spirits in the world, our focus has been primarily on strengthening our online presence and our image domestically, in Japan.

Now we are looking to hit the “ground” per say, and showcase the greatness of Japanese spirits at whisky and spirit shows across the globe. The Spirit Show was our first exhibiting event in London, with more scheduled for 2018.

Let’s take a look at the exciting weekend past.

From Japan to London

Japanese whisky is our forte, but with the amazing progress Japanese producers have made this year in craft gin, we felt we simply needed to bring the news over to the UK.

For whisky fans, we offered samples of the recently awarded Nikka Coffey Malt and the Yamazakura expression released exclusively for Europe. The Coffey Malt pleasantly shocked attendees, who did not expect such depth from a no age-statement expression. On the other hand, the Yamazakura Blended Whisky showcased the amazing innovation taking place in one of Japan’s smallest distilleries.

For the connoisseur, samples of the Yoichi 15 year-old, the Chichibu Japan Warrior One, and the Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel 2013 were available.

Sad you missed this, aren’t you? We are, too.

Gin & Yuzu

In the hope of bringing Japan’s exciting new gins to the UK public, we offered samples of the Nikka Coffey Gin and the Suntory Roku Gin. Both went down with ease, but the Roku seemed to take the lead as a favourite among Spirit Show visitors. The fact that the bottle is only available at some Duty-FreeFree shops added further appeal to the mix.

Having just come from Japan, we made sure to bring over some Japanese yuzu fruit for everyone to sniff as we explained the concept and ingredients behind the country’s exciting new gin expressions. Although most people thought it was a strange orange, we relentlessly projected the beauty of yuzu.

Judging by Japanese gin bottle sales during the event, we can safely say that the London Dry gin category has some competition rolling in from Japan.

The event was a huge success, as we done our very best to educate attendees and present some of the very best expressions from the land of the rising sun. The Chichibu Japan Warrior also made things much better, as happy guests got to sample a bottle which sold out shortly after release.

If you missed us in London keep an eye out for us in 2018 as other shows across the globe.