So my wife and I were chatting with the guy who used to live in California. He knew his stuff and directed us to buy some very limited only produced there whiskey...
We had a good chat and also had a glass at the tasting tower. In fact, we got along so well with him, he invited us along with the three others he was with to the Suntory Brewery - close by. One can not decline such an offer...a distillery and a brewery in the same day....sure...just make sure we do not forget our daughter...
Even without reservations, this quasi american guy just phone ahead and said it would be OK since we were non-japanese and could get away without the typically required reservation.
Huge place.
Bottle lines running also - FYI, they do not run on weekends.
Wow...lots of kegs...
OK, so here is how the tasting room works.
They first show you how to pour the beer properly. They they say 4 beers per person but if a person in your group does not have their share, then you can have what they do not....BUT>>>>you can only stay 20 minutes....
I went into University mode....after the 4th, I stopped taking pictures...
you can sort of see my fingers getting much looser...
thankfully, some ramen at Kyoto station with lots of fat helped with the booze...
The best was the place from Tokushima.