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For the Okinawa Whisky & Spirits Fest 2026 original bottle selection, I traveled to Tsunuki Distillery together with fellow executive committee members and volunteer staff.
The flight there was fine, but with a typhoon approaching, I couldn't help worrying about the flight back...
From Kagoshima Airport we took a bus to Kagoshima-Chuo, another bus on to Kaseda, and then drove the rest of the way to Tsunuki Distillery.
We were given a tour of the distillery, followed by the cask selection.
Every cask was wonderful, which made for a genuinely tough choice — but in the end, the vote came back unanimous.
I really think it's going to be a beautiful bottle, so please do pick one up when it's ready!
The next day we visited Kanosuke Distillery for a tour there as well.
The entrance was lovely, the architecture stylish and beautiful, and we were treated to a tasting at the bar overlooking the sea.
The bar was so wonderful that I found myself wishing it ran as a regular bar (ha).
With the bullet train out of service due to the Kumamoto earthquake, we drove to Miyazaki Airport and flew on to Fukuoka.
We set up a booth at Auric's tasting event.
We shared the booth together with AUN SMOKE.
Our flight didn't fly that day either...
Nothing to be done about it, so we made the most of a night out in Hakata!
After that we got caught in a thunderstorm — the kind you almost never see even in Okinawa, an absolutely bewildering downpour — and ducked into a yakitori place soaked to the bone. I'd bet we were the wettest customers that place has ever had. (This whole trip, the weather really had its way with us.)
And finally, today, we made it back to Okinawa on the midday flight. Took a while getting there. (Right around Okinawa's Obon send-off, too.)
Ahh, it really is calming to be back.
Though, honestly, Fukuoka was ridiculously hot — Okinawa's so much cooler by comparison (ha).
Apparently the 26th hit 38°C, the hottest day of the summer so far. Global warming, much? (ha)
So, we made it back to Okinawa safe and sound.
We're open for business as usual starting today. We look forward to seeing you all!
(A huge thank you this time to Hombo Shuzo and Kanosuke Distillery — thank you so much!)
