Hokkaido, Japan: Nikka Yoichi Distillery

 

Go beyond the Nikka billboard found in Susukino junction. 

Why not sip your free whisky from Nikka Yoichi Distillery?

Reservation for the tour happens in four weeks (refreshes at 9:00am).  Book your reservation here.

When selecting the schedule of the tour, remember to also study the schedule of either train or bus from where you are coming from.  At the ticket counter, just show them the email of your reservation. Upon arrival, they have a Visiting Center holding area or waiting hall.

We watched a short video about the history and distillery process.

Even though it was snowing very hard, we continued on the tour.  Visiting several buildings, sometimes watching from outside.  Sometimes, we can go inside the buildings.

In storage facility, we have seen a lot of barrels and what does it look like inside.

The tour will last 50 minutes, and with the most awaited part of free tasting that is approximately 20 minutes.

You need to surrender your free tasting ticket to the counter to get your drinks.  Then it's your choice if you want it to have it rocks or to add water or sparkling water.

It's the last activity so I was left behind.  I enjoyed sipping the whisky till the last drop. I was enjoying the white snowy scene outside.  I was eating some cheese sausage and nuts while finishing my drink. I actually started with the Single Malt (my most favorite, 45%). followed by Apple Wine (my next liked, 22%), and ended with Super Rare Old (my least preferred, 42%)

You are allowed  to go back to the other building as long as you have the tour reservation ticket.  I was able to visit at my own pace the Whisky Museum.

This will be out of the way when you are visiting Otaru.  Skip if you are not into whisky or alcohol.

What I enjoyed the most about the tour, I would say, was the heavy snow around the area and the free tasting.  The buildings were nice but even looked amazing with the white background.

Thanks to Nikka for sharing about the Nikka Yoichi Distillery Tour.  As mentioned at the top. go beyond the Nikka billboard found in Susukino junction.

Itinerary: Places to go, Things to see, What to do?

Day	Places to See	Food and Restaurants	Accommodation
1	Otaru Canal	Bikkuri Donkey	Hotel Dormy Inn Premium
2	Otaru Canal Sakaimachi Street Otaru Music Box Museum 出抜き小路 火の見櫓  Observation Deck Japan Post Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway Asari Station	Kitaichi Hall LeTAO Main Store Robataya Turukichi	same
3	Nikka Whisky Hokkaido Factory Guardian Angels Cathedral Sapporo TV Tower Susukino Undeground market between Susukino,  Odori and Sapporo stations	Baristart Coffee	Hotel Forza Sapporo
4	Moai statue in Makomanai Takino Hill of Buddha Royce Town Factory	Lamp Light Books café	same
5	Bibai Snow Land JR Tower Observatory T38	Morihico Coffee T'café	same
6	Hokkaido University Museum Domestic and International areas	Tokuichi Tully's Coffee