Premium Japanese Omakase Tastings

YOUR HOST

Previously as a designer working for TripAdvisor, I helped people travel the world smarter and safer. Now, I've spent the last decade establishing myself as a whisky and spirits insider in Japan. My experience ranges from running a speakeasy and curating a 5,000-bottle collection to blending and bottling my own whisky expressions. I'm looking forward to sharing with you authentic 100% distilled in Japan whiskies and spirits.

THE EXPERIENCE

I specialize in luxury Omakase tastings—a "chef's choice" approach to whisky. I invite you to dive into my personal vault for an epic journey that goes far beyond the average bar menu at a price point only a collector can provide. Whether you are looking to understand the basics or hunt for rare flavors, I provide a hands-on, educational, and unforgettable tasting experience tailored specifically to you.

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Japanese Whisky: Premium Omakase
Japanese Whisky Insider's Omakase: The Collector's Vault
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2 hr
28,000円
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Reviews

“The whisky tasting was unforgettable! We didn't know much about Japanese whisky, but now we feel like experts. Thanks for making our trip to Japan so special.”

Danyang Xu

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Shirai-san hosts an epic collection of bourbon that very few whisky nerds visiting Japan don't already know about.

I hadn't even sat down and an entire flight of whisky was poured for me! This time I was here to collect my bottle of 50+ year old Heaven Hill aged in its original barrel from the distillery since around 1968 or so.

Besides the bourbon, I did try a head to head of local barley options from Mars and Chichibu. Who was the winner? Dm to find out!

#milwaukeesclub #ミルウォーキーズクラブ #ichirosmalt #埼玉バー #bourbon

At Alligator Char, I open the vault to share bottles you won't find on standard menus. Experience the true history of Japanese whisky, from the rare and old to modern malts across Japan.
Set within a legendary secret bar during their off hours in Tokyo.

To book your Tokyo tasting, please message directly
🔗 Link in bio to book on Airbnb

#JapaneseWhisky #Omakase #Hakushu #Yamazaki #SuntoryWhisky SherryCask TokyoWhiskyTasting RareWhisky JapaneseWhisky WhiskyCollector HiddenGem

Shanty Shack in Yokohama is one of those places where the bartender shines out more than the legendary bottles behind the bar. Shigeyuki-san (Shige) is quite the character who often posts photos of his much older self from some alternate reality future. At the same time, he's an epic illustrator with graffiti-esque style. Did I mention the hot dogs at his bar?

The atmosphere in the bar is unlike any other in Japan, as it is very much like a quaint little cabin. His collection of whisky spans from old & rare Scotch to contemporary hard-to-find Japanese whisky, along with some of your typical big-name key malts from the main distilleries you probably already know of.

It's been a few years since I last visited, and this time it was for a stamp rally (go to a bunch of bars, drink, get a stamp, collect enough stamps, enter for a chance to get the right to buy a bottle). So I had some drinking to do, to get my stamp!! This time I stuck mainly to Chichibu whisky bottles I had not tried before.

If you look around the bar, you might see some little sample bottles from Alligator Char from way back in 2017!

Let me know when you want to go, we can try some good whisky and maybe have a hot dog. Did I mention he's got some epic anniversary drams ready to drink? Happy 21st anniversary!!

#ShantyShack #YokohamaBar #JapaneseWhisky #AlligatorChar #WhiskyGram Yokohama JapanNightlife WhiskyLover

Suntory 'Watami Founder's Choice' 12 Year Old (サントリーわたみ 12年)

This exclusive bottling for the Watami dining chain is legendary among insiders as being essentially a very sherry-forward Yamazaki 12. Produced during the "let's just dump this old whisky into any bottle we can", Suntory supplied the izakaya chain with high-quality single malt stock—rumored to be primarily Yamazaki with a heavier olorosso sherry cask ratio than the standard release.

�At the time, it was the salary-man's secret! They could hold the bottle at the izakays and have an affordable luxury dram while they dined. They were able to keep there bottle at the bar, and could drink from it whenever they popped in. Pretty epic, right?

This bottle is a perfect example of the really tasty Japanese whisky that is now long gone that I love to hunt for. I mean, I still love to buy those quirky Japanese bottles with the crazy labels and the junk juice inside, so don't call me an elitist!! While everyone fights over the modern standard releases, as a true Japanese whisky insider I'm searching for that liquid gold now long lost in the past that few can find.

At Alligator Char, I open the vault to share bottles you won't find on standard menus. Experience the true history of Japanese whisky, from the rare and old to modern malts across Japan.

To book your Tokyo tasting, please message directly
🔗 Link in bio to book on Airbnb

Written by a human, your host: Aaron | Alligator Char

#JapaneseWhiskyOmakase #Watami12 #Yamazaki #SuntoryWhisky #SherryCask TokyoWhiskyTasting RareWhisky JapaneseWhisky WhiskyCollector HiddenGem

With much anxiety I was able to acquire my 2026 ticket to the Chichibu Whisky Festival in February. As every year, i have a small panic attack on whether or not I can get the ticket or not. This is due in part to the fact that the tickets are limited, and most bars hand them out to their prized regulars who do that thing of regularly visiting the bar! I then analyze my choices and wonder if I've spent too much time at Aloha Whisky who currently does not get the CCB (Chichibu) tickets.

Either way, I always run into Fujishima-san at bar shows (not to be mistaken for Atsushi Horigami of Shot Bar Zoetrope in Shinjuku as they both wear similar hair styles). So I thought perhaps my chance of getting a ticket from Bar Groovy in Kanda might be good this year. Last year, I got my ticket from Bar Peace in Ikebukuro, which was also a bit of a risky business and only got the ticket by the influence of another Japan whisky scene legend.

Anyway, this year, I have my ticket, I tried some epic drams, and I will hopefully attend both the night market and the event this year as both are quite fun events.

Will I see you there? As a foreigner, it might be easier for you to get a ticket than me...

Written by a human: Aaron | Alligator Char

#chichibuwhiskyfestival #ichirosmalt #japanesewhisky #whiskybar #chichibu

A genuine collector's find, this is a pure malt that leans heavily into Olorosso sherry casks as an alternate universe version of Yamazaki 12. Often going for $500 for a bottle in Tokyo, it's rarer and rarer to find one open at a bar.

Suntory 'Watami President’s Choice' 12 Year Old (サントリーわたみ 12年)

This exclusive bottling for the Watami dining chain is legendary among insiders as being essentially a very sherry-forward Yamazaki 12. Produced during the "let's just dump this old whisky into any bottle we can", Suntory supplied the izakaya chain with high-quality single malt stock—rumored to be primarily Yamazaki with a heavier olorosso sherry cask ratio than the standard release.

At the time, it was the salary-man's secret! They could hold the bottle at the izakays and have an affordable luxury dram while they dined. They were able to keep there bottle at the bar, and could drink from it whenever they popped in. Pretty epic, right?

This bottle is a perfect example of the really tasty Japanese whisky that is now long gone that I love to hunt for. I mean, I still love to buy those quirky Japanese bottles with the crazy labels and the junk juice inside, so don't call me an elitist!! While everyone fights over the modern standard releases, as a true Japanese whisky insider I'm searching for that liquid gold now long lost in the past that few can find.

At Alligator Char, I open the vault to share bottles you won't find on standard menus. Experience the true history of Japanese whisky, from the rare and old to modern malts across Japan.

To book your Tokyo tasting, please message directly
🔗 Link in bio to book on Airbnb

Written by a human, your host: Aaron | Alligator Char

#JapaneseWhisky #Omakase #Watami12 #Yamazaki #SuntoryWhisky #SherryCask #WhiskyTasting #RareWhisky #JapaneseWhisky #WhiskyCollector #HiddenGem

Better Than A Crowded Bar!!

Don't start your New Year’s Eve standing in a line. Start it with a glass of history. 🥃

I have opened up a few final seats for the 1:00 PM Premium Japanese Whisky Tasting on Dec 31st.

Come taste rare Japanese whisky from my personal vault before the countdown chaos begins.

Message me directly to book!

#TokyoNYE #TokyoNewYears #JapaneseWhisky #Ikebukuro #TokyoTravel WhiskyOmakase LastMinuteTokyo AlligatorChar

1990s Nikka at its most rough. At 55.1% this "Tarudashi" monster packed in a simple apothecary bottle doesn't fit neatly alongside other Nikka releases at the time. And its flavor is ... a f***ing mess.

Nikka Pure Malt "Tarudashi" Genshu (ニッカピュアモルト樽出しウイスキー原酒)

Released during the "Minami-Aoyama" era, this bottle was a radical statement: "To propose the deliciousness that only a blender can taste." A vatting of Yoichi and Miyagikyo malts aged roughly 10-12 years, it was bottled at cask strength (Genshu) to preserve the density and richness that modern NAS releases simply cannot match.

Nose: Heavy esters, furniture polish, bruised apples, and deep sherry funk

Palate: Thick and oily. Yoichi soot and peat smoke grappling with dark toffee and salted plums

Finish: Long, warming, with bitter chocolate, oak spice, and lingering ash

In Japan, this is a semi-vintage gem. While some investors shy away from the bottle because of the often leaky cork, or the often unpleasant flavor as tasted on Nonjatta: "Varnish, red grape, some nuttiness. Quite bitter". Others still chase the uniquely shaped bottle and just leave it on a shelf. If you have it, perhaps tasting it at the Alligator Char Omakase as a free taster is your wisest move.

At Alligator Char, I open the vault to share bottles you won't find on standard menus. Experience the true history of Japanese whisky, from the rare and old to modern malts across Japan.

To book your Tokyo tasting, please message directly

🔗 Link in bio to book on Airbnb

#JapaneseWhiskyOmakase #NikkaTarudashi #CaskStrength #TokyoWhiskyTasting #YoichiDistillery Miyagikyo OldBottleNikka TokyoHiddenGem JapanLuxuryTravel WhiskyVault

Bonus info:

The 'Minami-Aoyama Era' is a specific term used by collectors to date Nikka bottles to the late 1980s through the early 2000s (roughly 1988–2002).

It refers to the period when Nikka Whisky's headquarters was located at 5-4-31 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

If you see this address on the back label, you have a bottle from Nikka's most creative era before they were fully absorbed under Asahi Breweries corporate control.

Just in time for the holidays! Get your own Alligator Char glasses, dress up in a giant Alligator Kaiju Battle outfit, and slam down that holiday spirit.

That's how I cope with the holidays...

#AlligatorChar #Whisky #Whiskey #Bourbon #Scotch #Rye #WhiskyGram #InstaWhisky #WhiskyTasting #Glencairn #CraftSpirits

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