Taste Your Way Through One of the Most Impressive Japanese Whisky Collections in Japan

At the Four Seasons Osaka, a whisky-lover's dream awaits.

I first came to Osaka in autumn of 2013 eager to haul back home as much Japanese whisky as my luggage would allow. A lot has changed since then: global fascination has swelled for both the city and the spirits industry that surrounds it. My adoration for the local liquid, meanwhile, has remained constant. Thankfully, my recent return to the region coincided with the grand opening of the Four Seasons Osaka, and with it, a spate of inspired new venues for sipping such — neat, and in cocktail form. 

Bar Bota proved a most stylish place to start. It’s a lively, modern parlor stocked with over two dozen examples of Japanese whisky, along with native gin and rum. The well-curated collection here is showcased proudly in the center of the room, flanked on the bar by an oven-sized chunk of crystal clear ice, delivered daily and shaved down to order. Backdropping it all, 37 stories below, the corrugated panorama of the city unfolds — from the modern office towers of central Dojima to the iconic tiered facade of Osaka Castle.

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I settled into my seat with the Matcha & Yuzu Highball, a tart and slightly smoky spritz that integrates sherry, yuzu, and green tea cordial around a dual whisky base. One of those whiskies was an age-stated expression out of Yamazaki. The country’s most revered distillery is an easy 50-minute train ride north of the hotel. I know this all too well, as I had embarked there earlier in the day, only to be served a stark reminder of just how much the scene had shifted. A decade ago I could stroll in, tour the hallowed grounds, and purchase an endless assortment of full-sized bottles. Today required an advanced appointment to even sniff the gift shop. Visitors hoping to take something special home were limited to a solitary 180ml mini-bottle. I was going to need a smaller suitcase. 

The highball at Bar Bota helped soften the blow. As did a flight of Yamazaki pours that could only be seen stateside at multiple times the price. I ventured further afield with complex sake and beer cask-finished malts from Togouchi in Hiroshima. About halfway through that exploratory campaign, a well-coifed Frenchman in chef’s garb sidled beside me at the bar. The script embroidered across the lapel of a white coat revealed his identity as Yannick Alléno. 

The acclaimed tastemaker was in town to open L’Abysse, an elevated sushi concept which had earned two Michelin stars back in Paris. Now he was ready to render precious slices of fresh fish — raw, salted, and seared — directly next door on the 37th floor. And, it turns out, he was eager to pair that protein with rare spirits. 

“If you serve whisky very cold — subzero — you can play more with the higher alcohol and the texture changes,” he says. “Then it works quite well with omakase. My sommelier holds a speciality in Japanese whisky. Come let me show you.”

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Not one to shun any sushi counter, let alone one associated with multiple Michelin stars, I eagerly indulged his request. Greeting me there was the skilled hand of Alléno’s cohort, chef Yasuda Itaru, and his opening course of artichoke tofu under smoked pike eggs. 

As promised, the sommelier delivered a perfect foil in whisky form: unctuous and earthy sherry cask-matured single malt from Nagahama Distillery in Shiga Prefecture. The liquid sat frigid in stemware. Beside it the bottle was presented atop a tatami coaster. 

Yasuda proceeded to unveil his nigiri offerings, underpinned by a tongue tickling blend of brown rice and specially-sourced rice vinegar out of Fukuoka. The focused solemnity of his execution stood in stark contrast to the playfulness with which he interacted with a half-dozen seated guests. 

“Would you like to try some of this whisky?” I asked him.

“I don’t make enough to purchase that,” he exclaimed with a smirk. “But please feel free to buy me some.”

Let me see what I can pull out of my suitcase.