Japanese whisky tantalises locals' buds

Spira Tlhankane | Friday November 30, 2018 14:52

 

There were brands all over the place and people could not help but explore the drinking culture, which is normally associated with the rich or the whites.

More than 200 whisky brands from around the world were served at the fest, and there were paired with snacks and food.

The event had live music, and the laid back atmosphere made it one of the best ways to savour the whiskey drinking scene. This festival was the place to be for those who are fans of good drink.

The event co-organiser, Gaone Oaitse told Arts & Culture they are happy with how it turned out.

“Though it is the first edition we think there are things we could have done better. But generally we are delighted with the outcome,” he said.

He said they are even delighted that the attendants were very amused and enjoyed the experience. Oaitse said with regard to the Botswana whisky drinking culture, they can say Batswana are very much still caught in the brands they are used to and find it difficult to try out new ones.

“They do not have a taste to look forward to in a whisky so they prefer to drink what is popular or as long as it is a known brand or they see it constantly advertised. We want people to define their taste and style. They should explore what appeals to them rather than depending on what is popular,” he highlighted.

Oaitse said going forward, they will do more benchmarking on whisky tasting events. She said they will collaborate more with brands to offer a better experience from the brands’ perspective.

“Equally, so we will invite reputable whisky experts and master distillers to be part of the event and offer an educational background on whisky and its varieties from how it is made and what aspects differentiate whisky in terms of taste and smell,” he added.

Oaitse said the overall impression was that the event provided a good experience so the attendees now look forward to more variety in the future.

He said even though they was restriction in terms of new brands appreciation they noted most attendees tried out whisky that was soft and gentle on the palate.

“Shockingly so, the Japanese Whisky brand Akashi was the night favourite and was well wiped out faster than any other whisky. Next year we intend to have more variety of Japanese,” he said.