Whisky Live in Japan attracted more than 1,000 visitors as it celebrated its fifth year – and a host of other anniversaries.

The event opened with a welcome speech from the British Ambassador, Sir Stephen Gommersall, at the VIP reception. The Ambassador took the opportunity to mix with many representatives of the whisky industry.

Of the 1,000 attendees some 400 participated in the opening seminar which celebrated a plethora of anniversaries: Suntory’s 80th, Hakushu’s 30th, Springbank’s 175th and Frank McHardy’s 40th to name but a few.

Robin Laing provided the first public performance of his specially commissioned tribute to Whisky Magazine.

Richard Paterson of Whyte and Mackay provided the fireworks – literally as well as figuratively on this occasion.

The seminar featured 22 whisky makers and blenders on stage and finished with a mass tasting of the special Whisky Live bottling of a 1977 Brora.

The most popular Masterclasses sold out within hours of going on sale.

Highlights are too numerous to mention but a battle of the blenders featuring Richard Paterson and John Ramsay was a unique occasion.

It sounds glib but, although the whisky industry is clearly competitive, there is a genuine sense of community.

For example, the whisky makers are all prepared to pull together to donate bottles to a good cause and even to join in the spirit by auctioning off their own bottles.

Their efforts raised more than 2,500,000 Yen (£13,800), divided equally between Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland and Japan’s Save the Children.

Some went to even greater lengths:: Andrew Symington of Signatory and Edradour was locked in a bidding war for Richard Paterson’s special 51-year-old Dalmore with the renowned collector Mr Nemoto, proprietor of the brilliant whisky bar Nemo.

Mr Nemoto was the top bidder on many of the other items.

The day ended with Robin Laing leading the distillers and blenders in rousing renditions of Flower of Scotland, Loch Lomond and, for the benefit of Jim Rutledge of Four Roses, Country Roads.

And naturally, visitors to the event wouldn’t have forgiven us if the finale was anything other than Auld Lang Syne.

With special thanks to all our exhibitors

Panellists included:

Jens Tholstrup of Willian Grant & Sons
Hamish Torrie of Glenmorangie
Ian Morrison of The Macallan
Colin Ross of Ben Nevis
Junichi Sugimoto of Nikka
John Ramsay of The Edrington Group
Frank McHardy of Springbank
Douglas Davidson of Isle of Arran
Michael Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail
Kenneth Mackay of Morrison Bowmore
Jim Rutledge of Four Roses
Hideaki Kito of Kirin
Takahisa Fujii of Suntory
Hidetoshi Yamashita of Nikka
Ryoji Takata of Mercian
Richard Paterson of Whyte and Mackay
Andrew Symington of Edradour and Signatory
Iain Henderson of Edradour and Signatory
Fred Laing of Douglas Laing & Co
Antony McCallum-Caron of Ian MacLeod & Co
Seiichi Koshimizu of Suntory
Donald Renwick of Lagavulin
Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor & Co