The Never Ending Highball
Alcoholic beverage companies in Japan often embark on limited edition themed drinks to welcome the four seasons of the year. For the official beginning of summer (the rainy season), the tradition brought the release of a diverse range of quirky canned grog to compliment the existing range, including that of Suntory’s new citrus highball. The whisky giant has created yet another brand profoundly under the name Suntory Stones Bar, which sports the iconic trademark of the Rolling Stones band with an adorning slogan – The Rolling Stones are the greatest Rock “N” Roll band in the world. This lemon and lime highball has an ABV of only 4% compared to your average canned highball of 9%, a possible indication that the brand is intended to capture the audience of drinkers new to whisky. This is the ninetieth canned dram to hit the shelves (on last count), and this may sound repetitive, and in actual fact it is, as I often find myself making people aware about these drinks, but one can only continue to guess at the flavours and themes to come. Are these canned drams a sacrilege or a refreshing summer alternative?
i dont get the whole stones bar concept yet...why are they selling beer and highballs under the same branding? want to try one though, beers are only on sale in 6 packs at my local coop, not singles.
ReplyDeleteThe branding concept certainly is something a lot of people, I presume, will be asking themselves. It's just another novelty or gimmick to further penetrate the market I guess. Besides the highball, as you mentioned, there is the beer: Rolling Hop (hopushu), plus a Zima look a like called drink called Rolling Gold. All these beverages retail extremely cheaply, it makes wonder how much, if any, they will pay in royalties. Guess fans of Mick will be happy enough!
ReplyDeleteI really love the "special edition" highballs (usually canned for sale at convenience stores only) by Nikka and Suntory, with a slightly higher abv and better quality whisky used in the highball, but I have no time for their specially flavoured highballs. Just a few days ago, I tried a can of shikwasa highball... I had to pour it down the drain. I love shikwasa, I love whisky, I love highballs, but the combination of those three - it just doesn't work for me. You just can't find the whisky in it anymore - they might as well use vodka to get their 4% alcohol in it.
ReplyDeleteAt 4% and with flavours such as lime, these types of drinks should really be passed off as something other than a whisky highball. There are some decent highballs out there which do deserve the classification, as you mentioned, Nikka's "special editions", such as the Taketsuru premium. These often cop a lot of criticism by enthusiasts--why use perfectly good whisky with carbonated water! Each to there own thoughts. We are all dedicated drinkers, that's why we are here, but in my opinion, If you are in a particular environment or mood (summer bbq) and want the taste of a decent whisky but don't want to pull out your best for a neat dram, than go for it (I have been guilty in doing so). Having said that there are some flavours I personally thought didn't work :)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Clint. There are some (summer) days when there is nothing I would rather drink than a well-crafted (whisky) highball. For me, the main draw is that you get the flavour (well, the "general flavour", of course) of whisky plus the freshness of a sparkling, ice-cold drink. Anyone who disparages the whisky highball doesn't know what the Japanese summers are like.
ReplyDeleteQuality highballs with an adequate ABV and mouthfeel are certainly a great alternative to a few too many bloating beers over a BBQ in summer. When you want whisky but also something fizzy I don't see why you should refuse.
DeleteNothing wrong with a well made highball. It's a concept to suit a particular purpose and when done properly suits that purpose well. I'm not sure if it gets people 'into' whisky, but it certainly helps getting people who wouldn't normally drink whisky to so which consequently is great for sales and a commercially successful whisky company can then keep producing the type of whisky I prefer as well.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better Dramtastic. At the end of the day, regardless of the mixed thoughts people may have about canned highballs, the sales generated from such beverages do in turn keep the distillers busy with production, production of top quality whisky we have all become to love. One surprise, while on the topic, although their portfolio is not as big as the other giants, we are yet to see (if any) a canned dram from Kirin (excluding their international brands). Are we one day to see a Fujisanroku highball?
DeleteI reckon they will Clint. They certainly make some good blends in their own unique housestyle that would suit a highball.
ReplyDeleteLook, yet another, June 26, Suntory press release. Kakubin Kuro label highball will hit the shelves July 7 at 9%.
ReplyDelete