Day Six: Sendai, Japan

Conference started today; however, I think that I'm starting to feel the effects of my body not knowing what time zone I'm in. I have started to wake up at 3 or 4 am local time, and have trouble getting back to sleep. It doesn't make much sense because I don't know when the last time that I slept in until 11 am or 12 pm (noon) was, but I did felt the effects of being up so early during the less energy-packed moments of today's symposia.

At the end of the day, I was included for an invitation to a private evening party being held at Sendai castle.

Sendai Castle was built an elevation of 12 m on a natural forest created by cliffs to the east and south. All that remains of the original site are the stone walls and the "sumi-yagura" (guard house).

This is a company-sponsored party that I've been lucky enough to enjoy on a couple previous occasions (Vancouver and Maui, Hawaii) because of my boss's relationship with the company members. It is a fantastic catered affair where I have been able to taste a number of single-malt scotch whiskeys. Tonight's six bottle tier (age when bottled, nose, taste, comments):

Glenkinchie (10 year): Light, fragrant sweetness. Round flavour, slightly dry with a lingering malty smoothness. An excellent pre-dinner dram, available as part of United Distillers' classic malt range.
Dalwhinnie (15 year): Clean, clear, fresh with a subtle hint of smoke. Light, sweet, heather, mellow and lasting. Dalwhinnie in the local Gaelic language means - 'meeting place.' However, this distillery is in a harsh environment. The highest of Scottish distillers, but produces the softest of highland malts.
Macallan (10 year): Complex , with hints of fruit and heather honey. Soft, with a maltiness, balanced with oak and fruit. Matured in oak casks that have contained sherry. No other whisky distillery uses casks. The casks are imported from Jerez in Spain.
Scapa (14 year): Peaty and fresh. Malty, sweet and full. The distillery is perched on a cliff overlooking Scapa Flow, the channel where the German Navy was scuttled in 1919.
Talisker (10 year): Heavy, sweet and full aroma. Unique full flavour which explodes on the palate, lingering with an element of sweetness. Distilled central heating! Superb after-dinner malt from United Distillers' classic malt range. One of the greatest whiskies in the world.
Laphroaig (10 year): Huge smoke, seaweedy, a hint of sweetness. Surprising sweetness, with hints of salt and peatiness. Malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphraoaig its particularly rich flavour.