A newcomer to the Tokyo Whisky Bar scene, Aloha Whisky Bar in Ikebukuro opened it’s doors in September 2019.
The bar is owned and operated by the affable Mr David Tsujimoto, a native of Hawaii of Japanese decent. David has lived in Tokyo for the last 6 years and in that time has collected an extremely impressive range of whiskies. Around 600 bottlings in total and if that is not enough to wet your appetite, about 250 of these are Japanese Whiskies. That number of Japanese Whiskies propels Aloha Whisky Bar straight into the Major Leagues!
The majority of the other whiskies on offer are Scottish or Bourbons but there is also whisky from Canada, Ireland, Taiwan, Hawaii, Australia, Switzerland and China.
Other alcoholic beverages include Beer, Red and White Wine, Gin, and Cognac. David also has a passion for rums so if your interested in rums, ask David for a recommedation of one of the rums at the bar. We did and it was a suberb fruit bomb!
Starting prices for half shots of no age statement Japanese Single Malt Whiskies is Y500 and Single Cask Japanese Whiskies from the likes of Chichibu Y1500.
If you are new to whisky David offers a number of tasting flights from both Scotland and Japan. A tasting flight was the starting point for my own Japanese Whisky odyssey over 10 years ago.
As David is always on the lookout for new whisky expressions, you would be certain of an exciting experience even after multiple visits to Aloha Whisky Bar.
Aloha Whisky Bar is also a non smoking venue, a boon for anyone who actually wants to nose and taste whisky not just cigarette smoke all night. The bar seats around 10-12.
The bar is currently open every day except Tuesdays from 6PM-11:30PM. I always recommend before going to any bar that you check out their Facebook page for any updates to opening hours. Directions to the bar if arriving by train are pretty straight forward. Exit C3 of the Fukutoshin(F) area of Ikebukuro Station. If you can’t find C3 ask any station staff. When you exit C3 at street level the bar is directly across the road a few meters to the left. It is on level 3 accessed by a small elevator. Picture below includes the sign for Aloha Whisky Bar.
I cannot recommend Aloha Whisky Bar highly enough and it will be one of my regulars whenever I am in Tokyo.
Nose: Initially acetone. Cinnamon and apple pie, fresh cut timber, pears, vanilla, With water there is a sweet bubblegum note. Not particularly complex but it’s fresh and lively.
Nose: Mechanics workshop, Dettol, fermented pears, apple sauce, lemon cough mixture, lacquered teak, gun powder, licorice, pouch tobacco, tea leaves. Water added you get some white chocolate and white flowers.
Nose: Some similarities to the 
Nose: Stone fruits such as nectarines and apricots. Old orange peels, cola, quite some pepper, some earthiness, old saddle bags, vanilla. sea spray. Water strengthens the vanilla and adds marmalade.
Nose: Decking stain, vanilla, dusty old books, tart red berries, nectarines, peach skins. Toffee, tar, black tea. A few drops of water reveals a floral element and turns up the toffee and vanilla.
Nose: Sweet marsala, nutmeg, seared orange slices, toffee, an earthy note, candy coated nuts, BBQ sauce, plum sauce, Turkish Delight, some flintiness, tar. With water this is more earthy also, vanilla, hession, sea spray.
Nose: Red berries, plum juice, wood stain, strawberry jam, grapefruit, wood shavings, raisins, white pepper, some earthiness, dusty oak.
Nose: The darkest cherries, brandy, raspberry coulis, nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins, the ubiquitous Christmas Cake.
Nose: Ah the scent of youth. Vegetal, yeast, smokeless mezcal, poached pears, oak, a musty note, lemon detergent. Tasted blind, everyone in my Japanese Whisky Club picked this as a very young whisky(new pot).
Nose: Maraschino cherries, incense, plums grilled on a Korean BBQ, brandy covered Christmas pudding. Oriental tea, coal fired copper, orangey bourbon, cream cherry, flinty.
Nose: Stone fruits such as apricots and nectarines, malt, vanilla, treacle, new wood. Active wood spices and a hit of pepper. Mars peats at 3 different level and this one seems to be the lightest of those at maybe 4ppm.
Nose: Kicks off with loads of vanilla, toffee and honey. Poached pears, maple syrup, fresh cut timber. Certainly not a shy nose and a lot of what I would expect from a youngish whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels.
Nose: Plums, orange peels, a floral note, floor polish, sawdust, manuka honey. Something strange like grilled lamb fat, damp forest floor, sump oil, Arnotts Iced Vovo Biscuits, dried mushrooms.
Nose: Lots of honey, toffee and vanilla notes. Sugared apple pie crust, some wood spice, rye spice, oranges, buttered popcorn, white pepper, cinnamon, overripe pineapple. I’d say fairly faithful to the Kirin House style.