Whiskey: A Personal Journey

Just a few years ago, whiskey was nothing more than a strong liquor to me, something that only adults drank, and a kind of luxury item.

But now, it has become a friend I cherish, want to understand, and want to spend my life with.

Although I enjoy drinking, I don't discriminate between types of alcohol.

Whiskey was always just 'yangju' (foreign liquor) to me, and it was the kind of thing that someone would force down your throat at the end of a drinking session, leading to vomiting before bed – a nasty drink.

That whiskey, which had only given me bad memories for a while, was reborn for me through Royal Salute 21 Years Oldthat my father-in-law offered.

On that lonely day when I didn't want to get drunk while watching TV at home but still craved a drink,

I poured a small amount into a glass, savoring it like the actors in foreign films.

"Hmm?" "Oh?" "What is this?" It wasn't the 'yangju' I knew.

When I finished that bottle over a few days, savoring it, I finally realized the true value of this whiskey and, dangerously, my eyes were opened.

I was so ignorant of whiskey until now, when I only knew soju.

The whiskey I'd carelessly downed in the past, all those 'one-shot' moments... I'm sorry I didn't treat you properly.

After finishing that bottle of Royal Salute,

I decided I needed to explore the world of whiskey, something I hadn't cared about before.

I delved into YouTube channels like "Liquor Introduction", "Julak's World", and books from bookstores and libraries.

The more I learned, the more I fell in love with it.

• There are countless varieties of whiskey in the world,
• each stimulating different tastes and smells,
• and each with its own unique history,
• and the shapes of their glass bottles are so stylish (I love interior design).

Thinking about all the whiskeys I still don't know and getting to learn about them

is incredibly exciting and enjoyable.

Someday, I want to go on whiskey and distillery tours in Japan, Taiwan, Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and other places.

I also want to run a liquor shop specializing in my favorite whiskeys.

I'm going to start that journey with this blog.

I hope the joy of whiskey can be shared with the people around me, and that they'll continue to be by my side.