On 27 September, Glenfiddich brought together mavericks and change-makers from around Johannesburg in an opulent, Hanami style celebration as they revealed Grand Yozakura, a limited edition whisky that pays homage to Japanese culture.
This is the first Single Malt Scotch Whisky to be finished in rare ex-Awamori casks and the latest release within the renowned Grand Series – a limited edition fusion celebrating the finest flavours from Scotland and Japan.
Hanami is the “cherry blossom festival” where Japan appreciates the temporal beauty of nature through the sakura. A time for renewal and optimism, the festival is best experienced illuminated after dark where it is known as the Yozakura or ‘night sakura’. This fleeting moment captures a time where nature is honoured and this marriage of rare liquids, once gone, will never be replicated presenting a transient chance to experience a beautiful collision of cultures and flavours.
While these festivities were celebrated in a local setting, the culmination of the evening was to raise funds for the Glenfiddich Water for Life Initiative, a passion project of the brand aiming to provide water security to areas which need it most.
Rare, limited edition bottles and a pair of bespoke sneakers by Bertier Customs designed specifically with Grand Yozakura as their inspiration were available for auction. Alongside this, a private tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, with malt master Brian Kinsman, was up for raffle, raising a total of R160 000 as a donation to the charity.
“In a series of firsts, the Grand Yozakura is the ultimate expression of modern luxury, and a true testament to our maverick spirit” says Radley Connor, Senior Regional Marketing Manager of Glenfiddich SA. “Bringing people together for good is at the heart of what we do, and the Hanami celebration was the perfect opportunity to do so.”
