We’ll preface this by saying that this isn’t quite a review. One doesn’t quite review a department store- not one with this much booze.
Still, we think that it’s worth talking about. After all, it is a store with this much booze. Some of which you can’t get anywhere else.
A new generation
Being children of the 80s, we still remember the age of large Japanese supermarkets. Our parents would take us to Sogo, or Daimaru, or Yaohan to pick up pretty much anything. Those stores are gone now, but a new generation has emerged to receive the torch. While we’re already familiar with Daiso, Meidi-ya and Emporium Shokuhin, you might or not have heard of Don Don Donki.
We certainly didn’t. So to say we were not prepared for what awaited us would be an understatement.
A good range
We’re no strangers to Japanese products in Singapore. Still, we’re always a little surprised when a store fills 2 levels worth of purely Japanese products- from eyeliner, to electronics, to this nifty device here.
Of course, being the dedicated, hardworking semi-alcoholics that we are, we wasted no time in getting down to the stuff that we were really interested in. Booze.
We’ve tasted various expressions of whisky, beer, liqueur and sake. Now, we don’t claim to be experts, but we certainly know the familiar when we see them.
Yes, these seem a bit pricey, but you’re not going to get them cheaper from another store, not even a liquor store (or perhaps, especially a liquor store). We saw these Hibikis before the big announcement, so if you’re lucky you can still get them there. Good hunting.
If you’re looking for bigger game, you can also pick up the 21 years for a decent price.
Now, if your tastes aren’t quite so rich, there’s plenty of stuff around that you can look into. The beer, for instance, is authentically Japanese, and quite affordable for high-quality imported stuff.
We quite liked the Yona Yona Ale ($6.80), which was a full-flavoured pale ale with a rich maltiness and fresh citrus notes. The hops are well controlled and add subtle spice notes. If you prefer the bitterness of the IPA, you can pick up the Indo no Aooni ($6.80), which is still rich and malty, but, as with all IPAs, has hoppy midpalate and finish. Tropical fruit and citrus aromas round the whole thing off.
Now, the Japanese are quite fond of their whisky highballs, and if you don’t have the inclination to make your own, the Tory’s Highball ($6.80) is a quick fix. While it’s not going to pop in any category, it is fairly crisp and refreshing, with a subtle but distinct whisky character. The Suntory White Grape Shochu with Soda ($3.90) mostly tastes like a soft drink, but at least it’s priced to match.
And now for something completely different
If you’re a little bored with the “typical” wines we get in Singapore, then you might like to try some Japanese wines. While viticulture is still taking off in the Land of the Rising Sun, it’s worth checking out for the novelty value. There’s a good range here that we’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else.
And, of course, we could not go without mentioning sake and umeshu. Both the Sake Hakkaisan Special Brewed ($38) and the Sake Hakkaizan ($98) offer good value for the price. They’re both fairly crisp, flavourful and, being not too extreme in character, friendly for beginners.
There’s a good amount of umeshu available too, and we ended up with the Yamazaki Suntory Casked Umeshu ($74.80), which was aged in toasted casks, then finished with whisky that was aged in umeshu barrels. That gives it both vanilla and toast flavours that you will not find in a typical plum wine- and balance the flavours out. There’s also plenty of other stuff around to experiment with, if you’re willing to take a chance.
Summing it all up
We said that we wouldn’t be doing a review, and we’re not. We’ll simply say that there’s a ton of variety available at Don Don Donki when it comes to Japanese booze. Whether you fancy beer, whisky, liqueurs, or wine, upscale or affordable, Donki has it.
One last thing. Be prepared for their jingle to play endlessly through your head. It’s been a while, but it’s still on loop in my brain.
