KC Fan, Whom I Met in Taiwan, Comes to Hiroshima: Scout Drinks Ardmore 2010

2026.10.05

In short: KC Fan, the whisky collector Mika Tanimoto met at a whisky festival in Taiwan, founded the independent bottler Scout Drinks — and came to Hiroshima with it. Introducing Scout Drinks’ Ardmore 2010 (15 years old, 60.3%), and why Mika has never wanted to make whisky herself, but loves telling people about those who do. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.

Someone I met in Taiwan came to Hiroshima — this time as an independent bottler.

Somehow, that made me really happy.

This time I want to introduce Scout Drinks’ Ardmore 2010.

I first met KC Fan, who founded Scout Drinks, at a whisky festival in Taiwan.

Back then, I never imagined he would start his own bottling company and then come all the way to Hiroshima.

When you love whisky, things like this happen from time to time.

Someone who used to drink whisky as a guest has become a maker.

Someone who was always a drinker has started a bottling company.

Someone who was a bartender is now working at a distillery.

People’s roles change, but if you stay close to what you love, as time goes by you end up connected again somewhere.

Come to think of it, people have often said this to me:

“If you love whisky that much, why don’t you start your own distillery?”

“Why don’t you become a bottler?”

But I have never once wanted to make it myself.

Seriously, not even once. (laughs)

And it is not because running a distillery or a bottling company is hard…

I think that, rather than becoming someone who makes something, I am more drawn to

knowing what someone is thinking, what they value and what they are aiming for

— that is what attracts me.

KC Fan is known as a world-class whisky collector.

And now he has started his own bottling company.

Scout Drinks is built on the wish

“We want to unleash people’s curiosity, so they can enjoy whisky more freely.”

— that is their idea.

And what they value is

fairness,
freedom,
and care for others.

Someone who has faced whisky for years as a drinker is now delivering whisky he chose himself, together with his own ideas.

I think I love getting to know the time a person has walked and where they are heading next.

And then, what I learned and what moved me

— “There’s someone like this!” —

I want to tell someone about it.

Writing this blog is probably the same.

“I want other people to know about this!!!!”

— I share the things I feel that way about, in my own words.

I call it “oshi-katsu” — cheering on the people and things I love.

Maybe someday, what I do will no longer be a bar.

But even then, I feel I will still be finding things someone cherishes and delivering them to someone else.

With that same feeling, I am introducing this bottle.

Ardmore 2010
15 years old / Scout Drinks
60.3%

Someone I met in Taiwan is now, as a bottler, sharing the way of enjoying whisky he believes in.

Please come and taste this bottle 🥃

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Whisky tastes even better when you touch the feelings of the people who make it.

Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

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