Three Final Fantasy XIV whiskeys are on the way, with cool nods to the game’s starter cities

https://ift.tt/948pQxK Casey Baseel

Show your Eorzean hometown pride by raising a glass to Ul’dah, Gridania, or Limsa Lominsa.

Usually when we talk about a video game celebrating its 10th anniversary, it just means that 10 years have passed since it was released. And while that’s true of Final Fantasy XIV’s 10th anniversary, which it’s celebrating this month, there’s an extra layer of impressive significance to the milestone, because Square Enix’s online multiplayer RPG still has an immensely large and active player base, even a decade later.

It’s an accomplishment well worth raising a glass to, and so to fill that glass there’s a lineup of three different Final Fantasy XIV whiskeys on the way from Japan’s Nagahama Roman Beer Company. And no, it’s not just the beautiful packaging that sets them apart, as each is its own separate spirit, inspired by the three starting cities players can choose from when starting their adventure in Final Fantasy XIV’s continent of Eorzea.

First, we have the Final Fantasy XIV Amahagan Edition Ul’dah, representing the desert metropolis. Ul’dah’s status as crossroads of trade routes where both economic and cultural exchange takes place is represented by its whiskey being a blended whiskey with its components aged in wine and sherry barrels for a complex and luxurious flavor.

Next we move to Gridania, which stands in the middle of a dense, sprawling forest. Its unblended whiskey is crafted to accent woody, leafy, and smoky notes, so that sipping it feels like a wandering walk among the trees.

Finally, we have the port town of Limsa Lominsa. While Ul’dah and Gridania’s whiskeys are malt whiskeys, the Limsa Lominsa is a grain whiskey (though all three do contain English malt). Limsa Lominsa is a port town, and its whiskey’s peaty character is meant to evoke thoughts of the sea breeze with a sweet, mellow finish. Of course, like any proper seafaring community in a fantasy RPG, Limsa Lominsa has a large pirate population, which is reflected in its whiskey being aged in rum barrels.

The three whiskeys are identically priced at 8,000 yen (US$55) per 700 milliliter (23.7-ounce) bottle. They’re scheduled to go on sale in Japan on October 10, but will also be offered as part of Tokyo department store Isetan’s Final Fantasy XIV x Isetan-A Decade’s Journey event to be held at the Shinjuku Isetan from September 28 to October 2. The whiskeys will also be available for purchase through Isetan’s online Moo:d Mark by Isetan online shop starting at 11 a.m. on September 28.

Related: Final Fantasy XIV x Isetan-A Decade’s Journey website, Moo:d Mark
Source: Nagahama Roman Beer Company via Otakomu
Images: Nagahama Roman Beer Company
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