Hand rolls, sashimi, or hot plates? We put this refreshing tipple to the test. Plus, keep reading to find out how you can stand a chance to win a Japan holiday!
Full disclaimer: whisky typically isn’t my drink of choice. But even for an amateur whisky drinker like me, the Suntory Kakubin highball won me over with its highly sippable pour.
Suntory Kakubin has been a staple on Japan’s whisky scene since 1937, and for good reason. This signature blend by Suntory – featuring the finest whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita – is subtle, balanced, and complex.
To put it to the test, I swung by Rappu with my team to try pairing the Suntory Kakubin highball with hand rolls and Japanese delights. This highball is light and crisp, made with Suntory Kakubin whisky and soda water, served ice cold with a squeeze of the lemon wedge. Which pairing works best? Keep scrolling for our verdict…
Highball and handrolls. Rating: 4/5
Rappu boasts some of the best hand rolls in Singapore, so why not elevate these compact bites with a tipple? We particularly loved the Suntory Kakubin highball with the seasonal Ezo Awabi (abalone) hand roll, featuring wild-caught Japanese abalone, topped with a rich abalone glaze for added umami. The smooth highball went perfectly with the briny, savoury, and meaty abalone, offering a refreshing sip that cut through the richness.
Meat-free options were no pushover either. We recommend going for the tofu glazed with a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce that calls for a sip of alcohol. The fact that the highball was so light and easy to drink was a plus.
Highball and sashimi. Rating: 4/5
As sashimi fans, we had to try the highball with some sashimi. So we chose the sashimi trio with salmon, delicately torched aburi engawa (flounder), and hotate (scallop). We enjoyed the aburi engawa so much that we ordered another helping of engawa aburi sashimi, but we digress.
The highball was an excellent way to have whisky with sashimi – it’s a light tipple that complemented the delicate flavours of the seafood. That said, we’d recommend having the highball as an aperitif rather than together with the sashimi, as the whisky slightly overshadows some of the mellower flavours like the hotate. It went amazingly well with the richer cuts of fish like the aburi engawa, though!
Highball and hot plates. Rating: 5/5
We couldn’t stop at hand rolls and sashimi, so we went back to the menu to order more eats – for science, of course. It turned out to be fate, ‘cos hot plates and the Suntory Kakubin highball were the winning combo in our books.
The grilled hamachi collar (yellowtail fish) was our top pick, topped with spring onions and chilli strings. The fish was fork-tender, with a savoury glaze and a hint of heat from the chilli. Its layered flavours were deliciously complemented by the fizzy highball that reinvigorated our appetite with each sip.
Perk alert: Sip for a chance to win
Here’s a bonus for those who love a good freebie with their fizz. From 14 July to 31 August 2025, every twin highball set you order gets you a shot at winning the grand prize – there are two pairs of round-trip flights for two to Japan to be won (worth $1,000 per ticket, no less). If you go all in and get a bottle, that’s eight chances in the draw.
So yes, your next night out could be the start of a free holiday. Wondering where you can enjoy the Suntory Kakubin highball? Pop over to the Kakubin website to check out participating bars and restaurants across the island.
Our verdict: the Suntory Kakubin Highball is a light, boozy drink to go with any Japanese feast. Smooth, refreshing, and endlessly versatile, it holds its own with everything from rich abalone to smoky grilled fish. We’ll be back for another round!
This post is in partnership with Suntory Kakubin.
