Nose: Sawdust, red apple peels, lemons, salted grapefruit, tea bags, decking stain. Balsamic, fish oil, oyster sauce, pepper. More dry and savoury than the more typical Miyagikyo sweet and fruity. Water doesn’t add much, maybe some white flowers.
Palate: Some chili powder and fresh ginger heat. Grapefruit, sawdust, almond flakes. I wish there was more but unfortunately this is a faily simple offering. A fair dash of water ramps up the hot spices, sweetens up the citrus elements and adds some white chocolate. Medium bodied.
Finish: Lemons, chili powder, fresh ginger, oak. Water lengthens the finish but with a finish as uninspiring as this I’m not sure that is a plus.
Last Word: Miyagikyo is my most underrated Japanese distillery. This particular single cask however does not do the distillery justice. I would even place the current NAS offering above this and the NAS sets a fairly low bar to begin with.

Rating: 79/100