Nose: Lemon meringue, wood stain, fermented pears. Quite alcoholic and simple.
Palate: Prickly heat, pineapple, fermenting pears, nutmeg, Water adds nougat, coconut.
Finish: Pineapple, cayenne pepper, nougat and coconut.
Last Word: Nothing off but lacks complexity.

Rating: 80/100

Nose: Smoke infused lime, cucumber, pine, putty, medium earthy peat, hoisin sauce, pear jubes, green apple peels, lemon cough drops, corned beef, brine.
Palate: Huge hot prickly spices. Earthy peat, wet cement, lime, pine, straight earthiness, pickled ginger, pickles, salted macadamias, a bitter element, ash, corned beef. Adding water drives the ash/pine, ups the macadamias and adds back in the hoisin sauce.
Finish: Lime, brine, corned beef, pepper, pickled ginger then fades fast to earthy peat and ash.
Last Word: Not the most balanced of whiskies and you’d have to like ’em hot. Different enough from the 2012 to warrant the purchase.

Rating: 85/100

Nose: Raisins, figs, new tanned leather, candied orange slices, demerara rum, nutmeg, sweet tobacco, cloves and some earthiness. Pretty much what I expected.
Palate: Juicy. Plums, raisins, orange chocolate, coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, pepper, demerara rum, cloves. The earthiness again but not as prominent as many a Hakushu. Light, clean body.
Finish Short and clean. Raisins, chocolate, plums, orange peel, some gentle spiciness, a little dry then quite a hit of tinned passion fruit.
Last Word: Well balanced sherry cask whisky with lots of typical Suntory sherry cask notes and flavors but lacks the wow factor.

Rating: 87/10
*For an alternate review check out Whiskies R Us

Nose: Vanilla, antiseptic, forest floor covered in autumn leaves, fermented pears, steamed green vegetables, coal fire, pineapple, roasted chestnuts. Hot!
Palate: Big! Charred vanilla, cinnamon donuts, chocolate cannoli’s, marzipan, nougat, steamed green vegies ash, heavy earthy peat.
Finish: Heavy peat mixed with creamy nuts, chocolate, sweet spices and candy flavors.
Last Word. Hakushu can do heavy peat and not just in name.

Nose: Lemon cough drops, brine, thick earthy peat, grapefruit, sump oil, old leather, tarred rope, dried pears, overripe papaya, some floral notes.
Palate: Honey lemon cough drops, heavy earthy peat, grapefruit, milk chocolate, sump oil. lemon zest, white pepper, oats, pork fat. A little water adds candies, mixed dried herbs and nougat.
Finish: Honey, mouth coating earthy peat, ash, lemon, grapefruit. Adding water has the same effect as the palate.
Last Word: A Heavily Peated Hakushu in nature not just in name. Addictive!

Rating: 90/100

Nose: Sweet pears, caramelized passion fruit, orange, red grapes, typical Hakushu earthy/forest notes. Lime juice, pepper, subtle oak and peat. Light but lovely.
Palate: Clean and fresh. A bit more peat than on the nose. Candied nuts, grilled fish, sweet pears, fresh mushrooms, lime juice, forest floor, cocoa, pepper, menthol.
Finish: Fruity, nutty, earthy, mushrooms and menthol.
Last Word: A well crafted, well balanced dram. Not a whisky to judge on a single sample as this one reveals it’s class after at least over 4-5 glasses. A must try even at the extra expense over of the already fine Hakushu 12YO.

Rating: 88/100
*Update 9/Feb/2013. Keeps getting better now 89/100

Nose: Lightly medicinal. Lime, autumn leaves, damp forest floor, green steamed vegies, apples, pears, earthy peat.
Palate: Lime, apples, earthy peat, wet pebbles, chocolate, cashews, candies, menthol, pepper. Some oiliness to the mouth feel.
Finish: Earthy peat, candies, cashews, menthol. Finishes with a mineral quality.
Last Word: Not the boldest or most complex but tasty.

Rating: 85/100

Nose: Very fresh and clean as a whistle. Seems to be untainted by any wood influence at all. Banana, vanilla custard, lychee, soap flakes, peat. Invigorating.
Palate: Pepper as if it’s straight from the shaker into the malt. Earthy peat, banana over oats, toffee, some orange and lemon.
Finish: Is medium length, dominated by peppery spice, and underpinned by clean malt and lingering earthy peat.
Last Word: Very well crafted. A good one for displaying the difference between the taste of peat and smoke.

Rating: 87/100

Nose: Light but typically fresh Hakushu. Lime, Pine, wet moss/earth, tinned pears, salt, a little spearmint.
Palate: White pepper, lime, wet forest floor, almonds.
Finish: Lime, almonds, peach candies and some drying oak. A lightweight aperitif style. Last Word: Serious whisky fans would be better served saving for the 12 year old in my opinion.
Rating: 79/100

Nose: Fairly subtle peat hangs over balanced oak, pine and varnish. Then, after a little time, that Japanese magic of lychees and cherry blossoms breaks the surface, followed by some cereal notes and earthiness. After about 20 mins, some brineyness becomes apparent.
Palate: Sweet peat comes through in a big way. A lovely spice hit of cinnamon/nutmeg/salt followed by a hint of Hubba-Bubba that I’ve found in few Japanese whiskies (particularly those from Yoichi). A little water brought out some chocolate.
Finish: Mainly on the palate with sweet peat, soft oak, and a sweet/hot spiciness dominating. Water brings out the chocolate.
Last Word: Not a peat monster by any stretch, but an extremely well balanced and complex whisky.
Rating: 87/100

Colour: Reddish brown
Nose: Sherry, oak, raisins and currants
Palate: Sherry, dark cherry, oak, dark chocolate, blood oranges, raisins, Christmas pudding.
Finish: Plums, nutmeg, lemon sherbet, mixed peel zing. Quite Aberlour A’bunadh like but smoother at a similar alcohol content.”
Score: 90/100 Tasted from a sample.(Photo is indicative)

Nose: Sweet oak (reminds me of a number Hanyu’s I have tasted in this respect), which is beautifully intergrated into the malt. Varnish, roasted chesnuts, fresh baked scones with butter and a slightly burnt apple crumble.
Palate:Hot, Hot, Hot! Not a burning alcoholic heat, more like chillis. Probably the hottest whisky I have tried and I love it. Huge spice: pepper, salt, chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon. Lots of sweet oak, peanuts and marshmellows.
Finish: Long, hot, spicy and oaky, but with a certain candied sweetness. This was not a whisky I would choose to add water to because I enjoy the rush of it at cask strength.
General comment: I’ll make no bones about it, I love this whisky.

Rating: 92/100

Nose: Oak, varnish, soy sauce, stewed pears, vanilla, red apple peel, peanut butter, peach skins. Lots going on. Continually evolving.
Palate: Quite hot. chilies? Yeast, soy sauce, peanut butter, thickened cream. A little water actually makes this hotter. More water again brings out vanilla and cherry blossom.
Finish: Long, warming and dominated by the flavours on the palate.
Last Word: A bit of an oddity, the flavours don’t quite gel together, but still fun and interesting.
Rating: 84/100

Nose: Fresh oak, pepper, earthy peat, lime juice, soap flakes, cherry blossom, pineapple and a little salt

Palate: Typically clean Hakushu mouth feel. Immediate hit of pepper. Licorice, lime juice, subtle earthy peat, some peanut shell bitterness, strawberry chocolate, menthol.

Finish: Is short-medium on pepper, lime juice, strawberry chocolate then fades to green apples.

Last Word: Think of punchier version of Hakushu 12 with some added sweetness.

Rating: 86/100