Mars Komagatake Single Malt Limited Edition 2019 48%abv

Posted on by
Reply

Nose: Heather honey, vanilla, apricot jam, caramel, pepper, touch of wood stain. Some sweet tobacco, a little clove and almond, a savoury note. With water there is white chocolate, some wood shavings and a light floral note.
Palate: Tangy orange, marzipan, almonds, fresh apricots, nouget, heather honey. Salt and Pepper, white chocolate, pear juice, chili flakes. Water adds creamy nuts like macadamias. Medium bodied.
Finish: Oranges, apricot jam, pears, peanut butter and some ashiness. Water lengthens the finish.
Last Word: Moreish whisky. Almost half a bottle down after a couple of weeks. More complex and tastes more mature than the Limited Edition 2018 even though they contain whisky of the same age. Very impressive for a 3YO whisky.

Rating: 88/100

Akkeshi Foundations 4 New Born Malt & Grain 48%abv

Posted on by
Reply

Nose: Notes of agave, pears, yeast, sawdust, vanilla, unripened bananas. Still very new makee!
Palate: Starts with a spicy kick. Lemon merangue, grapefruit, agave, yeast, Brazil nuts, pears, honey. Light bodied.
Finish: Fades fairly quickly on lemon merangue, agave, yeast and green apples.
Last Word: Fundamently there is nothing particularly wrong with this, it’s just not complex compared to the likes of Chichibu and Kanosuke of the same age. After tasting all 4 Foundation botllings, for mine, Akkeshi will need to lift their game considerably by the time their 1st 3YO single Malt is realeased in February 2020.

Rating: 79/100

Kanosuke New Born 18mths Bourbon Casks 57%abv

Posted on by
3

Nose: Wild flowers, pollen, wood shavings, pepper, honey, vanilla. A medley of tropical fruits, dried mango, pineapple, passionfruit, banana. With water the wildflowers and passionfruit dominate.
Palate: Honey, sherbet, apple pie crust, vanilla, salt, wild flowers. Dried mango, oranges, ginger, banana. Dare I say smooth! With water the body fills out and there is more pepper, salt and ginger, also cloves.
Finish: Dried mango, dried pears, sawmill floor, a little clove, dried plantain. A little drier and herbaceous with water also vanilla wafers.
Last Word: Mind blowing stuff at this young age that already displays a really exotic edge. I rated the 8mth New Born highly and this one moves the goal posts forward again.

Rating: 88/100

Japanese Whisky Bar Report – Aloha Whisky Bar Tokyo

Posted on by
Reply

Aloha Whisky

A newcomer to the Tokyo Whisky Bar scene, Aloha Whisky Bar in Ikebukuro opened it’s doors in September 2019.
The bar is owned and operated by the affable Mr David Tsujimoto, a native of Hawaii of Japanese decent. David has lived in Tokyo for the last 6 years and in that time has collected an extremely impressive range of whiskies. Around 600 bottlings in total and if that is not enough to wet your appetite, about 250 of these are Japanese Whiskies. That number of Japanese Whiskies propels Aloha Whisky Bar straight into the Major Leagues!

Aloha Whisky 2The majority of the other whiskies on offer are Scottish or Bourbons but there is also whisky from Canada, Ireland, Taiwan, Hawaii, Australia, Switzerland and China.
Other alcoholic beverages include Beer, Red and White Wine, Gin, and Cognac. David also has a passion for rums so if your interested in rums, ask David for a recommedation of one of the rums at the bar. We did and it was a suberb fruit bomb!
Starting prices for half shots of no age statement Japanese Single Malt Whiskies is Y500 and Single Cask Japanese Whiskies from the likes of Chichibu Y1500.
If you are new to whisky David offers a number of tasting flights from both Scotland and Japan. A tasting flight was the starting point for my own Japanese Whisky odyssey over 10 years ago.
As David is always on the lookout for new whisky expressions, you would be certain of an exciting experience even after multiple visits to Aloha Whisky Bar.
Aloha Whisky Bar is also a non smoking venue, a boon for anyone who actually wants to nose and taste whisky not just cigarette smoke all night. The bar seats around 10-12.
The bar is currently open every day except Tuesdays from 6PM-11:30PM. I always recommend before going to any bar that you check out their Facebook page for any updates to opening hours. Directions to the bar if arriving by train are pretty straight forward. Exit C3 of the Fukutoshin(F) area of Ikebukuro Station. If you can’t find C3 ask any station staff. When you exit C3 at street level the bar is directly across the road a few meters to the left. It is on level 3 accessed by a small elevator. Picture below includes the sign for Aloha Whisky Bar.
I cannot recommend Aloha Whisky Bar highly enough and it will be one of my regulars whenever I am in Tokyo.

Aloha Whisky 3

Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu for Shinanoya & Highlander Inn 2010 6YO Bourbon Barrel #710 61.3%abv

Posted on by
Reply

Ichiros malt chichibu for shinanoya & highlander innNose: Initially acetone. Cinnamon and apple pie, fresh cut timber, pears, vanilla, With water there is a sweet bubblegum note. Not particularly complex but it’s fresh and lively.
Palate: Huge alcohol punch without water. For myself, needed a fair dash of water to open up. Then we have pickled ginger, fermented blueberries, tart apples, kiwi fruit, cranberries and butterscotch.
Finish: For a young whisky quite some cask influence. Apple sauce, leather satchels, kiwi fruit, tart red berries, black tea like tannins, pepper and butter menthols.
Last Word: Bit unruly and lacks in complexity but there is no doubt about the quality of the distillation.

Rating: 84/100

White Oak Akashi 5YO Bourbon Cask #1354 for Espoa 56%abv

Posted on by
Reply

P1050446Nose: Fresh! I’d suspect 1st Fill Bourbon Cask. Wood shaving’s, apple sauce, bread dough, white pepper, rolling tobacco, pollen, lemon zest, green mango. Some bourbon like spice & hint of perfume a la Four Roses. Water doesn’t make a huge difference, maybe a winey note, stronger vanilla & florals/pollen.
Palate: Salt & pepper. Honey, vanilla, bee’s wax, green mango, fresh ginger, black currant jellies, lemon sherbet. Water ramps up the salt & hot spices. Medium bodied,
Finish: Bread dough, green mango, bee’s wax, vanilla, marzipan, almonds, wood shaving’s, clove, banana candies, fried onion. With water the warm spices ratchet up so much it numbs the palate then after a few minutes slowly fades to some peppermint. Good length.
Last Word: Probably the best bourbon cask Asashi I’ve tasted. Interesting & complex. A real surprise packet that I’d forgotten we owned and everyone in my Japanese Whisky group enjoyed.

Rating: 88/100

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Japanese Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2019 48%abv

Posted on by
Reply

Ichiros Malt & Grain 2019Nose: Old books, bay leaves, sweet pipe tobacco, vanilla, toffee, tea leaves, sugar coated mint jellies, licorice, orange peels, brine. Quite gentle, is there less Kawasaki Single Grain in this blend? I think so. Less savoury & sherried compared to the 2018 but there is also some similarities. Takes a little longer to dissect compared with the 2018 but with time, there is plenty of depth and satisfacion to be had. Sweeter and more floral with water added.
Palate: Side by side in the glass the 2018 is much darker(picture below under the rating score). There is some initial pepper and chili spice. Tangy citrus, honey, bay leaves, vanilla, raisins, ginger bread, nouget, sweet tobacco, licorice, black plums. Water adds a touch of salt and the tangy citrus and warm spices pop on the mid palate. Medium bodied.
Finish: Pepper, ginger bread, vanilla, the sugar coated mint jellies, soft tannins, touch of old grain. Water ups the vanilla, old grain, licorice and adds currants. Long and complex.
Last Word: More subtle compared to the 2018 but given time to open and especially when adding a touch of water, the 2019 is nipping right at the heels of last years release. The finish is a highlight.

Rating: 91/100
Check out the color difference. 2019 on the left in the Chichibu glass.

P1050451

Japanese Whisky vs Scottish Whisky

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve heard this or read about this very question many times over the last decade.
Sometimes it is related to distilling technique, sometimes as an historical time line and most often about the quality of the product.
When you strip the question to the bare bones it unfortunately ends up covering the spectrum of both simplistic to complex.
So….lets delve into a stripped back version Japanese Whisky one-o’-one.
Japanese Whisky is based on Scottish Whisky Distillery principles. Pot stills, malted barley(for single malts), grains(corn and or other grains) and usually double distilled(wash still and spirit still). The barley may be peated or unpeated and for the most part over the years is not sourced from Japan due to cost. Europe, mainly Germany and Australia in Asia(yes Aussie is considered part of Asia), have been two major sources or barley for Japanese Whisky production.
The pot still’s also for the most part, are built and shipped in from the UK for instance, Forsyth’s.
The water source as in Scottish whisky production is considered of paramount importance. The site for Japans first home grown whisky distillery Yamazaki was specifically chosen by the founder Shinkiro Tori because of the quality of the local water source. Yoichi distillery in the northen part of Japan was specifically chosen by it’s founder Masataka Taketsuru because the geographical area reminded him the most of Scotland where as a young chemist, he learned the art of whisky distilling.
So how did home grown Japanese Whisky Distilling begin?
One common theme I’ve heard is that Masataka Taketsuru the founder of Nikka was sent to Scotland at the behest of Shinjiro Tori(the founder of Suntory) to study the art of whisky distilling.
The two men did know each other but Taketsuru was dispatched to Scotland by his then employer Settsu Shuzo. On Taketsurus’ return, Settsu Shuzo, for want of a better word, no longer had the where with all to support a whisky distilling endeavour. Call it kismet, but the fledgling Suntory in need of a master distillery/distilery manager for the Yamazaki Distillery found the perfect person in the then unemployed Taketsuru.
Ok, I’m not going to bore you with a more detailed history as there are some differences between the Japanese ‘Big Two” whisky companies but historically it all leads back to Scotland.
So….we have all the fundamental ingredients in Japanese whisky as we do in Scotland, grain, water, pot still/s, oak barrels and at least for the legit Japanese whisky distilleries, cannot be labelled whisky until three years old.
A matter of respect! Anyone who has visited Japan will know that the Japanese when they take to any niche, they respect and embrace the cultures they eminated from to the nth degree. It could be Jazz music, Flamenco dancing, Silent Films or booze.
Did you know that Suntory spent a decade developing the blue rose? This wasn’t just for shit’s and giggles, but out of respect for Scottish whisky distilling history and the blue in the Scottish flag.
Now down to the brass tacks…….
There will be some cultural differences between Scottish and Japanese Whisky production philosophies which have nothing to do with a rivalry. The two biggest differences these days are cost and availability.
Availability: Scottish whisky is far more readily available in volume, number of distilleries and age statement bottling’s.
Cost: Scottish whisky is easily more affordable for the same quality and or, same age as the Japanese equivalent.
Both countries can produce whisky that is a silk purse or a sow’s ear!

Mars Komagatake 1986 30YO Sherry Casks 48% abv

Posted on by
Reply

P1050441Nose: Loads of pepper and nutmeg! Earthy, old leather, dusty saloon floors, sherry, strawberry jam. Raisins, Anejo tequila agave, burnt pie crust, touch of burnt tire rubber, old Cognac rancio. With water there is vanilla and fruity/floral.
Palate: Quite some oak impact. Black tea, seared orange slices, licorice. Some pepper and nutmeg but not as spicey as the nose would suggest. Bay leaves, cloves, dried tobacco leaves, dried papaya, marmalade. Given some time in the glass some juicy fruitiness balances out the dryness somewhat and water balances even further.
Finish: Nose is superb but after 30 years in oak casks the wood makes a little too much impact on the palate and finish which knocks off a point or two.

Rating: 89/100

Miyagikyo 2007 10YO Single Cask #102698 58%abv

Posted on by
Reply

P1050440Nose: 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

Mars Komagatake 27YO American White Oak Cask 382 Sherry Casks 327,570,1068 46%abv

Posted on by
Reply

P1050439Nose: Sherry soaked oak, burnt orange, fig paste, vanilla, white flowers. Blueberries, strawberry conserve, pepper. Some flintiness and incense. Elegant. Water makes the nose more floral-wildflowers.
Palate: Sherry, fermented strawberries & blueberries, some pepper and nutmeg. Ginger bread, brandy snaps, oak, fried bananas and pineapple. The touch of flintiness, roasted chestnuts. Water adds dried fruits of mango, papaya and pears. Medium bodied.
Finish: Orange jus, roasted chestnuts, nutmeg, strawberry conserve. Water then adds the dried fruits of mango, papaya and pears back in and the finish becomes very lengthy!
Last Word: Artful work by the blender. A beautifully balanced and nuanced whisky that is even better with a little water added.

Rating: 91/100

Mars Single Cask Komagatake 2012 6YO Bourbon Cask # 1493 Heavily Peated 60%abv

Posted on by
Reply

850_6876Nose: Mechanics workshop, Dettol, fermented pears, apple sauce, lemon cough mixture, lacquered teak, gun powder, licorice, pouch tobacco, tea leaves. Water added you get some white chocolate and white flowers.
Palate: Mechanics workshop, Turkish Delight, rhubarb, fermented pears, cocoa powder, licorice, apple sauce. Pepper, cloves, bay leaves, lemon sherbet. Water brings out some almond and orange zest.
Finish: Ash, pouch tobacco, lemon cough mixture, nutmeg, bay leaves, vanilla, lemon sherbet, white chocolate.
Last Word: A beauty from Mars. Despite the 50ppm of peat there’s a fresh liveliness. Not the type of whisky that uses heavily peating to hide a multitude of sins. Complex for the age and very well balanced.

Rating: 90/100

Mars Komagatake Yakushima Ageing 2019 58%abv

Posted on by
1

850_6875Nose: Some similarities to the 2019 Double Cellars(similar casks types I’d guess). Nectarines, black plums, blackcurrants, cloves, plum sauce, cola, treacle, manuka honey, pepper, nutmeg, cola, dark chocolate cake icing.
Palate: Juicy fruits or blackcurrants, black plums, raisins. Salt, cloves, cacoa nibs, pepper, Arnott’s Savoury Shapes buscuits, ginger bread, pumpernickel, leather. Doesn’t change a lot with water, a little added nuttiness and grapefruit bitteress. Medium full bodied. Gets quite smoky the longer the bottle is open.
Finish: Ribena, pumpernickel, Brazil nuts, raisins. smoke.
Last Word: A satisfying fruity and spicey Mars Whisky.

Rating: 86/100

Mars Komagatake Double Cellars 2019 5YO Bourbon/AWO/Sherry Casks 47%abv

Posted on by
Reply

850_6878Nose: Stone fruits such as nectarines and apricots. Old orange peels, cola, quite some pepper, some earthiness, old saddle bags, vanilla. sea spray. Water strengthens the vanilla and adds marmalade.
Palate: Oily mouth feel. Vanilla, mandarins, salt & pepper, brandy snaps. pineapple, banana, some oloroso nutiness, chilli flaked, medium bodied. Water makes this zestier and adds marzipan and nouget.
Finish: Oloroso sherry, peanut butter, pepper, peppermint, cloves. Water heightens the pepper.
Last Word: A solid effort from Mars with a nice change up with water added.

Rating: 85/100

Japanese Whisky News – Insanity Prevails as 8 Grand Worth of Ichiro’s Malt Card Series Sells for Almost 1 Million at Auction

Posted on by
2

Ichiro's Malt Card Series

Once again proof positive that wealth and insanity are not mutually exclusive. A NOT full set of Ichiro’s Malt Card Series Whisky sold at yesterdays Bonham’s Auction in Hong Kong. Buyer paid US$917,000! To put this in perspective I would calculate the average price when these were sold retail and very slowly at the time, was about US$150 a bottle. A number of the first bottling’s were under 100 bucks a pop and the most expensive when released was the Monochrome Joker which I paid $AUD350 for. My simple maths is that if you bought the 54 bottling’s that sold at this auction when first released at average US$150 a bottle = US$8,100. If you think that average bottling price is inaccurate then you weren’t around at the time. I still have 8 of the bottling’s and sold another 5 so still have all the records of what I paid back in the day. I also used to have a link the Ichiro’s Venture Whisky website and you would be shocked to see how cheap these were when viewed in black and white.
Fact of the matter, the Hanyu distillery closed because no one was buying the stuff, though they certainly weren’t an island in that respect for Japanse Whisky. IMO the provenance of these bottling’s is only rarity. There are some excellent one’s and some average one’s, so it isn’t based on these all being stella tasting whiskies. Looking through Whiskybase the average bottle rating is about 88/100 which is still commendable but hardly commensurate with the price based on the juice alone. Only one bottling actually hit 91/100 and no Card Series Bottling is in the top 5 rated Hanyu on Whiskybase. Another thing is Ichiro san bottled these with Playing Card Labels as a marketing tactic. It was not based on these being the pick of the litter from the remaining casks. So, if these were not a set but just had regular labels, how much would they be worth. A shit load less I’d venture. I’ve tasted and own a number of other Hanyu that are the equal or better than some of the Card Series and although still expensive these day’s, nothing like the cost of a bottle from the Card Series. What price a simple label!!!.
If you wish to know what a true full set of 58 Ichiro’s Malt Card Series bottling’s constitutes it’s here.

Suntory sinks $56 mil into expanding whisky ageing warehouse

Posted on by
Reply

So Suntory is expanding it’s facility at the Omi Aging Cellar in Shiga Prefecture so that it will be able to hold approximately an extra 40,000 barrels.
56 mil to only add storage for 40,000 barrels to Suntory’s current capacity of 1.52 million barrels.
Wow, did anyone crunch those numbers? 1400 hundred bucks worth of space for each barrel. If only we all had the readies to for such an indulgence!
Yes Suntory has aleady had 2 x expansions since the Japanese Whisky drought but 40,000 barrels ain’t going to help when I assume a lot of that juice will only go into blends such as Kakabin.

Mars Le Papillon 2013 6YO American White Oak Cask # 1698 58%

Posted on by
1

P1050437Nose: Decking stain, vanilla, dusty old books, tart red berries, nectarines, peach skins. Toffee, tar, black tea. A few drops of water reveals a floral element and turns up the toffee and vanilla.
Palate: Tangy oranges, malt, vanilla cake, nutmeg, white peaches, grapefruit, fresh ginger, Brazil nuts, some oiliness to the mouth feel. Red peanut skins, salt, medium bodied. Water brings out some orange & banana cake and ups the ginger heat.
Finish: The tangy oranges, Brazil nuts, vanilla cake, orange cake, menthol, sesame oil, some drying oak and black tea tannins. Medium length.
Last Word: With some time open, this is a complex young whisky with a mix of sweet, bitter and spicy elements.

Rating: 88/100
You can also check out Whisky Richards review over an Nomunication

Mars Le Papillon 2015 4YO Sherry Butt # 5152 58%abv

Posted on by
1

P1050438Nose: Sweet marsala, nutmeg, seared orange slices, toffee, an earthy note, candy coated nuts, BBQ sauce, plum sauce, Turkish Delight, some flintiness, tar. With water this is more earthy also, vanilla, hession, sea spray.
Palate: Sherry, cherries, ash, coal, tar, earthy peat, toffee, cashews, juicy dates, salt, pepper, oranges. Full bodied with a medium peating level. With water more tart, tangy and smokey.
Finish: Long on cherries, dates, toffee, ash, cashews, cacao nibs, cigar leaf, earthy peat. Water adds bonfire smoke and peppermint.
Last Word: Almost half the bottle has gone and I’m going to have to hind this one from myeslf. Great young whisky! Mars does not always get sherry cask matured whisky right but they’ve nailed it with this one!

Rating: 90/100

Japanese No Age Statement Whisky – The Reality!

Posted on by
2

850_5544
You all know the basic story! Japanese Whisky is in the duldrums in the early 2000’s or a bit earlier. The big two Japanese Whisky producers Suntory and Nikka(parent Asahi), ramp down production. After all, the big two do not survive on whisky alone so there is a safety net. Japanese Whisky from virtually out of nowhere gains traction in the West in around 2009 followed in the East a few years later. This actually parallel’s the international explosion of whisky(ey) as a beverage of choice worldwide. Think new money/burgeoning economies, India, China, South East Asia.
The gushing of some influential whisky bloggers(certainly not me), better accessabilty outside of Japan and a host of international awards and Japanese Whisky is the darling of the whisky/key scene. From zero to hero and all of a sudden demand far exceeds supply! Stock shortage enshews followed by panic stations!  Age statement after age statement bottling’s are dropped from the lineups, replaced by no age statement versions.
I’ll fast forward through the time line of each no age statement replacements and focus on some ‘spin’ from the distilleries.
This is the stuff I have read in articles and a couple recent books on Japanese Whisky. Whisky writer interviews Master Distiller. Master Distiller says if we do not have the ‘restrictions’ of an age statement, we have a larger canvas to paint with. Example, if the bottle is no age statement we can blend any whisky from 3 years old and up where before, if we had a 12 year age statement, we can only use 12 year old whisky and up. Fundamently I have no problem with the theory if……the no age statement bottling’s are as good as the age statment whiskie’s they have replaced and the cost is commensurate(if the average age is less).
Herien lies my issue. Almost without exception, the no age statment bottling’s are not as good as the age statement bottling’s they have replaced and on like for like pricing when the age statement bottling’s were standard, the age statement bottling’s were cheaper.
Some examples in Aussie dollars –
Hibiki Harmony NAS ave price $AUD150 – not sure what they are going for in Japan. Last tasted yesterday, my own 2019 bottle. 
Hibiki 17YO when a standard bottling $AUD135 – Y10,000 in Japan. Hibiki 21 Y20,000
There have been improvements  since the first NAS bottling’s were released but the NAS is still only 70% as good a whisky as the 17YO.
Yoichi NAS – $AUD125
Owned and opened 3 bottles and closer now to the Yoichi 10 but double or more the price of the Yoichi 10 when available. Last tasted July 2019, my own 2019 bottle.
Yoichi 10 when a standard bottling Y4500. Yoichi 12 Y6500. Yoichi 15 Y10,000. Yoichi 20 Y20,000.
Miyagiyo NAS – Ave price $AUD135. I’ve owned and opened a couple of bottles and tasted a 2019 and not a patch on the age statements. 2019 bottling tasted at WhiskyLive July 2019. Have my own(older) open bottle as well.
Age statements were the same price structure as Yoichi minus a 20YO which was never offered
Yamazaki NAS – In style it is pure Yamazaki and cracked a newly arrived bottle today. $AUD125.
12 year old is now $AUD250. NAS I’d say is better than half the price of the 12(these days’s) but again, 20% not as good when the 12 was at 75 bucks. Yamazaki 10 when a standard bottling Y5000, Yamazaki 12 Y7000, Yamazaki 18 Y20,000
Hakushu NAS – A big disappointment – Owned and drunk a few bottle’s and not a patch on the 12YO. Yes, there are the clean forest notes of the 12 but what happened to the peat and pepper? This was Japans Talisker 10 before it was emancipated. Last tasted June 2019, my own 2018 bottle.
Age statements were the same price structure as Yamazaki.
Nikka Taketusru NAS – This is the biggest improver for me. Latest bottling’s seems to have a bigger/older Sherry Cask influence. Still, AUD$125 for the NAS when back in the day even the 21YO was about 100 bucks!!!! Despite all that,  along with Nikka FTB this is my current Nikka of choice! Last tasted a week ago, my own 2019 bottle.
Taketsuru 12 when a standard bottling Y2500, Taketsuru 17 Y7000, Taketsuru 21 Y10,000
So there we have it, age statement Japanese Whiskies swapped out for no age statement whiskies and in almost every case, the no age statement versions are inferior and yet cost more.
Knowing what we know, the big two Japanese Whisky producers currently have no choice but to release no age statement whiskies. I can cop that but prices should be commensurate with having a lot of younger whiskies in the mix and the no age statement offering’s not being on par with even the youngest age statement offerings’s. If I was to put an empertical value on the no age statement bottling’s, they should be priced 30% less than the old age statment bottling’s!

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Japanese Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2018 48%abv

Posted on by
Reply

P1050436Palate: Fruit mince pie, plum sauce, currants, molasses, pumpernickel, sea spray, sherry, saddles bags, sweet pipe tobacco, cockles, caramel, vanilla, roses. Ever evolving!
Palate: Sherry, mixed nuts, orange juice, nutmeg, pepper, roses, peppermint, papaya, plum sauce, cherry cream filled chocolate, molasses, raisins.
Finish: Floral’s, macadamia’s, old leather, honey, marmalade, dried mango, peppermint, burnt eucalyptus.
Last Word: The ghosts of the flavors linger until the following day.

Rating: 92/100
*Note: A blend of Hanyu and Chicibu Single Malts and Kawasaki Single Grain Whisky.