Nose: Some earthyness, shiitake mushrooms, roasted malt, roasted chestnuts, vanilla, biscuits(American style) a cereal note and a little tar. Still some youthful notes of steamed green vegetables. More Scotch like than most Japanese Whiskies I’ve tasted. Nothing much changes with water added.
Palate: There is a sweetness but more candied fruits rather than fresh. Caramel, chocolate brownies, some baking spices and earthyness. Not really detecting the peat which may come as the bottle empties. A savoury element like spicey beef rissoles. Not particularly complex. With water a soft malty theme emerges.
Finish: Earthy and a combination of steamed green vegies and spicy beef rissoles. With water soft malt and vanilla then a little oaky dryness.
Last Word: I have tasted all the Akkeshi releases so far and for reasons I’m not quite sure about they seem a few years away from producing whiskies as well resolved and complex as those from the likes of Mars, Chichibu and Kanosuke of the same age.

Rating: 80/100

Nose: It may be simplistic to say but think about a peated version of the Foundation 1. Not sure what the peating level is in PPM but I would call this medium even if this was heavily peated. This is quite typical of peated Japanese Whiskies and it is a personal preference as I’ve never been won over by whiskies that are unbalanced on the peated side. The green apples and pears found in the Foundations 1 though the pear is more on the preserved in alcohol kind. Hints of honey, vanilla and honeydew melon. Peated lemons, brine and iodine but again not out of balance. Strongly reminiscent of a good Mescal.
Palate: Honey, caramel, almonds, green apples, pears, peated lemons. The quality of the new make distillate is on show as there is no palate burn what so ever. The Mescal again.
Finish: Actually quite drying on oak, leather and tea tannins. The peated lemons, some smoked meats and ginger bread.
Last Word: The peating adds some extra dimensions over the Foundations 1. Very promising indeed and the overall balance is excellent.
A note to the distillery, when we are paying Yen 3-4000 for a 200ml bottle of new make how about making the label presentation a little more classy and distinctive. Looks like something printed at home on a 50 buck printer!

Rating: 80/100

Nose: Strongly fruity on green apples, fresh pear, lemon juice. Hints of steamed greens and the almost inevitable acetone note of youth(though not overpowering). White pepper which becomes quite intense once this opens up over time in the glass.
Palate: Respectably smooth on the palate for a new make spirit of 60% though warming on the way down. Fairly simple/straight forward at this stage. The green apples are there but the malt begins to assert itself. The steamed greens, a little vanilla, toffee and some chili flakes spice. Water doesn’t change the equation to much though ups the chili flake spice.
Finish: Green apples, pears and white pepper. After about 5 minutes a little soapiness.
Last Word: Definitely shows potential. Due the cooler overall climate where the distillery is situated, I would expect an Akkeshi whisky to mature maybe a year slower than say an equivalent aged Chichibu. I say this as I tasted the new makes from Chichibu and they were surprisingly well developed at a similar age.

Rating: 75/100