Tag Archives: Japanese whisky

Mars Komagatake Super Heavily Peated 2012-2015 3YO Cask #1492 For Mitsukoshi Isetan 58%abv

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Nose: Dark chocolate, lemon cough drops, BBQ pineapple, diesel fumes, coal, creosote. Damp earth, Bay Leaves, mechanics work shop, ripe pear skins, vanilla pod, stables. With water even more diesel, plus tar in Betadine.
Palate: Pepper, chili’s, paprika. Soot, 90% dark chocolate, dried pears, mandarins, vanilla, coal, raisins. Water adds lemon, salt and Bay Leaves. Full bodied.
Finish: Mint, 90% dark chocolate, pepper, chili’s, cacao paste, short black, balsamic, soot, dry. Water lengthens the hot spices and adds trailing lemons.
Last Word: A whisky that brings a sledge hammer to a knife fight. While maybe not as balanced as some of the other Mars Heavily Peated Whiskies I’ve tasted it’s certainly entertaining. The nose it the highlight.

Rating: 86/100

Yoichi Single Malt Manzanilla Cask Finish 48%abv

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Nose: Sherry, oak, shoe polish, match box, grapefruit, apple core, peppermint.
Palate: Match box, coal fire, ash, hay, grappa, horse stables. For me quite a strange funk to the palate on not in an appealing way.
Finish: Grappa, horse stables or in general just farmy, boiled eggs. Quite bizarre.
Last Word: Every now and again a distilleries house style and the cask type clash. This is one of them and I would never recognise this as a Yoichi Whisky. Like the Miyagikyo Manzanilla Cask Finish my least favorite of those I’ve tasted in the series being inferior in my opinion to both the Moscatel and Port Wood finishes. I haven’t tasted too many duds from Yoichi but this is one and possibly the worst.

Rating: 76/100

Miyagikyo Single Malt Manzanilla Wood Finish 48%abv

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Nose: Oranges, cherries, vanilla, toffee, marmalade, a touch of struck match.
Palate: Cola, oranges, cherries, vanilla, icing sugar, cocoa. Somewhat bourbonesque in style. Light Bodied.
Finish: Cola, caramelized oranges, creamed cherry chocolate.
Last Word: Decent single malt but my least favorite of those I’ve tasted in the series being inferior in my opinion to both the Moscatel and Port Wood finishes.

Rating: 84/100

Mars Single Malt for ePower 2013-2016 3YO 56.9%abv

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Nose: A Mars that errs more to the savory/spicy/herbaceous side. Cloves, chili’s, pepper, pickled plums, nutmeg. BBQ pork with plum sauce, dried papaya, rhubarb stalks, shiitake mushrooms. Water adds sweeter and floral elements.
Palate: Pepper, chili’s, dried papaya, orange sherbet, rhubarb, nutmeg, cloves. BBQ pork, shiitake mushrooms, oak, organic cacao chunks. More tangy with water.
Finish: Shiitake mushrooms, oak, BBQ sauce, BBQ hotplate, organic cacao chunks. With water tangy orange and some vanilla.
Last Word: Haven’t tasted this for about a year and it has improved over time. Only three years old……hard to believe.

Rating: 88/100

Mars Komagatake Tsunuki Ageing 2018 57% abv

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Nose: Stewed apples, cloves, nutmeg, toffee, dried pears, honey. BBQ hotplate, grapefruit, pepper, bay leaves, wood shavings, seared pork. A little more savory and herbaceous with water and some added white flowers.
Palate: Pepper, fresh ginger and chili powder to start. Cloves, stewed apples, nutmeg, grapefruit, salt, seared pork, peanut butter. More fresh and lively with water added plus vanilla and the white flowers.
Finish: Cloves, bay leaves, stewed apples, peanut butter, BBQ hotplate, oak. Finish is longer with water and quite juicy.
Last Word: For the age surprisingly complex especially with water added.

Rating: 88/100

Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu MDC for Bar Te-Airigh 2008 10YO Bourbon Barrel #180 60.8%

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Nose: Barley, vanilla wafers, banana, apple pie, dried pears, almond flakes. Dried mango slices, demerara sugar, orange peels. Sweet and mellow. With water some wild flower pot pourri.
Palate: Starts with a big hit of spices both hot and baking. Barley, apple pie, vanilla, butter, fresh baked scones. Oak, custard, tinned pears, apple sauce, olive oil. Water turns up the hot spices and oak and adds some orange juice. Medium bodied.
Finish: Custard, apple sauce, stewed rhubarb, oak, pennies. Water doubles the length and ramps up the oaky dryness and those metallic pennies.
Last Word: It will be interesting to see how the team at Chichibu manages their older stock as there is already some strong oak character even at 10 years old. Prefer this one sans H2O. A sweet, malty, spicy delight. The label is a drawing by the daughter of the owner of Bar Te-Airigh.

Rating: 90/100

Chichibu Chibidaru 2013-2018 Casks 2408 & 2410 63%abv

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Nose: Barley, lemon cough drops, sawdust, vanilla, custard, malt, orange zest, some acetone. With water oak and more citrus.
Palate: Icing sugar, sweetened lemon, white chocolate, orange zest, toffee. With water fig paste, tangy citrus, mint chocolate.
Finish: Long and sweet on melon, vanilla, icing sugar. Water addds length, some warming spices, malt and menthol.
Last: Best with water that adds complexity and length to the finish.

Rating: 87/100

Chichibu For E-Power 2012 6YO Bourbon Barrel #2139 62.8%abv

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Nose: Butter, malt, dried apples, pears, cantaloupe, apple pie crust, pepper. With water lemon merangue, green apple peels, apricot jam.
Palate: Pecans, dates, apples, vanilla, butter, malt, marzipan, fermented pears, lemon zest, limes. With water lemon merangue pie. Full bodied.
Finish: White pepper, white chocolate, green apples, lemon zest, lemon merangue pie. Some late apricot jam. Good length especially with water added.
Last Word: Nicely balanced between sweeter notes and some citrus bitterness. A very good Chichibu!

Rating: 88/100

Chichibu Single Cask Cream Sherry Hogshead #2633 2010 7YO 59.6%abv

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Nose: Quite savoury plus cashews, incense, custard apples, pepper, nutmeg, peppermint, marsala, hint of struck match. Complex! With water some grilled pork.
Palate: Cherries, seared orange slices, cashews, marmalade, pepper, chili flakes, marzipan. With water raisins, sweet baking spices and gummy bears. Full bodied.
Finish: Savoury, baked pork belly, cashews, cherries, gummy bears.
Last Word: Great complexity! One of the best Chichibu Whiskies I’ve tasted.

Rating: 91/100

Chichibu Single Cask Bourbon Barrel #2243 2012-2019 62.5%abv

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Nose: Crisp barley, pepper, lemon zest, lychees, green apples, nutmeg, vanilla custard, a little insence. A floral element with water added.
Palate: Barley, nutmeg, Sara Lee apple crumble, vanilla, pepper, dark chocolate, lots of malt. Water adds toffee, lemon squash soda, juicy oranges. Medium bodied.
Finish: Malt, apple crumble, balanced oak. Becomes quite ashy and then a mineral/metallic element.
Last Word: For lovers of malty whiskies. Really hits is stride with some water which adds complexity and lengthens the finish.

Rating: 89/100

Ichiro’s Malt Four of Hearts 1st Cask Hogshead 2nd Cask French Oak Cognac 2000-2011 11YO 59.2%abv

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Nose: Red grapes, cherry cream, floral, macadamias, orange slices, some leather and sweet tobacco. Quite mild for cask strength.
Palate: Belies the gentleness of the nose with plenty of warming oak spices. Orange slices, sweet tobacco, leather, some oak tannins, licorice, cinnamon, barley, mustard, peanut butter, raisins. Water ramps up the warm oak spices.
Finish: Oranges, vanilla, some oak tannins, dried mango slices. Water lengthens the finish with lashings of juicy and tangy citrus fruits, the peanut butter and menthol.
Last Word: Up there with the better whiskies in the Card Series. Would have cracked a 90 score if the nose was bolder.

Rating: 89/100

The Essence of Suntory Yamazaki Distillery Spanish Oak Casks 2009-2019 9YO 56%abv

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Nose: Beef stock such as Bonox. Raisins, orange slices, marsala, pepper, banana, marmelade, With water creamy nuts such as cashews and macadamias.
Palate: Hotter than hell!. All sorts of chili and hot curry spices. Fresh ginger, pepper, seared orange slices, banana, raisins, currants, oak. Full bodied.
Finish: Dried fruits, oak, vanilla, licorice, peppermint. With water lychees and mango.
Last Word: Decent but to my tastes, unbalanced towards hot spices and as someone who likes spicey whiskies, that’s saying something. Needs quite a bit of water to tame but that much water also tends to flatten everything. Much better Sherry Cask matured Yamazakis out there.

Rating: 82/100

The Essence of Suntory Hakushu Distillery Rye Type 2012 5YO 57%abv

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Nose: Bready notes of Rye and Pumpernickel. Plums, vanilla, cracked pepper, flint, mixed herbs. Butter, custard, peanut brittle. With water mint leaves.
Palate: Butter, chicken vindaloo, rye spice, pickled ginger, pepper, vanilla bean. Peanut butter, cloves, banana bread. Full bodied.
Finish: Banana, mixed herbs, peppermint jellies, peppermint tea, licorice. Complex and evolving.
Last Word: Quite a unique experience and an enjoyable one to boot, especially for someone like myself who enjoys Rye Whiskies.

Rating: 90/100

Chichibu For Whisky Talk Fukuoka 2018 8YO Ex Hanyu Cask #% 62.3%abv

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Nose: Rich! Peaches, apricots, dates, scones with strawberry jam. Yeasty, hoppy, oak staves that have been soaking in whisky maturing in a ex beer cask.
Palate: Strawberries, stawberry ice cream, vanilla wafers, dates, chocolate, Hokkaido baked cheese tarts. With water raisin toast and brandy snaps. Full bodied.
Finish: Sweet on baking spices, hops, yeast, malt & vanilla wafers.
Last Word: A quite different style of Chichibu and no less appealing for it. Excellent!

Rating: 90/100

Okayama Single Malt Sherry Cask Debut 58%

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Nose: Cream sherry, almonds, cashews, macadamias, seared orange slices, nutmeg, brandy soaked cherries. Sweet tobacco, pepper and a savoury note.
Palate: Pecans, cinnamon, raisins, currants, plums, blood oranges. Brandy snaps, black cherries, sweet tobacco, licorice, demerara sugar. Tangy & juicy fruits. Full bodied.
Finish: Long on currants, raisins, vanilla, sweet tobacco, licorice, demerara sugar.
Last Word: What a surprise packet and in a great way. Balanced and complex for what must be young whisky. Reminicent of some of the better Yamazaki Sherry Cask Whiskies or Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask Whisky without the hotter spices. This was a bottle open at the bar and I believe others that tried this after me have been equally impresse.

Rating: 90/100
*Note: Tasted at Aloha Whisky Bar Tokyo

White Oak Akashi Imo Sherry Cask 3YO 50%abv

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Nose: You can easily make out the sherry cask influence even though the sherry casks previously held shochu before whisky. This is the creamy nutty style of sherry rather than dried fruits like raisins. Also grilled peppers, agave, vinegar, balsamic and a touch of struck match. A perfume note but not overbearing. With water the struck match is heightened.
Palate: Currants, vanilla, roasted chestnuts, almonds, cashews, the grilled peppers. With water some tangy citrus, salt, pepper and overall feels more rounded. Medium bodied
Finish: Vanilla, balsamic, nutty sherry, the touch of struck match and quite some drying oak. Decent length if you don’t mind the dryness. With water some pleasant mintiness.
Last Word: While it doesn’t blow my mind it’s still a respectable dram. There is something a little unusual in the mix which I will assume is the cask influence. Kudos to little White Oak Distillery for experimenting with so many different cask types.

Rating: 82/100

Mars Sakura Cask Finish Blended Whisky 40%abv

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Nose: There is some unripe apricots, unripe bananas, nutmeg, pencil shavings and green apples. What dominates though is red grape skins and vine leaves. The most grapey nose I’ve ever come across on a whisky and you smell it in a glass 2 feet away.
Palate: Follows the nose quite closely. Vine leaves, red grape skins, nutmeg, cinnamon bark, marzipan. Light bodied.
Finish: Red grape skins and cinnamon bark. Actually has some decent length for a 40%abv whisky.
Last Word: On the one hand I prefer this to the likes of Mars Iwai Tradition and Mars Iwai Bourbon barrel, but with mainly a couple of dominant flavors that must be from the Sakura cask finish, it’s a bit of a novely whisky.

Rating: 81/100

Mars Komagatake Double Cask Bourbon Barrels #3302 20PPM & #332 50PPM 2016 3YO 61%abv

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Nose: Maritime notes of brine, sea spray and dried seaweed. Quite some pepper also coal, creosote, lemon zest, toffee, some sort of lacquered wood, smoked ham hocks and a big hit of vanilla. With water this is even bigger on the smoked pork and adds grilled capsicums, sugar coated euchalyptus jellies and smokey BBQ sauce.
Palate: Peat mixed with honey, toffee and vanilla. Creosote, dried apricots, dried papaya, smoked ham hocks. Some sweetened citrus and salted caramal. With water the salt spikes and some hot spices and tangy citrus are added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweetened citrus, creosote, salted caramel, some oak taninns and lingering smoke. Water doubles the length of the finish.
Last Word: Outstanding 3YO whisky! Complex. Mars at the very top of their young whisky game!

Rating: 90/100
Note: At the time of writing this can be tasted at Aloha Whisky Bar Tokyo.

Mars Komagatake Single Malt Limited Edition 2019 48%abv

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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

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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