Hi guys,
My latest YouTube video has dropped here, where I discuss does maturing whisky in Japanese Mizunara Oak Casks give the whisky unique flavours? If so, what do they taste like? I’ve tried a number, either finished or fully matured. What do you think? Does Mizunara Oak add something unique that you think stands out from whisky matured in other types of Oak?
Kampai
Brian
Hey friends,
Welcome to Episode 6 of 6 Days of Suntory Hibiki. In my latest YouTube Video here, I chat about my experience with Suntory Hibiki 30 Year Old and see whether it’s worth the unbelievable prices being asked and then I rank all the Hibiki’s I’ve tasted in order of my personal preference. Let me know if you agree and what is your favourite Suntory Hibiki in the comments?
Kampai
Brian
Hi friends,
Welcome to Episode 5 of 6 Days of Suntory! You can check out my latest YouTube video here where I chat about and review Suntory Hibiki 21 Year Old. Is it the pinnacle of age statement Hibiki’s even compared to the 30 year old and one of the best blended whiskies ever? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Ah the scent of youth. Vegetal, yeast, smokeless mezcal, poached pears, oak, a musty note, lemon detergent. Tasted blind, everyone in my Japanese Whisky Club picked this as a very young whisky(new pot).
Palate: Follows the nose faithfully and but also some prickly spices and honey.
Finish: Yeast, honey, lemons, smokeless mezcal and some drying oak.
Last Word: Tastes young and lacks complexity. Mizunara oak has been elevated to a somewhat mythical status that is in reality out of proportion to it’s influence on the spirit. I would caution that expectations should be tempered. Any special qualities that this wood may impart are usually quite subtle. 8-10 years fully matured in Mizunara oak and bottled at cask strength may well be a different story as proven by a Mizunara Single Cask I tasted at the Chichibu Distillery.
Rating: 78/100
Nose: Oaky, earthy and fruity. Reminds me somewhat of Hanyu earthiness, the earth in orchards of stone fruits. Very expressive for a 43%abv whisky. Licorice allsorts, vanilla and demerara rum, white peaches and a mix of cantaloupe and honeydew melons. Slightly burnt brown sugar, dried papaya and apricots. Some leather and sweet tobacco. Take some time and little by little, more and more is revealed. Some gingerbread spices, raisins, overripe bananas, pineapple and oranges. I’d call it a plush nose!
Palate: Cognac like fruitiness, oily/buttery mouth feel. Bourbonesque orange, vanilla custard, brandy snaps, dried mango slices, lemon, grapefruit, sherry, the gingerbread spices. Demerara rum, strawberries soaked in champagne, eucalyptus. The gingerbread spices make this pop on the palate more than you would expect at ‘only’ 43%abv.
Finish: Turkish bread dipped in olive oil, orange soaked brandy snaps. Becomes drier on leather, tobacco and mature oak then drifts towards hints of coal fire, earthy peat, dried mango and grapefruit bitterness.
Last Word: A very classy dram showcasing the Blenders art!
Rating: 91/100 trending towards 92
*Note: Core components for this whisky are Mizunara Casks of at least 25 years old, Spanish Oak Sherry Casks, long aged Suntory Chita Grain Whisky.
Nose: Some classic Hanyu notes of juicy stone fruits and aromatic woods. Red grapes, port pipe whisky, butter menthol’s, werther’s originals and white wine gums.
Palate: Sweet fruit sherbets, vanilla, werther’s originals, white peaches, nectarines, cocoa. Sandalwood, ginger bread and butter menthol’s.
Finish: White peaches, white nectarines, port pipe whisky, ginger bread, vanilla and butter menthol’s.
Last Word: Can’t really say what the Mizunara Heads adds to this one. Pretty much a classic style of Hanyu which I generally prefer over the cask finished versions.
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Screams Hanyu. Stewed apples, ripe apricots, currents, Japanese temples, strawberry jam, smooth oak.
Palate: Follows the nose closely and adds blueberries, maple syrup, honey, macadamias, nougat, custard powder, all-spice. Every sip a delight.
Finish: Incense, stewed fruits, blueberries, macadamias, all-spice, Wurthers Originals.
Last Word: Another excellent Hanyu from the Final Vintage. An expressive whisky, I only needed 15-20mls to write up the tasting notes. Very much reminiscent of Ichiro’s Malt The Game 2nd Edition.
Rating: 91/100
**Sample courtesy of Clint over at Whiskies R Us.
Well in the flesh at Casa Dramtastic. Most readers would have seen some release images of these. I’ll go out on a limb and say this is the first time both of these have been shown to the general public by someone who now owns them. No need to go into any of the particulars of these bottling’s as you can read about that over at Whiskies R Us. My thoughts are around what it’s like to finally have these babies in my grateful hands.
First thing, is that I had my order in for over a year. Of course I didn’t now when the release would be but I knew I had to be ahead of the game to even have a chance. Nothing is set in stone either, some retailers will/have received an allocation, many won’t. I was lucky enough to be in contact with someone who did and who generously kept me in mind for one of each label. For me this is going to be hard to beat for Japanese whisky release of the year for a number of reasons. It is, as far as I know, the end of the Ichiro’s card series. No more cards or derivatives of playing card games up Akuto-sans sleeve so to speak. Also, the black and white labeled bottling of the Joker is now officially the oldest Hanyu released to date and the fact that it was finished in a Mizunara oak cask at that. No doubt a deliberate choice for a whisky of such significance. Finally, the colour label version of the Joker would seem to be the most ambitious vatting of different cask types of Hanyu yet.
In the photo, the whisky in the B&W Joker looks darker. This is not a trick of the light or angle of the photo, it is darker than the colour Joker. Could be because the colour Joker has some younger whisky in the mix, could be it’s a vatting of different cask types, could be a combination of both or none of the above. They both sure look tasty!
Now for the problem. The colour Joker I purchased for Y12777. In under a week these were already selling in Japan on the resale market for 5 times that price. I have not seen a bottle of the B&W Joker being resold yet, but heaven only knows what they will fetch when they do. That then put these in the, I can only dream of owning one these category for most whisky fans. Supply and demand can be a real bitch sometimes!
So, what am I going to do with mine? Stare at them un-opened for a while for a starters. The B&W will then be put away with the rest of my closed bottles. It’s such a wonderful piece of history that it will be a long time before it is opened. The colour label Joker, I guess I’ll crack that on a whim someday…….