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| Hello, that is one among our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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January 28, 2025
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Again to Japan, with glory and panache!
Okay, we savoured some elegant Japanese whiskies on the finish of final 12 months; it is time to begin once more in 2025. Let’s attempt quite a lot of kinds right this moment…
Distilling gear at Sakurao Distillery (Sakurao)
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Togouchi ‘Misty’ (48%, OB, Stillman’s Choice, Japan, 2024) 
Whereas the Togouchi whiskies we used to come across in Europe had been largely sourced and imported spirits not distilled in Japan, the homeowners, Sakurao in Hiroshima, established their very own distillery in 2017, which started producing peated malt in early 2018. Hurrah, this implies we at the moment are having fun with a real Japanese single malt in our glass. Color: white wine. Nostril: exceedingly mild and, above all, very contemporary, with inexperienced apples and refined hints of inexperienced tea. There’s a fragile Sauvignon Blanc character, notably with honeysuckle, which fits it properly. A contact of gooseberries follows, then vanilla and a whisper of contemporary coconut, although nothing extreme. The profile is faintly paying homage to older malts distilled in Lomond stills (Mosstowie!). Mouth: that very same freshness continues, with a touch of bubblegum mingling with these distinctive inexperienced apples, a contact of coconut, chlorophyll-infused chewing gum, and a hint of liquorice wooden. End: of medium size, displaying a sure acidity that when once more evokes Sauvignon Blanc. Coconut milk re-emerges within the aftertaste, accompanied by a really faint saline notice. Feedback: it feels youthful and a tad mild(ish), however the freshness is completely pleasant.
SGP:550 – 82 factors. |
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Sakurao ‘Sherry Cask’ (50%, OB, Stillman’s Choice, Japan, +/-2024) 
From the identical distillery. It’s to be famous that the hybrid spirit nonetheless is supplied with a column, which could clarify the Togouchi’s relative lightness. Let’s see the way it fares on this ‘Sakurao’ model… Color: gold. Nostril: extra physique right here, with the sherry doing its job. Notes of leather-based, walnuts, and tobacco emerge, alongside a touch of patchouli and ylang-ylang. A faint contact of sushi sauce (after all!). With water: the coherence strengthens, with menthol and anise rising to the fore. It appears to thrive with water. Mouth (neat): leaning extra in the direction of younger kirsch, with a paraffin and almond milk character, adopted by cinnamon mints and traces of pine resin, in addition to orange marmalade. The general texture stays pretty mild. With water: as soon as once more, water works wonders, shifting it in the direction of chartreuse and verbena, virtually with hints of absinthe. End: medium in size, with the casks regaining a little bit of management. Walnuts make a return. Feedback: very nice. I ponder in the event that they’re additionally experimenting with double distillation by the only real wash nonetheless, which is a basic pot nonetheless—that will be intriguing. However that’s none of my enterprise, is it…
SGP:551 – 83 factors. |
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Chichibu 9 yo 2015/2024 ‘Daikokuten’ (61.9%, OB, Spirits of Salud, 7even Gods of Fortune, second fill bourbon barrel, cask #4664, 187 bottles) 
Final 12 months, we sampled a sister cask (Angel’s Favorite), and as anticipated, it left us slightly impressed. In any case, Chichibu and bourbon barrels tango fantastically, as we all know. Color: white wine. Nostril: a blade that slices proper by you, because the saying goes. An ideal meeting of lime, rhubarb, cider apples, and keenness fruit. However at this energy, let’s not take too many probabilities… With water: even livelier, sharper with water, as blood oranges be a part of the occasion and mingle splendidly. Beautiful. Mouth (neat): it’s fatty, it’s oily, but it delivers a vibrant freshness that jolts your backbone. Outstanding notes of lemony eucalyptus and a touch of honey—not less than it appears so—however once more, water is greater than welcome. With water: sure, that’s it, spot on. Lemons, grapefruit, cinchona, eucalyptus, and a contact of woodruff. Stunning inexperienced pepper lingers within the background, retaining every part energetic and taut like a bowstring. End: lengthy, contemporary, with inexperienced apples taking the lead, virtually refreshing—however therein lies the entice, proper. Playful inexperienced oak within the aftertaste, together with the honeydew our pleasant bees craft for our delight. A touch of menthol too. Feedback: proper up my avenue—or motorway, as I used to be about to say. The one flaw? We noticed it coming. Proper.
SGP:561 – 91 factors. |
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Right here, let’s additionally style two or three yet-untasted basic favourites cherished by the stylish Parisians from LMDW…
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Yamazaki 20 yo 1986/2006 ‘Proprietor’s Cask’ (60%, OB, La Maison du Whisky fiftieth Anniversary, Butt/Mizunara, cask #6G5029, 405 bottles)
It’s unclear whether or not this can be a ‘double cask’ sherry butt + mizunara or if the butt itself was constructed from mizunara oak, however let’s not nitpick an excessive amount of. Regardless, each this older sequence and these Eighties vintages of Yamazaki have now reached legendary standing, and I’d add that, for my part, in addition they profit drastically from (sluggish) bottle ageing. Color: gold. Nostril: a mix of chestnut honey and fir honey—that’s it for now (nevertheless it’s so much, as these honeys are extremely complicated). With water: all of the resins, glues, sap, and vegetal varnishes of the world, adorned with a number of contemporary almonds and walnuts. Absolute compactness. Mouth (neat): oh, my goodness! Most resinous and camphoraceous energy—it simply pins you to the wall. Loads of black propolis as properly, tying again to the fir honey and, naturally, the mizunara. And a definite glue-like sensation. An unimaginable gustatory territory. With water: it softens a bit, however numerous peppers take over in essentially the most stunning method—so many several types of pepper. End: lengthy and, eventually, a contact gentler and extra benevolent, with some white fruits becoming a member of this intensely sappy cavalcade. Feedback: I believe—no, I’m sure—that 20 years in glass have solely elevated this Yamazaki additional. I’d even recommend it may need climbed from 90 to 93 factors. I humbly say this as a result of we tasted many of those Proprietor’s Casks once they had been launched within the 2000s, so now we have some perspective. However anyway…
SGP:572 – 93 factors. |
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Simply to make clear, the phrase ‘butt’, or bota in Spanish, or botte in French refers to a kind and dimension of cask, which doesn’t essentially point out sherry. For example, right here in Alsace, distillers used to macerate berries or small fruits in bottes. So, should you come throughout the time period ‘butt’, it doesn’t robotically imply sherry. There you may have it! Let’s keep it up with one other particular choice from LMDW…
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Karuizawa 1976/2010 (63.6%, OB, LMDW/Whisky Reside Paris, first fill sherry butt, cask #7818, 554 bottles)
That includes the enduring ‘classic label’ of the period, with its disarming modesty. I imagine one other model from the identical cask was additionally launched with the ‘Geisha’ label by Quantity One Drinks Firm, far much less, shall we embrace, austere. Color: darkish amber. Nostril: each time we pattern one of many +/-300 Karuizawa single casks—particularly one with no prior formal notice—it’s a humbling expertise. Right here, it’s the huge oak that instructions consideration. What is likely to be a flaw elsewhere feels luxurious right here, because it disassembles itself into a number of subcategories, which we may define as follows: chocolate, prunes, espresso, tobacco, tar, and aged Ténarèze. With water: small hydrocarbons, oils, essences, and coal tar emerge, alongside crimson and brown sauces paying homage to Asian delicacies, which we, after all, adore. Just a few notes of overripe, darkish bananas as properly. Mouth (neat): once more, a lot black pepper and gunpowder on the primary sip may recommend a flaw, but dried figs, dates, and an previous Demerara rum character instantly remodel it into splendour. You’d virtually overlook the 63.6% ABV. With water: growth. Pine sap, black pepper, darkish tobacco, sloes, hoisin sauce, and manuka honey. End: equally enduring, with only a contact of currants as a signature, plus a number of drops of ultra-aged brandy de Jerez. Feedback: I see no motive to assign a rating totally different from that of the Yamazaki—and moreover, that will be vulgar, wouldn’t it not.
SGP:661 – 93 factors. |
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A sixth and ultimate one. In any case, if we go any additional, we’ll run out of oxygen…
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Karuizawa 1970/2011 (59.1%, OB, La Maison du Whisky, bourbon barrel, cask #1985, 181 bottles)
No must say a lot. Color: amber. Nostril: naturally, one may surprise if a Karuizawa with out sherry may stand tall. The reply is a powerful sure. In actual fact, the astonishing fragrant mixture that leaps—kind of subtly—to your nostril, not less than on this occasion, leaves little doubt. Each honey, each tobacco notes, all of the yellow flowers and dried fruits are right here, inserting us firmly within the realm of a really nice and really previous agricole rum—however with a turbocharger. I don’t know anybody who may resist this, not even an U.S. president who’s turn out to be a teetotaller however who was not some a long time in the past (in line with sure NYC bartenders within the press). Beeswax reigning in splendour. With water: unchanged. Magnificent. Mouth (neat): broad, ample oak, dancing spices, unbridled peppers, rebellious citrus, and impeccable waxiness. You get the image—these little phrases ought to convey the influence of such a whisky. With water: completely superlative, and people spices! End: lengthy, dominated by black and gray peppers, balanced with a touch of pink peppercorn. A drying finale paying homage to a really previous amontillado—and but, it’s positively ex-bourbon. Feedback: let’s say it—it’s paying homage to Clynelish circa 1972.
SGP:661 – 95 factors. |
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(Arigato¯ to Thierry, LMDW & the Golden Promise bar)
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