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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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October 15, 2024
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The High Japanese, continued
Let’s stick with it tasting a couple of extra of the best newer Japanese whiskies…
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Kanosuke ‘Hioki Pot Nonetheless’ (51%, OB, Japan, 2024) 
Right here we have now a Japanese whisky with a little bit of an Irish aptitude. Now, that doesn’t imply they’ve gone and imported bulk whisky from Eire to mix with their native malt, however moderately that they’ve embraced the ‘pure’ or ‘single’ pot nonetheless technique. This includes utilizing each malted and unmalted barley within the distillation – on this case, beneath vacuum (copper or chrome steel?) – and that will make it a grain whisky in line with the nice outdated Scottish gospel. Color: gold. Nostril: there actually is a contact of Eire right here – very ripe apples, hints of rose petals, lychee, and a suggestion of contemporary copper (consider a brand-new chef’s pan), adopted by strawberry and cherry tart. There’s even a slight whiff of an excellent Provençal rosé. With a couple of drops of water: muffins galore – fraisier, financier, champagne-soaked ladyfingers… Mouth (neat): the wooden is extra outstanding on the palate, bringing cinnamon, apple peel, ginger, and hints of cedar wooden, with a refined contact of incense. There’s nonetheless loads of contemporary, unpasteurised apple juice as nicely. With water: we stay on comparable notes. A number of leafy touches – pear and cherry leaves, maybe? End: pretty lengthy, changing into extra herbaceous with even a slight contact of rubber. The aftertaste lingers with a little bit of rosé champagne. Feedback: I used to be maybe a bit extra charmed by the Kanosuke I attempted the opposite day (the Single Malt at 48%, WF 88), however this one continues to be very, superb.
SGP: 651 – 84 factors. |
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Kanosuke ‘Double Distillery’ (53%, OB, Japan, 2024) 
Nicely, right here we have now a mix of their Single Malt and the Hioki, basically a self-blend made fully from barley. Color: pale gold. Nostril: certainly, we’re again to the malted barley notes, with contemporary bread, oranges, peanut butter, yeast, and malt extract… With water: no main modifications, although now we’re getting a freshly baked baguette straight from the bakery. Mouth (neat): superb, with top-tier pepper, a contact of Riesling harking back to what we discovered within the malt, some smoke, tart inexperienced apples, and pumpkin seeds… With water: the ‘Irish’ spirit returns barely, with cherries, white peaches, and even that beautiful rosé champagne once more. Shochu. And let’s be clear, we’re speaking a few rosé de saignée right here (skin-contact maceration), not the type made by mixing white wine with a touch of crimson. End: medium in size, very nicely balanced, fruity however not overly so. Cherries, a touch of kirsch, almonds… Feedback: this works extraordinarily nicely, in my humble opinion. All that’s lacking now’s an age assertion, no matter that may be.
SGP: 562 – 88 factors. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Mix ‘7 to 47 years Double Fantasy’ (56%, OB, Japan, 300 bottles, 2024) 
Adorned with a well-known picture of John and Yoko by Kishin Shinoyama, this mix comes with fairly the story. In response to a really dependable supply who’s at all times sporting suspenders, it comprises 48.5% 7-year-old Chichibu, 48.5% Scottish malts aged between 21 and 25 years, 1.5% 1976 Kawasaki grain, and 1.5% 1976 Benriach, with each of these final ones clocking in at 47 years outdated. Color: gold. Nostril: if I’ve understood accurately, there’s just one.5% grain in right here, and you may inform. It’s a bit like a Danish pastry, with apricot and buttercream, a contact of cassata, very ripe apple, quince, and mirabelle plums, then loads of yeast and bitter cream. There’s even a enjoyable IPA + Chardonnay vibe happening… With water: oh, contemporary and dried white mulberries make an look. Mouth (neat): wonderful, nearly all-malt, with a Chichibu that definitely doesn’t shrink back, setting the tempo for the older whiskies. Citrusy rigidity, chalk, flour, contemporary bread, gooseberries… With water: quince and inexperienced apple come roaring again. End: lengthy, taut, exact. Chalk, apple, lemon. Feedback: I get the sensation the aim right here was to indicate that even when blended with half of one thing else, a well-raised Chichibu nonetheless guidelines the roost.
SGP: 561 – 90 factors. |
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Ichiro’s Malt World Blended Malt ‘5 to 21 years Double Fantasy’ (48%, OB, Japan, 1,200 bottles, 2024)
Half Chichibu, aged between 5 and 11 years, and half Scottish malts starting from 5 to 21 years outdated. The truth that Ichiro can pull off such feats with obvious nice success speaks volumes about his fame. Think about doing one thing like this in Scotland—you’d be scattered to the 4 winds, nicely previous Hadrian’s Wall. Color: straw. Nostril: I can’t detect any dominant ‘Scottish malt’ pushing its means by way of the Chichibu, however they probably didn’t decide malts with too sturdy a personality. Nicely performed. So, we get apple, peanut oil, lemon, contemporary bread, not-too-ripe banana, some elusive Japanese Chardonnay (good luck discovering that, but it surely’s fantastic), white currants, sorrel, and rhubarb… I actually love this nostril, to be sincere. With water: pure barley, apple, chalk, bread. A contact of drawing gum, a touch of orgeat and putty. Mouth (neat): it’s a bit extra unsure on the palate, with a contact of sweet sugar and roasted barley on high of apple compote drizzled with lemon. One thing alongside these strains. With water: no, it turns into excellent with a splash of Vittel (Nestlé, however the place’s the cheque?). End: lengthy, lemony, with apple, white wine, and rhubarb. Feedback: in whisky, typically much less is extra (S., not your most interesting second there). Oh, and Double Fantasy was additionally the title of a John & Yoko album, their final earlier than the previous Beatle’s tragic assassination.
SGP: 561 – 90 factors. |
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These two Lennon-esque blends are really distinctive and, the truth is, are basically Chichibu, each philosophically and when it comes to style. Let’s proceed…
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Chichibu 7 yo 2016/2024 (64.5%, OB, LMDW Foundations, refill peaty barrels, cask #7076, 200 bottles)
Nicely, they’ve refilled a barrel that beforehand held peated Chichibu, and you may inform right away. Color: pale gold. Nostril: goodness me, peat actually does cling to any distillate like misfortune to the decrease clergy of Brittany. However right here, it stays splendidly assertive, including to the standard trio of chalk, apple, and barley with a correct dose of smoke and even a couple of maritime notes. With water: astonishing stuff. How a lot peated Chichibu was left in that cask? Fifty litres? The waves of beechwood-smoked salmon are completely exceptional. Mouth (neat): zzzzeooom! That’s the sound of a blade cleaving the common-or-garden taster clear in half, to the exact millimetre. Lemon peel, ashes, chalk, lemon once more, and cardamom. With water: nicely, the peat isn’t going wherever, however that’s hardly a grievance. Suppose lemon within the fire. End: lengthy, pure, barely oily (pistachio oil) after which very lemony. The ash lingers on. Feedback: that is unmistakably a peated whisky. These blasted smoky molecules cling like limpets to a rock, however the result’s nothing wanting excellent.
SGP:464 – 91 factors. |
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That is sufficient of the Chichibu for at this time – however there will be a lot extra quickly – it is time to transfer on to one thing else.
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Ontake 2021/2024 (57.7%, OB, for The Final Spirits by Rudder, Japan, Proprietor’s Cask, oloroso sherry butt, cask #174)
We’re again in acquainted territory close to Kanosuke, in Hioki. The primary version of Ontake was moderately good, however alas, a bit too gentle at 43% ABV (WF80). This one guarantees to be fairly totally different… Color: full gold, although not overly darkish. Nostril: I completely adore this chocolate, these raisins, the outdated rancio, tar, aged walnuts, and that splendidly mature oloroso. A surprising sherry affect, with the malt naturally taking a again seat on this explosive setting. Onerous not to consider a couple of Yamazaki ‘Proprietor’s Cask’ ex-sherry bottlings. With water: good raisins, each luscious and earthy, an absolute delight. Mouth (neat): good heavens, that is bursting with oloroso, walnut liqueur, and raisins, as if each pore is oozing with these flavours. What a beast! With water: chocolate steps up boldly, joined by black tea and pipe tobacco, however these raisins nonetheless steer the ship and name the photographs. End: very lengthy, chocolaty, with a refined sulphurous word that works splendidly right here. Suppose millionaire shortbread and but extra raisins—the most important, blackest ones. Feedback: a sherry monster, and we do love a correct sherry monster, offered it’s really monstrous, like this one. It’s additionally considerably harking back to these early Glendronach full-sherry releases simply after the primary relaunching.
SGP:561 – 90 factors. |
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Since we’re as regards to sherry…
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Mars Tsunuki 4 yo 2020/2024 ‘Yakushima Getting old’ (58.2%, OB, Japan, LMDW Foundations, sherry hogshead, cask #2334, 241 bottles) 
A launch aged within the far south of Japan, and also you would possibly say it’s a bit just like the French heading south too to age themselves. Proper. Mars/Shinshu could not make as a lot noise as another Japanese homes, however make no mistake, they’re top-tier, boasting two distilleries, together with Tsunuki, and three ageing websites, together with Yakushima. Color: amber. Nostril: we’re loving the glue, acetone, and overripe fruits, and isn’t that simply excellent. Chocolate too, which is equally welcome. An excellent earthy aspect, outdated tobacco pouch, browned bananas, outdated leather-based… With water: carries on in the identical vein however with much less of that varnish/glue word. Mouth (neat): cocoa, honeydew, caramelised onion, prunes, a contact of bitter outdated wine, then a resinous edge that’s a bit sharp. Black propolis. It’s wobbling a bit. With water: backflips and regains its stability! The raisins are onerous at work now. End: lengthy, extra natural, with a touch of rubber and a contact of plum jam. Feedback: very, superb, I find it irresistible, however maybe is it a tad younger, a bit wild, and will use a contact extra polish. It’s mentioned to age in a short time on Yakushima, however possibly not fairly that quick.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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