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| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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Could 9, 2022
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Strolling round Japan
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| Only a few blue chips and heavy hitters, together with the brand new shining star (based on this little taster)… And we’ll hold this relatively ‘high-profile’ for as soon as, in the event you do not thoughts… |
Robert Motherwell (1915 – 1991) Black Cathedral, 1991 – Artcurial
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Shizuoka 2017/2021 (58.5%, OB for Whisky Concerto Hong Kong, ex-bourbon, cask #2017-128) 
Color: full gold. Nostril: simply the suitable quantities of acetone, nail polish remover, black olives, rotting fruits (proper, fermenting fruits) and sponge cake. Very high-definition, but with a beautiful small tertiary/soiled facet, as anticipated (Japanese mates, please do not take umbrage once I use the phrase ‘soiled’!) . With water: candy mustard, manzanilla and Cuban cigars. Mouth (neat): completely good, you don’t even have to issue this child’s age. Granted, there are maybe just a few too many oak spices, which is regular on this context, however these pretty tobacco-y, varnishy and barely buttery (buttercream) notes are superior. I’ve heard tobacco ice cream did exist; properly I have not tried that but however I might think about that will style like this wee Shizuoka. With water: will get sweeter. A little bit extra oak coming by way of, End: lengthy, with some oaky sourness, extra tobacco, extra inexperienced pepper too, propolis, resins… The bitterish end may be this child’s marginally weaker spot. Feedback: relatively terrific however water’s not simple to deal with right here. I will have to put my palms on a Japan-made digital pipette.
SGP:462 – 88 factors. |
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To the north, to Chichibu, west of Tokyo…
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Chichibu 2013/2020 (59%, OB/Ichiro’s Malt for Whisky Mew, Japan, bourbon barrel, cask #2463, 209 bottles) 
With a cat on the label, clearly. We’ve a mouser at WF Towers that appears simply the identical, she’s a woman and her title is… Soba! I am not joking. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: precisely as we have been anticipating it to be (no, actually) with as soon as once more some high-definition maltiness, this time cleaner but and with a beautiful mango-y cake-iness. Touches of patchouli and Indian bidis, bananas, a contact of shoe polish, somewhat menthol… With water: you do really feel the make’s slight fatness. Sunflower oil, some beer, a beautiful yeasty facet, grist… Mouth (neat): instant and apparent. Some yellow chartreuse, inexperienced bananas (not the opposite means ‘spherical!), a beautiful bitterness, fruit peel, contemporary walnuts… at occasions you could possibly consider it was ex-fino sherry, however it’s properly bourbon. With water: some fruity sweetness coming out. Banana foam, maybe? Some papaya too, then greener fruits. Oh, sure, touches of inexperienced tomatoes? These are so good… End: relatively lengthy, nonetheless on that sweetness. Even marshmallows within the aftertaste. Feedback: simply impeccable. They simply by no means disappoint when the cask was not a really odd one.
SGP:651 – 90 factors. |
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Maintain on, that Shizuoka was made in a Karuizawa nonetheless, was it not? So, in the direction of Karuizawa, which is not removed from Chichibu. Simply round 100km, to the northwest…
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Karuizawa 1973/2008 (56%, OB, Martin’s Choice for Norway, American oak sherry butt, cask #6249, 342 bottles)
I’ve solely tried a 1973 as soon as, #1607, which had develop into the Supreme Winner at our Malt Maniacs Awards in 2013. WF 93, proper. We’ll attempt to hold this quick and candy… Color: copper amber. Nostril: probably the most implausible mixture involving mint (and diverse carefully associated aromas) and tropical jams (and diverse carefully associated aromas). Ought to we begin a listing? Good, quinces, mangos, teak oil, crushed Brazil nuts, figs and prunes full of marzipan, very outdated cognac, charcoal smoke, muscovado sugar, fermenting figs, liquorice, cough drugs, cigars, Spanish ham, honeycomb… Significantly, higher cease right here, this checklist could be limitless… What’s extra, this child retains altering over time… So, with water: it isn’t the primary time that I am discovering some old-Springbankness in an outdated Karuizawa. Sooty honeys and myriads of affiliated aromas, in a fractal means as we typically say (sadly not usually sufficient). Complicated tobaccos, which jogs my memory of Benson & Hedges and Dunhill’s outlets in London, within the good outdated days. Mouth (neat): maybe a notch extra rustic on the palate, with somewhat hay and compost, some crude chocolate too, all the remaining being an anticipated mattress of roses, with just about the identical flavours as on the nostril. It might simply not stand nonetheless, with many dried fruits, honeys, a tiny smokiness, in all probability somewhat extra sherry (tobacco and walnuts), a wee medicinal facet, eucalyptus, camphor, mint, liquorice… In fact it is received just about all the pieces. And but, it’s a little ‘rustic’. With water: I can not seem to get mid-Sixties Springbank out of my head. Mead, cognacs, honeys and tobaccos. Some pine needles, fern and moss within the background. End: identical mixture, for a very long time. Solely the aftertaste is somewhat oakier, somewhat gritty, somewhat bitter, somewhat drying. Or I might have thought of a 94. Feedback: it feels good.
SGP:662 – 93 factors. |
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To Nikka’s Yoichi Distillery, west of Sapporo…
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Yoichi 1991/2009 (58%, OB, Nikka Single Cask Malt, for La Maison du Whisky, warehouse No.15, virgin oak, cask #129374, 453 bottles)
I already tried this yet one more than ten years in the past, however I am useless positive that additional bottle ageing did a lot good to it. Useless positive. Color: full gold with crimson amber hues. Roughly, typical of virgin wooden. Nostril: I knew it (that is sufficient bragging for now, S.), this is filled with sauna oils, sandalwood and cedarwood, eucalyptus, camphor, menthol, cough drops, then caraway and star anise, somewhat lemon balm, fresh-sawn pinewood, some mushy varnishes… With water: the fruitiness on high. That will principally citrons and oranges, whereas the piney, natural notes would stay very stressed within the again. Mouth (neat): what a magnificence! It is candy, jammy, stuffed with candied fruits, dried orange zests, with somewhat bitter (good, Campari), touches of ginger, then these large mentholy notes, with some chlorophyl, fir bud liqueur, verbena, Jäger… With water: properly, that unleashed extra spicy oak, as if way more bottle ageing was truly wanted to achieve a really excessive rating. It is true that the oak was large within the first place. End: lengthy, with extra mentholy oak. Feedback: a sense of mizunara; was it mizunara?
SGP:572 – 89 factors. |
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And now to Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery, south of Kyoto…
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Yamazaki 2009/2019 ‘The Essence of Suntory Whisky’ (56%, OB, Japan, Spanish oak) 
It appears that evidently this was virgin Spanish oak. The label is completely splendid, for as soon as a bottle that even non-whisky mates (and household) may marvel at with out questioning what’s mistaken with you… I imply, with us. Color: cedarwood. Nostril: cedarwood. And blood oranges, quetsche pie with cinnamon, muscovado sugar, somewhat onion jam… It is not that oaky this time, however you by no means know… With water: cigar humidor, oranges and cloves, Stolle, marmalade, brown sugar… Mouth (neat): are we positive there was no sherry concerned? A whole lot of candy oak (deep charred?) and stewed apples, with as soon as once more numerous muscovado sugar. A family-pack of speculoos. With water: outdated Pedro and a drop of crème de menthe. I am actually unsure that there could be any PX in there, however I’ve by no means encountered equivalent to candy ex-virgin European oak whisky. So far as I can keep in mind… End: relatively lengthy, candy, jammy, with some candy liquorice within the aftertaste. Feedback: intriguing and but wonderful. If I wasn’t holding this, I might add 5 factors only for the marvellous Robert-Motherwell-like label. He is one among my favorite painters, in case you have been questioning.
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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(Domo arigato, Hideo, Olav and Peter S!)
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