June 30, 2014

Three Japanese beasts with stories

What’s more, all three will come from the same ‘family’, in a way. I have to say I don’t quite know how to sort them, for they’re probably very different, so let’s just go… alphabetical. I know, that doesn’t make much sense…

Chichibu 2010/2014 (62.4%, OB for Silver Seal, Japan, bourbon barrel, cask #659, 239 bottles)

I know quite a few guys in Europe have been looking for this baby, but indeed it’s a Japan exclusive, so you have to source it from there, I’m afraid. Colour: pale gold. Nose: incredibly approachable at such a high strength, and even if the new oak feels a bit (vanilla and fresh sawdust), these whiffs of freshly squeezed oranges are just lovely and bring much freshness. I also find some lemongrass and very clear notes of lime-blossom. With water: pure, unadulterated acacia honey! Mouth (neat): fierce and young, but great, or rather great, but young. Pear drops, tinned pineapple, loads of sweet creamy vanilla, acacia honey, then more lemongrass and coconut. This could make for a great sauce to pour onto grilled chicken, Thai style. With water: an Irishness comes out, quite bizarrely, as well as notes of IPA beer, hops, chlorophyll… The oak has been very active, in a good way. Finish: long, grassier, with some fresh oak. Comments: a very young dram that’s powered by some great oak trees. Not exactly my preferred style, but I am rather impressed. SGP:461 - 82 points.

Hanyu 2000/2010 'The Final Vintage' (59%, OB, Ichiro's Malt, puncheon, cask #6093, 349 bottles)

Indeed, 2000 was Hanyu’s last vintage. Colour: gold. Nose: hold on, there are many similarities! Indeed we’re well in the same family, this one’s another clean and fresh whisky, with again some oranges and huge whiffs of blossom. Orange blossom indeed, then rather honeysuckle. In the background, a little leather and tobacco. Really lovely. With water: a meaty, almost truffle-y side comes out. Also cigarette tobacco. Mouth (neat): huge, spicy and herbal, very ‘Japanese’ in the sense that you feel incense, cedar wood, even powdered green tea, then cough drops, menthol and lastly, roasted chestnuts. I’m not saying roasted chestnuts are very Japanese… With water: same, more or less. Added touches of coconut and pineapples, perhaps. Finish: long, and quite ‘tropical’. Oak-aged pina colada? Comments: a very talkative malt, rather unusual and hard to rate. Not too sure about my score, so… Please just don’t read it. SGP:551 - 84 points.

Karuizawa 13 yo 1999/2013 (57.7%, OB, Noh, for K&L USA, sherry butt, cask #869, 510 bottles)

Once again, one of the very last vintages. I’ve heard this baby’s the first Karuizawa ever imported into the good old US of A. Colour: golden bronze. Nose: at first it’s like nosing Spanish cured ham. I’d swear you can even smell the bellotas (acorns), and I also get touches of rubber, as often in Karuizawa, although those tend to vanish after just one minute or even less. After one minute, it’s a bed of walnuts, candy sugar, pipe tobacco, Maggi and one of these pretty acidic coffees they have in Africa. Had a Burundian just yesterday that was smelling like this. Also a little cane sugar? A little gunpowder too, even after ten minutes. With water: the exhaust pipes of a Kawazaki H2. Ah, two-stroke engines! Behind that, a lot of liquorice. Mouth (neat): thick, a little acrid, takes your tongue hostage for a while. Very concentrated, with some black tea, walnut wine, salted liquorice, then more and more wood spices. Cinnamon mints? In the background, lively notes of raspberry drops. With water: was this aged in orange wood? Thuja? Pine? Mizunara? Eucalyptus? (that’ll do, S.) Finish: long, very focussed on chocolate, menthol and liquorice. After Eights. Comments: I’d describe this heavy dram as ‘perfectly imperfect’. Or very baroque. SGP:562 - 87 points.

(with heartfelt thanks to Max and Tim)

Check the index of all Japanese I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback in St Tropez