November 11, 2015

Another Japanese extravaganza

Right, this is partly an ‘excuse session’, as there’s yet another new Karuizawa, and as in true WF fashion, we ought to have a few other Japanese whiskies for the sake of due comparison (always remember, only comparison is reason). Which means that we’ll first have other Japanese whiskies… And perhaps even other stars!

Togouchi 18 yo (43%, OB, world blend, +/2014)

Whisky by Chugoku-Jozo Distillery but it seems, according to reliable sources, that this is actually a blend of Scottish malt and Canadian grain. So, only the bottle’s very ‘Japanese’. We first had Togouchi a few years back, and found it relatively good but a little unlikely (WF 78). Colour: gold. Nose: some grassy oak, some apples, and a touch of cinnamon. Perhaps peaches as well, but not too sure, then a curious feeling of cooked vegetables plus almonds. Some porridge. Mouth: not bad at all, it seems that they improved the recipe. A little dusty/oaky, perhaps, with more cooked apples, then cake, malt, marzipan, and grass. More and more green oak and green tea. Finish: rather short, with a discreet saltiness. Salted porridge and green apples. Comments: pretty okay, too bad it’s so expensive here in France (more than 100€, ahem). I like it rather better than earlier batches. SGP:351 - 79 points.

Yoichi (43%, OB, Japan, +/-2015)

No age, 50cl., great packaging, hefty price. Welcome to malt whisky 2.0. Colour: deep gold. Nose: warm, nutty, vanilla-ed, custardy, malty, oaky. Sponge cake, plum jam, sweet oak, honey. It’s simple, of course well made, and certainly not unpleasant. Let’s only hope this is no oak liqueur on the palate… Mouth: yeah well, the oak feels a bit, with a drying leafiness rather than ‘vanilla-ed pina colada’ as seen elsewhere, while the body’s a little thin. Toasted oak, green tea, white pepper, a little cardboard, and little fruits. Finish: a little short, oaky, with a touch of salt, smoke, and more sawdust in the aftertaste. Comments: the oakiness is a little surprising. That they would have tried to speed-up ageing using new or rejuvenated oak would make sense, but then we’d have found more vanilla, I suppose. A little mysterious. Acceptable. The nose was nice. SGP:361 - 77 points.

Yawn yawn yawn…

Suntory 'Royal' (43%, OB, Japanese blend, +/-2015)

Our friends at TWE call this ‘a superb entry-level Japanese whisky’. Well, at £90 a bottle, I certainly hope it’s not too ‘entry-level’. BTW older batches of Suntory Royal were said to be full of old Bowmore, but that may have changed. Colour: orangey gold. Nose: this is troubling, there is quite some peat. Bowmore or Hakushu? This is actually a rather great nose, a bit ala old Highland Park, with depth and complexity. Waxy oranges, leather, sea air, heather honey, tobacco, earth… Mouth: totally old-style blend. Leafy, grassy, rather smoky indeed, leathery, with Seville oranges, a little brine, liquorice, gentian (hurray), a mineral side, some soot… And green bananas. I’ve seen here and there that some good people were thinking this is light whisky. Certainly not! But perhaps is that a matter of batches?... Finish: okay, it’s not long, but this mineral and malty grassiness works very well. Very old school. Some salt in the aftertaste. Comments: an excellent blend, I think. And to tell you the truth, a surprise. SGP:362 - 84 points.

Shinshu Mars 3 yo 2011/2014 'Komagatake' (57%, OB, Japanese malt, 5200 bottles)

This baby ex-sherry cask and American white oak cask. Absolutely love it that they proudly state ‘aged 3 years’ on the label. I must add that the ‘Revival’ version ad been much to my liking in April this year (WF 85). Colour: deep gold. Nose: of course it’s young, and of course the casks have done a large part of the job, but if you’re not firmly against custard, you’ll enjoy this. White chocolate, praline, vanilla, malt bar, honey, maple syrup, cake. You see what I mean. With water: raw malt, lilies, perhaps a touch of cooked cabbage (I’m not saying sulphur, not all), a pleasant mustiness… Smells a bit of spent lees at times. Dead yeast? Mouth (neat): yes. There’s an honest youth in this, some café latte, some buttered popcorn, some Virginia tobacco, some salted butter caramel (in Breton fashion), and an oaky grassiness in the background that puts it straighter – or it would have become too smooth/rounded. With water: very good. Earthy, grassy, pleasantly beerish, with a little mandarin to add pleasures… Finish: long, and really salty. Where does this salt come from? From the oak? Comments: only one word, smart. SGP:552 - 86 points.

Talking ‘bout smart people…

Chichibu 2010/2014 'Chibi Daru' (53.5%, OB, Japanese malt, 6200 bottles)

Ex-quarter casks. Hope the oak won’t dominate this baby, but I do trust these makers… Colour: full gold. Nose: hold on, we aren’t far from the Mars at all. This Chicihibu’s just a little more floral, and a little less grassy. Perhaps. A notch rounder, better polished, and then a little more mentholy. Patchouli, incense… In a way, it’s a little more ‘Japanese’. With water: pink grapefruits aplenty. Love pink grapefruits. Mouth (neat): excellent. Full, immediate, very satisfying, all on sweet barley and ‘moderate’ tropical fruits. Guavas, for example, and tinned pineapples. I find this extremely good. With water: becomes creamy, fruity, with, once again, pink grapefruits. Finish: quite long, oily, syrupy (but that’s good syrup). Pink grapefruits, really. And green tea. Comments: the result of a lot of care, and of little marketing. Marketing 101: make the best product you can. Then, market it. But who am I? No, seriously, it’s like at winegrowers’, the ones who make the best are the stars. Simple. All the rest is utter codswallop, and no army of brand ambassadors (love you lasses and lads) will manage to alter that simple equation. In the short run, perhaps, but in the long run, never. Ooh I need a last dram… And let’s make it that new Karuizawa I was talking about… SGP:561 - 87 points.

Karuizawa 1980/2015 (61.6%, OB, The Whisky Show)

Picture of a mock-up bottle. It does look a bit ‘Kim Jong-il’, doesn’t it. Colour: mahogany. Nose: never has any whisky been this close to an old cognac at cask strength. Raisins, peaches, rancio. And then, rather a mineral/medicinal development, with some tiger balm, bandages, and antiseptic (touches). Which you can find in old cognac too. We all know that old spirits converge, don’t we. With water: Vicks Vaporub! Not the first time we’re finding this in Karuizawa. That means menthol and eucalyptus galore, plus lemongrass. Mouth (neat): starts clean, on oranges and flints, and gets then more mineral/medicinal again. Drinking mercurochrome and liquid clay. That’s meant to be good for your stomach, mind you. I mean, liquid clay, not whisky at 61.6% vol.! Numbs your lips a bit. With water: becomes very mentholy. Crème de menthe, salted liquorice, menthol snuff… You need to be acquainted with this style. The problem might be that it does not swim too well, while it’s really too hot when undiluted. Or maybe buy an electronic pipette? Finish: very long, salty and mentholy, really extreme. Drinking a blend of seawater and mint eau-de-vie. Or perhaps overcooked manzanilla. Comments: love it because it’s so extreme. Extreme whiskies are any taster’s joys, because they’re anything but boring. On the other hand, as far as organoleptical science is concerned, this is almost pure heresy. You’ll find in this one any compound that ends with –ol. SGP:373 - 85 points.

Yeah I know, sounds a bit like a passing of the torch from Karuizawa to Mars and Chichibu. Could be…

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