Olympic Japanese trios, Day 7


August 4, 2021

	Olympic Japanese trios, Day 7/8
	That Shizuoka was something, let's have more…

Shizuoka 2019/2020 (61.1%, OB, Japan, quarter cask, cask #2019-531)

This one too comes from the Karuizawa still, and is more or less 6 months old. As for finding a picture of the bottle, well, we've given up. Colour: white wine. Nose: just the same lemon plus glue and varnish combo as with the sister cask, with a little more turpentine this time, as well as a little more citrusy roundness. Must have been the quarter cask. With water: mercurochrome, nail polish remover, white Jamaican rum, bitter almonds. Tends to floor you with these smells. I mean, it floors yours truly. Mouth (neat): excellent, on marmalade and varnish, liquorice, celeriac perhaps… It's clearly less acetone-y than its sister. With water: wham! Mezcal, Hampden, Ardbeg and a good amount of model glue. Not that I've ever had model glue, mind you, but it is reminiscent of model glue. Finish: long and just superb, on the same notes plus a wee piney touch in the aftertaste. Some acetate. Comments: just brilliant. Just hope it'll give the lie to the proverb 'when the new make's too good, the whisky will be crap'.
SGP:562 - 91 points.

Looks like I've already wrecked this little session. Having said that, since we've mentioned Hampden…

Miyagikyo 'Rum Wood Finish' (46%, OB, Japan, 3500 bottles, +2017)

Colour: light gold. Nose: no Hampden-like extravaganza here, rather a soft, well-balanced development on tiny touches of metal (tin box), lime blossom, then green bananas and guavas. Gears towards eucalyptus and teak wood, a little limestone and lambswool, a little patchouli, vetiver, then classic malty aromas, tarte tatin, brioche, ale… I find this rather complex and elegant; I like this nose rather a lot and am even finding a little fresh-squeezed cane juice. Mouth: a wee bit sweetish but otherwise very fine, rather on oranges this time, with some welcome minerality, bergamot and yuzu, more lime tea, woodruff tea, a curious touch of bear garlic (which isn't garlic as you very well know), and just never any roundish flattish rum notes. The gentleman who composed this was very talented. Finish: medium, earthier, with even a feeling of peat as well as a little icing sugar, cane juice, cider apples… Comments: I am very positively surprised but it's true that I had already enjoyed the 'Apple Brandy Wood Finish' earlier this year. Am I getting soft-hearted?
SGP:551 - 87 points.

… Let's find out…

Miyagikyo 'Bourbon Wood Finish' (46%, OB, Japan, 1926 bottles, 2018)

Colour: gold. Nose: extremely aromatic, as if all cursors had been pushed to the max. Bananas, lime blossom (is that a distillery marker?), vanilla, biscuits, crêpes, buttered popcorn, guavas, orange juice, plus something that was already in the Rum Finish, bear's garlic! (or wild garlic). Mouth: the oak's little loud on the palate, with a little too much tea, peppermint, cinnamon… Then granny smith, an oily side (rapeseed), lime, Thai basil… And rather a lot of green oak. No problems but that does make it feel a bit 'from the lab' rather than 'from the warehouse', if you see what I mean. Finish: medium, citrusy. Comments: another one that's extremely good; now it was insanely expensive given that it's only an NAS and just a finishing. I liked the 'rum' better, having said that.
SGP:561 - 85 points.

Next time, our last Japanese Session. We said 8 days, it's going to be 8 days.

(Thanks again, Chris at suhi+soul)

Today's Podium

	Shizuoka 2019/2020 (61.1%, OB, Japan, quarter cask, cask #2019-531)
	Miyagikyo 'Rum Wood Finish' (46%, OB, Japan, 3500 bottles, +2017)
	Miyagikyo 'Bourbon Wood Finish' (46%, OB, Japan, 1926 bottles, 2018)

Check the index of all Japanese whiskies we've tasted so far