A cask strength variant of Kaiyo Whisky, a Japanese teaspooned malt which has endured a maturation in mizunara casks - known for being expensive though difficult for coopers to work with. These whiskies also spend part of their maturation at sea, as to help develop their flavour profiles.
Spiced oak, fresh lemongrass and orange oil.
Peppery at first, though soon enough wafts of buttery pastry, clove and espresso develop.
Lingering peppercorn heat and a whisper of caraway.
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Good balance with tea like feeling with the finish.
Nose - oaky, spicy, slight notes of citrus oil Palate - peppery (I get white more than black), clove, other mixed spices Finish - spice, gives way to lingering black pepper For me at least it needs a little splash of water to bring out definite notes of any sort.
This is a very strong and unique blend. It’s surprisingly smooth and packs a punch. The nose is spicy and salty with vanilla tones and a thick fruity finish. There are definitely better whiskeys at this price point but this I really enjoy and savour.
Was worried considering the cost and the NAS and it being blended Nose: Faint even without water but there are plums, vanilla, oak, spiciness, acetone / (probably from the grain spirit) alcohol Palet; Amazingly subtle (worth a drop of water but not too much) plums, tropical fruits, not overly sweet but its there, sandalwood, hazelnuts, grassy/vegetal, aromatic perfumes, richness is there but nothing stands out it just deliver tons of different tastes each time Finish: Short and more fruit and perfume Definitely worth it and I'm sure as it sits in the bottle will get even better (may buy a second bottle) only thing it lacked was a bit of body and sweetness but I'm used to sherried whisky so its a different beast.
The nose is strongly butterscotch; smells like sniffing a packet of Werther's Original. Surprisingly pleasant, but for a whisky of this price also surprisingly one note. I was braced for raw alcohol given the 53% cask strength, but even neat I was very pleased at how smooth this dram is. No harsh, raw alcohol at all such as you might get from a much weaker Penderyn. The main flavours are oak smoke and peat, but there's a very pleasant caramel or burned toffee note in there too. I'm a fan of Isla Tay malts and found the peatiness pleasant; my partner in drinks is avowedly not, being a Speyside drinker. Even he conceded that there was enough peat to know it's there, but not so much that he didn't enjoy it. All in all a very pleasant dram, but I really can't give five stars to a whisky that's extremely comparable to some Jura offerings when the Jura is half the price. A good drop, but next time I'll spend the same money on a Scotch and get something even better.
