Another little tour of Japan


July 6, 2023

Another little tour of Japan

Nagahama Distillery (Sato Casa)

There are more and more hybrid whiskies in Japan too with, for example, several young makes seasoned in ex-Islay casks (in-cask blending), a stunt seen just all over the world these days. We'll avoid them just now, but make no mistake, we'll soon try a few as well, even if the whole world will possibly make exactly the same whiskies pretty soon, as it's really becoming all about wood, while they still use the same woods. Yep, ranting on. In the meantime…

Mars 'The Y.A. #1' (52%, OB, Japanese blended malt, Yakushima ageing cellar, 12,000 bottles, 2023)

This one is new. It is one of the rare genuinely Japanese blended malts, without any whiskies sourced from abroad as they've only used Tsunuki and Komagate (Mars Shinshu), and then aged the casks on the island of Yakushima, where 'it's raining for 35 days per month'. That's more or less like Islay except during Feis Ile, no? Colour: straw. Nose: rather a lot of fresh bourbon wood at first, which would include the usual vanilla, bananas, brioche dough, possibly papayas, then a chalky side, some buckwheat flour, muesli, cassata… I find it well in the style of many Mars ex-bourbon. With water: tiny whiffs of pine and menthol, otherwise it's all the same. Perhaps a little gianduja or something like that. Mouth (neat): sweet, pure, with gummy bears, bitter, tart apples (cider apples) and rather a lot of green pepper. I find it a little hot, I have to say, perhaps is it very young? The joys of NAS. With water: rounder for sure but the bitterish wood – and the island – was very active. Having said that, apples and bananas maintain control. Finish: medium, classic ex-bourbon. A touch of salty chutney in the aftertaste. Comments: excellent, as is almost everything from Mars, perhaps just a notch on the oaky side.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Nagahama 'The First Batch' (50%, OB, single malt, 2022)

We've only ever tried some new makes from Nagahama. For this first batch, they've used vintages ranging from 2017 to 2019. Apparently, they have actually used a small cask of ex-Islay (oops, I told you, you cannot escape them) together with mizunara (same comment) and the usual bourbon and sherry. Nagahama lies in the Shiga prefecture, West of Nagoya and North of Osaka, on the shore of Lake Biwa. Colour: gold. Nose: undergrowth, moss, old stump, old pu-her, damp pipe tobacco, then overripe fruits, bananas, fermenting figs… I think this is lovely and I'm happy to report that I haven't found any obvious Laphroaigness so far. With water: towards spicy doughs. Mouth (neat): very sweet and spicy, on cinnamon and raisin rolls, candied pineapple, more pu-her tea, eucalyptus, a feeling of thuja wood, nutmeg, a little rancio (what?)… With water: cedar shavings and more eucalyptus, wondering if that's not the mizunara. Perhaps a little Islay smoke indeed. Finish: long, spicy, with a teaish spiciness. Say oversteeped Assam. Comments: excellent drop but it's more about the master blender than about the master distiller, if you ask me. Highly cask-driven single malt, well I'm sure the malt hidden within is excellent too.
SGP:562 - 85 points.

Yamazaki 2009/2021 'The Essence of Suntory Whisky' (53%, OB, Volume 5, Golden Promise)

It seems that there used to be close ties between Suntory and Macallan, hence the idea of distilling Golden Promise barley at Yamazaki, although I would doubt that Macallan were still using that strain in 2009. Colour: straw. Nose: pure, raw, fat barleyness, right up our alley. It's extraordinarily bready, with superb five o'clock pastries (scones and stuff) and really, malt, malt and malt. With water: same plus almond milk and sesame oil. Superb. Mouth (neat): amazing barley sweetness, some limoncello and triple-sec, Szechuan pepper, stronger honeys… With water: small mosses and leaves coming out, herbs, edible flowers, borage… Finish: medium, fat, with some wax now. Tiny touch of brine in the aftertaste, perhaps even seashells, whelks… Comments: top of Japan. I'm reminded of the best Yamazakis 'Owner's Cask' ex-bourbon from the 2000s. You wouldn't imagine how glad I am, this is almost a time machine.
SGP:551 - 91 points.

We also have a strange and possibly very Bowmorian Yamazaki Essence of Suntory Islay Peated Malt, but I think we'll have it later.

Akashi White Oak 5 yo 'Spanish Oak Sherry' (50%, OB, cask #5117, 1,000 bottles)

Single malt from White Oak Distillery. Indeed, you may get 1,000 50cl bottles from a butt or a puncheon – easy. Colour: straw. Nose: straight bicycle inner tube, struck matches, gunpowder… Indeed, sulphur, but we're not moving towards stewed cabbage and gas, on the contrary, we're rather finding bitter oranges and truffles, tonic water, then game, gravy, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar. And even parmesan cheese! With water: a little gentler, rather on burnt muffins and scones, plus Timut pepper and touch of raspberry. Mouth (neat): doesn't taste like its colour at all. Heavy ginger, smoke, turmeric, toffee, oak spices, cinnamon liqueur… it's pretty massive. With water: some awesome twists and turns but it's frightening at times. Sulphury rubbers still there, even if in infinitesimal amounts. Finish: long and rather similar. Sulphury and tarry aftertaste. Comments: some say this style is 'not for everyone'.
SGP:463 - 84 points.

Shizuoka 'Pot Still K Japanese Barley 1st Edition' (55.5%, OB, 2022)

Naturally, 'K' means Karuizawa, not, say, Kinclaith (ooh that's smart, S.) We've loved 'Pot Still W' earlier this year (WF 89) but that was imported barley. Colour: straw. Nose: so Japanese! I mean as seen from here in Alsace. Thuja wood, macha tea (well, tea), green bean curd, mochi… I do solemnly declare that I am not making this up. With water: banana skins, magazines, ink, hay, dried flowers… That's a little less purely Japanese indeed – again, as seen from Alsace. Mouth (neat): very punchy, slightly fizzy and rubbery, with notes of beer bitter, genever, then more classic lemony barleyness… It is very unusual indeed. The jury's still out… With water: mashed turnips, a little rubber, fruit peel, more green mochi… Finish: medium, pretty doughy. Comments: pretty good, but far from being my favourite Shizuoka.
SGP:462 - 83 points.

I think I'll give Shizuoka another try…

Shizuoka 2018/2022 'Chagata Park' (64.5%, OB, peated, bourbon, cask #2018-2016, 226 bottles)

This is one of the famed private casks, it is not a 'single still' bottling (K or W). The strength could be lethal, let's be careful. Colour: straw. Nose: pure tarry smoke, somehow in the style of some (not all) of the young PEs. A little burning rubber, burning tyres, 'the start of a dragster race', French riot (the things we wouldn't do for tourists!), camphor and bandages, and so on. With water: even greater smokes, burning herbs, tarmac, rubbers, tyres, small lemons, yuzu… Mouth (neat): amazing despite the strong, err, strength. Someone's smoked lemon zests. With water: jaw dropping raw smoke and tar, bitter zests, seawater, 'eating an ashtray', the bitterest liquorice, burnt BBQ herbs… Finish: very long, very smoky, very tarry. Comments: I think they have distilled tyres, in fact. Bridgestone, naturally.
SGP:468 - 90 points.

All right, indeed, we could have a last J-malt. Why not another Mars?

Mars Komagatake 'Shinshu Aging 2022 Edition' (50%, OB, single malt)

Let's have it before the 2023 edition comes out. Ex-bourbon, plus a little sherry and Port. Only NAS but the pedigree is impeccable. Colour: light gold. Nose: it's James Taylor after Led Zeppelin, really. Smooth brioches and pancakes, banana cake, apple pie, battelman, panettone, harmony… With water: straight to grist and wheat bran, plus more pancakes and crêpes. Mouth (neat): high-class Mars, as expected. More banana cake, panettone, Jaffa cakes, mint tea, thyme tea… This is so smartly composed, really. With water: all-flower honey, cane honey (which is not honey as you know), hay wine… It would tend to lose a little stamina in truth, but it remains excellent. Finish: medium, a tad oaky and drying perhaps when watered down. Comments: I'm not sure this little Mars is a good swimmer. It's not Neptune, after all. Pretty perfect at 50% vol.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

(Thank you very much, Chris at Sushi+Soul in Munich and LMDW in Paris!)

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