Japanising for Ryuichi Sakamoto


April 5, 2023

Japanising for Ryuichi Sakamoto

Good travel to the ethers, maestro Sakamoto (1952-2023), this is for you. Well, the best ones. We'll try to have only 'pure' Japanese whiskies today, so whiskies integrally distilled in Japan, but we may fail once more. We will fail again. At least we shall try hard to separate the wheat from the chaff…

Ryuichi Sakamoto (Jol Ito)

Nikka 'Tailored' (43%, OB, Japanese blend, +/-2022)

Benefit of the doubt, even if It says 'premium blended whisky' and not 'Japanese blended whisky'. What's more it's an expensive bottle for an NAS blend (north of 100€) but we do appreciate that Nikka know how to make stupendous whiskies so once more, the truth will be in our glass. Hopefully. Colour: gold. Nose: I wouldn't claim that Miyagikyo and Yoichi are immediately recognisable, but this is a fresh malty nose, rather on ripe apples and bananas at first, with a moderate amount of coconut, sawdust and vanilla. Also yellow peaches and zucchini and acacia flowers, jujubes, a touch of vanilla fudge and light toffee, some soft honey… In short, it's fresh and 'nice'. Mouth: starts rounded and sweet, rather on apples once more, green bananas, panettone, a green tannicity (green pears), then we have more straight oak while it's becoming drier and drier, although this 'yellow' fruitiness would remain there as well. Finish: grass, bitters and fairly oversteeped green teas, plus zests and apple peel. It's dry and bitter but that's counterbalanced by the fruitiness. Comments: isn't there some 'clean and fruity' Ben Nevis in there? It's an excellent blend but some juvenile oak feels a bit. Probably not 100% Japanese, but possibly 100% Japanese-owned, which is not too bad.
SGP:561 - 80 points.

So while we're at it…

Shinobu 'Pure Malt' (43%, OB, Japan, pure malt, Mizunara finish, +/-2022)

We've tried big brother 10 yo a while back and rather liked it (WF 82). Having said that, Shinobu is not distilled in Japan and the use of the word 'mizunara' should fool no one, neither should samurais and kanjis on the label (but they forgot Mount Fuji!) Now in the glass… Colour: white wine. Nose: lovely, that's the trick. Some fresh young Speysiders I would suppose, matured in good clean bourbon and refill sherry, with jellybeans, apples, lime, a pack of cassis and raspberry candies, gooseberries, drops of Red Bull… This is absolutely nice (no worries, the Red Bull doesn't feel too much). Mouth: could be that this oaky grittiness would be the mizunara, not too sure, but all the rest, fruit drops, sodas, wine gums, fruit juices and this wee little chalky gristiness are there for our (simple) pleasure. Finish: medium, clean, fruity, then oakier towards the aftertaste. Comments: good simple pleasures.
SGP:651 - 80 points.

So while we're at it…

White Oak 'Tokinoka Black' (50%, OB, Eigashima, blended Japanese whisky, +/-2022)

This is a blend (50% malts) while three kinds of casks have been in use, the usual bourbon, sherry and new oak. Remember when all distillers used to claim that you should never, ever use new oak for malt whisky? Now like most Japanese blends, this is most probably not 100% Japanese. Colour: pale gold. Nose: some wood smoke at first, plus toasted breads and cakes, getting then much fruitier, with a curious fermentary, almost miso-y background as well as touches of young cognac. Very funny. With water: brings more oak out, pears as well. Mouth (neat): very cakey and fruity. Cheesecake, liqueurs, green tea, preserved damsons… With water: fresh fruits and fresh oak. Less interesting than on the nose, but fine. Finish: same. Cloves, nutmeg and coriander in the aftertaste. Comments: good simple pleasures, once more.
SGP:551 - 80 points.

So while we're at it…Even if Mr Iggy's own words, we're bored…

Akashi 'Blue Label' (40%, OB, Japanese blended whisky, +/-2022)

This is another 'product of Japan' that's not fully Japanese. I had thought the Japanese distillers had decided to clean it all up? Now, a friend told me the other day that a Mercedes-Benz was never fully German either. Right, right, but do they write 'product of Germany' on the trunks of their cars?… Colour: light gold. Nose: very soft, on vanilla and cake, raisin rolls, ripe plums, maize bread, a little beer... Mouth: really soft, almost a little weak, with an oak that would take over after just three seconds, making it very drying and teaish, almost unpleasant. Needs ice, I would suppose. Finish: short, drying, oaky. Comments: pleasant nose, difficult palate. Nothing to do with Johnnie Walker's own Blue Label. Right.
SGP:440 - 75 points.

Did anyone ever tell our friends that the expression 'blended whisky' means a blend of distilleries, and not a blend of countries? That's enough, let's have some proper Japanese malt!

Yoichi 10 yo (45%, OB, Japan, 2023)

Hurray, the age statement is back, thank you Nikka! Colour: white wine. Nose: super-bready, fermentary, full of porridge, damp chalk, weissbeer, crushed green bananas, leaven, plus a little cider, some hay and something sweaty, as in a great chenin blanc. Perfect nose, with just the right amount of austerity. Mouth: excellent, a little sweaty once more, even a tad dirty (remember malt whisky is a little dirty only if it's done right), then some grapefruit that'll clean it all up, more chalk, lemons, granny smith, fresh breads, yeast, unripe bananas, asparagus and quince… I take my hat off to them. Finish: not eternal but pretty perfect once more, citrusy and yeasty, with a feeling of chalky limoncello in the aftertaste. Comments: one of the best pieces of news of these first few months of the year.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Matsui 'Mizunara Cask' (48%, OB, Kurayoshi Distillery, Japan, +/-2022)

A newer batch, I think. This is proper Japanese single malt, made at Kurayoshi in Tottori, south of Honshu. We've only ever tried the blended malts by Kurayoshi, which were not fully Japanese, so this is a first. Mizunara oak is said to be very rare, but more and more brands are using it, even Chivas mind you. Japanness keeps selling, apparently. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: very all right, fresh, earthy, full of lemons and green apples, green melons, gooseberries, toffee apple, marshmallows… Some parsley and eucalyptus in the background, possibly from the mizunara oak (did you know they need 200 to 300 years to grow?) Mouth: like. Some herbal smoke, some green pepper, some tobacco, (bits from an untipped cigarette), surely pears, green bananas, cress, asparagus… Some dill and fennel in the background. Pretty different and I suppose that's the whole point. Finish: rather long, green, herbal, slightly bitter and astringent. Lovely breadier aftertaste (with poppy seeds and caraway). Comments: good fun. Vive la difference!
SGP:662 - 85 points.

Matsui 'Sakura Cask' (48%, OB, Kurayoshi Distillery, Japan, +/-2022)

This time they've finished it in 'Sakura Casks', which sounds Japanese enough. Indeed, it is cherry wood, coopering cherry wood must be a chore! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: frankly, it's not that different. Perhaps a tad less fermentary and a notch more acetic? I like it just as much. Frankly, not my business but isn't it a little strange that their whiskies bearing the name of their Distillery, so Kurayoshi, would be world blends, while the ones that don't, such as these Matsuis, would be properly Japanese? Mouth: once again we're very close to the mizunara, but let's remember that both are only finishings. Having said that, this Sakura tends to show a little more coffee, caramel… It's probably less complex that the mizunara. Finish: same. Comments: this very good baby's main asset, in my opinion, is that it would make the impct of the mizunara in the previous one stand out by comparison.
SGP:651 - 83 points.

Goody good, stay tuned, we'll have more Japanese whisky tomorrow. All fully Japanese and cream of the crop, I promise, cross my heart.

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