More peated Japan


July 7, 2023

More peated Japan

Remember, all over the world, 'peated malt whisky' is not equivalent to 'whisky made from peated malt' anymore. As we may have said earlier, we're just surprised no one's ever used smoked water (a.k.a. liquid smoke) for reduction yet, that would probably be legal in some liberal whisky countries – and much cheaper.

Akashi White Oak 3 yo 'Beer Cask Finish' (50%, OB, 900 bottles)

Hold your horses, this is a simple finishing in a beer cask, from the Kotobuki brewery in Osaka. A common set-up all over Mitteleuropa… With mixed results in my humble opinion. But not too sure the beer was smoky… Colour: straw. It was not a dark beer. Nose: nice! I was not a heavy beer, it even rather feels like sake, being very pleasantly fermentary, with these unusual tertiary touches we're not really used to in Europe. Love it, though. A very moderate rubber, pretty lovely, as well as tiny tones of lapsang souchong indeed. With water: massive paraffin and a brand new iPhone (plus the hundreds of power cords you'll need). Mouth (neat): something else. Salty, umami-y, rubbery indeed, extremely fermentary… We'll try to bring it down to sake-like strength later… With water: feels like sake - but I'm sure my Japanese friends will disagree and call me a Philistine. At +/-17% vol.: works very well! I'm finding sweet turnips and other root vegetables. Beeswax. Finish: long, salty, elegant, fermentary, with some bread dough, more sake, and more paraffin. Comments: very unusual. I'm a fan, but I'm not sure I'd drink a case.
SGP:462 - 85 points.

Shizuoka 2018/2022 'Jwhisky Goldfish' (52.4%, OB, peated, bourbon, cask #2018-2084, 46 bottles)

Remember that 'For whiskies nobly born valour doesn't await the passing of years.' (Corneille). Right, that's 'souls' instead of 'whiskies' in the original quote. Colour: gold. Nose: explosive bananas (figuratively) and fresh varnishes, gummy bears, curaçao, mango ice cream, then, progressively, small vegetables and herbs replacing the fruitiness. Little straight peat this far. With water: glue and varnish are back, you cannot not think of some Jamaican rum, but various pastries are soon to put things right, this is well whisky (genius, S.) Mouth (neat): massive bourbon fruitiness and, this time, some chiselled peatiness plus pepper. Simple and pretty sublime. With water: and voilà. Smoky bananas, peated mangos, all-grain bread, touch of stewed rhubarb, quince syrup… Finish: medium, just running on. A hint of coconut but no obvious vanilla. Comments: rather moderately peaty. Was it well peated barley? Excellent, nonetheless.
SGP:553 - 89 points.

Yamazaki 2010/2021 'The Essence of Suntory Whisky' (54%, OB, Volume 5, Islay Peated Malt)

For this one they seem to have imported Optic barley that was peated on Islay. In Bowmore's kiln? Having said that, other trustworthy sources are mentioning Optic malted in Japan using peat imported from Islay. Oh well, as long as they don't import the whole fillings… Colour: gold. Nose: medium peat, fresh oak, menthol, touches of soy sauce, camphor, eucalyptus, pine sap, sauna oils, bath salt, new sneakers… Well, it isn't Bowmore-y, in any kind of way. With water: custard and pistachio cream make it a little rounder. I shall not mention mochi, as that would surely be some kind automatic brain connexion at play, but there, indeed, mochi. Mouth (neat): once more, rather medium-peated and very citrusy, which would just always work, either on Islay or in Japan. Citrons, lemons, grapefruits, then pine sap again, eucalyptus drops… Probably an excellent keeper that'll gain much complexity over the years. Yep, just like young Bowmore (unless killed in crazy woods). With water: just impeccable. Let's call it a 'resinous peater'. Lemon curd keeps it, well, lemony. Finish: rather long, in keeping with the palate… Comments: I think I liked yesterday's flabbergasting 'Golden Promise' a little better, but this peater remains a terrific malt. And age and vintage only add value.
SGP:565 - 89 points.

Nagahama 2019/2023 (62%, OB, Islay Quarter Cask, cask #23)

Picture is that of an earlier cask of Nagahama 'Islay Quarter Cask'. Naturally, any 'Islay Quarter Cask' is hinting at Laphroaig. In any case and in our book, this should be more in-cask blending. Colour: white wine. Nose: naturally, it works. It is medicinal indeed, it has got some seaweed, lemons, oysters, iodine ointments, bark, floated wood, a touch of ginger, gentian, roots, Suze… Do you know Suze? It's all working well at, wait, 62% vol.! With water: some metal polish those old coins, toolbox, perhaps a small glass of white currant wine… (rare and superb, ever tried that?) Mouth (neat): really magnifico, ultra-sharp, sweet, tart, perfect. I believe they just shouldn't tell that it's been dumped into some 'Islay Quarter Cask', I find that a little demeaning – although indeed, it's perhaps more honest and transparent. With water: very good indeed. More a grassy and fruity kind of peatiness than some straight medicinal 'phroaig on the palate. Finish: long and very tight. Salty aftertaste. Comments: if you ever attended a blending session, you'll have noticed that even 10% Laphroaig would make any blend very peaty. I remember we did one with John Glaser around twenty years ago. I started my own 'light coastal blend' with 50% Laphroaig (or was it Ardbeg?) So silly… Excuse me? Yes naturally, this wee Nagahama is excellent.
SGP:565 - 87 points.

Since we're at Nagahama, let's have another 'boosted' one…

Nagahama 2019/2023 (61%, OB, Oloroso sherry, cask #24)

Once more, picture of an earlier batch. Holy Suzy, the colour of this new one!... Colour: ristretto coffee. Really. Nose: massive amounts of chocolate and prunes at first, a little gunpowder, then some kind of tarry gravy, fried onions, walnut stain, hoisin sauce, potting soil, tar liqueur… I find it really difficult to forget about the colour when finding descriptors in such cases, but it is a lovely nose. Where have we put our blue ISO glasses? With water: coffee dregs, roasted chestnuts, dried parsley, a little garlic (black, eh), game (grouse, eh), brake pad dust, more gunpowder… Mouth (neat): extremely heavy, bone-dry, ueber-salty, immensely peppery, you would almost wonder whether they wouldn't have bottled walnut stain instead, indeed. By mistake, naturally. Concentrated Worcester sauce, umami sauce, plus some very old oloroso (solera started by Plato himself in about 400 BC). With water: some much drier Jägermeister and a lot of raw chocolate, like 90% cocoa. Finish: extremely long, saltier, meatier, with even more gunpowder and just sulphur in the aftertaste. Comments: extremely extreme, great fun, just not immensely moreish. Forgot to mention artichoke liqueur, Cynar...
SGP:273 – 86 points.

No other whisky could climb over that crazy one, so, session over. Cheers. No, you say heavy sherry, wait…

Yamazaki 'Sherry Cask 2016' (48%, OB, oloroso, 5,000 bottles)

I'm just realizing that I have never, ever published any proper tasting note for this one. It had only won Silver (granted, high silver with 89/100) at The Malt Maniacs Awards 2017, having been defeated fair and square by Yamazaki 25 yo (Gold and Best Sherried Whisky). I've seen they're selling this simple NAS for north of 5,000€ these days, but-of-course. Now while the 2011 was only 'very good' in my book (WF 87), the 2013 has been highly appreciated (WF 90). Colour: office coffee. Nose: more chocolate and prunes, armagnac, polished hardwood, mocha, then Bovril and sweeter raisiny notes, old PX, old rancio, brown sauce, indeed hoisin sauce… Nah let's be honest, it is a marvellous, pretty complex brandy-de-Jerez-like nose. Old furniture polish, walnut liqueur, nocino… Mouth: it's a rather thick sherried whisky on the palate, with quite some black tannins at first (strong black tea), chocolate, walnuts, with some marmalade, then more chocolate, even more chocolate, more chocolate yet, and old plum eau-de-vie, slivovitz, dark toffee… I had feared it would feel a little 'lab' as they may have aimed at recreating the '2013', but no, it's pretty perfect. Wonderful notes of blueberry tarte too (blue teeth, anyone?) and even blueberry muffins. Some people like cupcakes better; I for one care less for them! Sorry about that lousy Zappa quote, now who remembers The Muffin Man?
"Girl you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin'
Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin'
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin'"
Finish: long, very similar. Prunes, brandy, chocolate, black raisins, rancio… And blueberry muffins! Mint and liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: all right, well done S., yet another useless, un-quotable tasting note.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

(Nochmals vielen Dank, Chris at Sushi+Soul)

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