A stroll in new Japan, Part 1


June 26, 2025

For a change, today we're switching from Laphroaig to Japan, but we should be back to Laphroaig by next week.

A stroll in new Japan, Part 1

Let’s see what we have…

(Shindo Distillery, Shindo)

Enso (40%, OB, Japan, Blended Whisky, +/-2024)

‘A premium blend said to embody the harmony between East and West’, they claim. Well, at least that’s clear. They also say, ‘The story of ENSO Japanese Whisky unites tradition and rebellion to create a whisky that celebrates creative freedom and expression.’ Who could be against that? Now, is there even a single drop distilled in Japan within this suspiciously pretty bottle? Colour: straw. Nose: extremely light, a tad dusty, reminiscent of a low-strength tutti-frutti eau-de-vie. A little vanilla, apple juice and cardboard. Mouth: sweet, sugary, featherlight, it vaguely brings to mind Cuba’s Old Havana whisky beloved of Fidel, as well as light Scottish blends such as Bell’s, William Lawson, Passport and that whole tribe. Finish: short yet not unpleasant. Comments: a neat exercise in brand-building, typical of the pre-Covid era. The liquid is very light yet not off-putting, to be perfectly fair. But it’s no Enso… Ferrari (now that’s clever, S.!)
SGP:321 - 70 points.

Tenjaku ‘Pure Malt’ (43%, OB, Japan, +/-2024)

We did come across a ‘blend’ version at 40% some five years back that was rather dire (WF 60). Colour: straw. Nose: fairly dry, rather malty, though without any real roughness. Bruised apples, soggy breadcrumbs, the faintest whiff of rye, a touch of pepper, vanilla, and a hint of cooked turnip. Honestly, not bad. Mouth: very slightly salty, decently malty, but light in the flavour department. Bread, white pepper, vanilla, apple juice, a mild sweetness, with splashes of orange liqueur that do lift things. Finish: short, sweet, not unpleasant. Comments: pretty decent, clearly a step up from the humble Enso.
SGP:431 - 76 points.

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘20th Anniversary’ (48%, OB, World blended whisky, 2024)

If only all Japanese blends or blended malts that aren’t entirely, or at all, Japanese were labelled as ‘world blended whisky’, it would clear up quite a bit of the lingering suspicion post-charter/association. This baby is said to contain Chichibu, old Kawasaki and Hanyu, as well as Karuizawa and Benriach. Colour: gold. Nose: this isn’t Chichibu’s ‘clear line’, which would be impossible anyway, the whole feels more ‘historic’ than organoleptic, but it’s very nice, malty, with a good dose of American oak, vanilla, coconut, sponge cake, and both black and green teas… Mouth: far more presence than on the nose, with syrups (cane, agave) and plenty of resinous wood, vanilla, coconut, Earl Grey, and faint notes of triple sec… I find it genuinely good, even if it does feel a bit ‘blended’. But then again, it is a blend. Finish: medium in length, with sweetness stepping up, nougat, fruity sweets… Comments: blending a ‘historic’ mix like this, with old Hanyu or Kawasaki grain, must be quite the challenge. This is very good indeed!
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Allegro’ (60%, Spirits of Salud, Symphonie, cask #14915, 240 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: feels like a single malt, and frankly, rather Chichibu-esque, with plenty of chalk, ash, green banana, mercurochrome and fresh barley. With water: a touch of mint arrives, fir buds, eucalyptus, a whisper of camphor, grated lemon zest… Mouth (neat): powerful and precise, exotic (slightly underripe mango) and ashy. Not a great deal to analyse, it’s simply very good and very pure. With water: the ashiness comes to the fore. Lovely tension throughout. Finish: long, always very precise, one wonders whether there’s actually any grain in there. The green banana and mango surge back in the aftertaste. Comments: this is what we’d call ‘the clear line’, which is quite something in a blend, even if technically it’s a ‘single cask blended whisky’. Simply excellent.
SGP:652 - 90 points.

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Allargando’ (59.2%, Spirits of Salud, Symphonie, cask #12132, 267 bottles)

This ought to be slower… Colour: amber. Nose: more marked by roasted nuts, praline, chocolate, sherry, turrón, tobacco… With water: dead leaves, the grain whisky is more present here, with a high-column rum note, pine needles, and a faint dash of soy sauce, one might call it ‘umami’. Mouth (neat): bravo, it’s like biting into an orange and raisin cake soaked in triple sec, with a few drops of amaro. With water: it relaxes and gains a touch more complexity, though it remains overall fairly soft, with a rather light texture. Orange and nuts. Finish: medium in length, that rum-like note still showing. Comments: I clearly prefer the Allegro, but that’s entirely a matter of personal taste, as ever.
SGP:650 - 86 points.

Shindo Distillery 3 yo 2022/2025 (56%, OB, Casky exclusive, Mahjong Series ‘4 Circles’, bourbon barrel, cask #177)

A brand-new Japanese distillery, and here comes its very first vintage! Another first for WF HQ, the distillery lies in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the northern coast of Kyushu. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure, precise, unadorned, almost austere, and clearly untouched by any fiddling. If one had to draw a comparison, one might think of an Islay distillery that begins with ‘L’ and doesn’t end in ‘lin’. With water: ashes, iodine tincture, new tweed, seaweed, bandages… Mouth (neat): a flawless young peater from Isl—er, Kyushu. Honestly, you could be fooled, it’s excellent, in the style of that 10 yo C/S. You get the idea. With water: even more so, remarkable really, despite the pears of youth showing through. Finish: long, softer, a tad ‘sweeter’ than L, likely owing to its tender age. Comments: extremely impressive, that Japanese precision again.
SGP:657 - 88 points.

We've got a few Saburomaru from Wakatsuru, we'll taste one at random, but the others will be with us very, very soon.

Saburomaru 2020/2024 ‘IV Highland Peat’ (48%, OB, Japan, The Emperor, bourbon, 12,500 bottles)

They also use Islay peat, for the record. We did have a lovely Saburomaru heavily peated for The Auld Alliance back in April this year (WF 90). Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s very tight, but in the best possible way. Ashes, fresh concrete, damp chalk, green pepper… Mouth: oh drat, this is far too good and far too easy to drink at 48%. At cask strength at least, there’s a bit of work involved, and it reins in your thirsty enthusiasm so to speak (slightly exaggerated, granted). Anyway, it’s just too perfect at 48% vol. These smoky and salty tangerines are simply sublime. Finish: not especially long, a touch sweeter and softer. One must find something to grumble about. Comments: cracking bottle. I haven’t checked the price, hopefully it’s not eye-watering.
SGP:656 - 89 points.

I think we're heading towards something of an epic showdown between the new Japanese distilleries (and others in Asia) and the new Scottish ones (including the revived ones like Brora, PE, etc.), with marketing that's much more product-focused and educational. The next few years are going to be fascinating too, with the likely development of the CtC angle… (Cut the Crap!). Ah, we're ready, aren't we? Surely we’re not going to keep up this little WF madness just to gulp down improbable, NAS wineskies from Bowtonbulin or The GlenBizarre, are we…

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