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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 7, 2026 |
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Some Japanese whiskies, part 3 and final
Well, here we are again. It’s true that the recent big names are still holding their own, but we are noticing a slight decline among the long-established old malts, just as in Scotland, for that matter. It is, in fact, quite a curious phenomenon, this sort of strategic withdrawal, and the way they seem perfectly happy to leave the spotlight, or at least the conversation, to the newcomers. Is it simply a matter of stock levels?
Thomas Blake Glover, the Scottish Samurai (1838-1911) |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Kintsugi Edition’ (60.8%, OB, for The Spirit of Salud, Japan, blend, ex-2nd fill peated bourbon, batch #B0064, 259 bottles, 2025) 
We’re generally less keen on blends, it has to be said, especially when they’re standing next to pure Chichibu. Or worse, ex-bourbon Chichibu. That’s precisely why we should rather taste these M&G first, my bad. Not terribly fond either of peated cask finishing, it always feels a bit over-engineered, there, said it. Colour: gold. Nose: actually rather good, rich and oily, full of maize and vanilla cream, with little touches of charcoal ashes, then freshly grated carrots. With water: much the same, more or less. Earthy. Mouth (neat) rather austere and herbal, not entirely sure this was meant to be tasted without water. With water: the peat and lemon emerge, then rather take over the whole affair. Pepper steps in afterwards. Finish: long, still austere, not the easiest, rugged and rustic. Comments: we’ve never entirely understood the fascination with these I’s M&G, although we’re fairly sure the problem lies with us. Still, it remains very good indeed, and that Delft-style label is absolutely splendid.
SGP:554 - 82 points. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Delfts Blauw Edition’ (61.8%, OB, for The Spirit of Salud, Japan, blend, 2nd fill bourbon, batch #B0054, 239 bottles, 2025) 
No peat this time, which could change everything. Colour: light gold. Nose: indeed, this is more elegant, indeedy, on fresh bread, cornbread, a touch of maple syrup, a little grapefruit… With water: pistachio oil and a few drops of an extremely light tequila. Mouth (neat): this is lovely, a superb blend, rather lively, lemony… With water: corn syrup comes through, lemon syrup too, no problem there. Finish: fairly long, fairly soft, still on lemon syrup and a faintly vodka-ish side, a very high quality vodka that is. If such a thing exists (they say it does). Comments: really charming, although the grain does remove some structure, which just so happens to be one of Chichibu’s great strengths in our humble opinion. A little bit like a four-cylinder Porsche, if you see what we mean, though there have been some very fine ones indeed.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Kanosuke 2010/2024 ‘Nouveau Beginnings’ (59%, OB, for Whisky Abbey, cask #24270, sherry)
Perhaps we ought to point out that in French you’d say ‘Nouveau Départ’, but as fully certified specialists in the highest grade of globish, we’ve absolutely nothing against mixing languages, quite the opposite in fact. Colour: gold. Nose: honey-glazed orange cake drenched in caramel sauce. A pack of Camel cigarettes on the side, plus a tiny touch of malt extract. With water: dried and smoked meats, flints, lighter stone… Mouth (neat) quite a lot of gunflints to start with, you may use the ‘S’ word if you wish, then baked artichokes and coffee that’s both slightly bitter and slightly sour. This does not seem to have been the easiest sherry cask. Also a feeling of walnut stain. With water: there we are, it finally settles down, thanks to the citrus fruits, although aubergines, artichokes and simply bitter walnuts continue to dominate the proceedings. Finish: long, and now very peppery. Comments: still rather extreme, if you ask us, in the bitter department… Very ‘S.’
SGP:272 - 83 points. |
After that little monster, let’s try to find a more civilised Japanese malt. We know there are plenty of them… |
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Mars Komagatake 2017/2025 (59%, OB, for OBE, 1st fill cream sherry hogshead, cask #BT3671, 256 bottles) 
A cream sherry hogshead, now who’s ever seen one of those in real life? Colour: full gold. Nose: this is lovely, on mirabelle jam, apricot jam, and just a little very soft muscat. Add a touch of beef stock over the top and presto, it works beautifully. With water: a floral side emerges, largely driven by freshly blossomed honeysuckle. We adore this, it’s gloriously fragrant. Mouth (neat): tasted blind, we might have said Amrut or perhaps Omar. Mangoes, muscat, apricot liqueur, orange blossom honey, white pepper… With water: the barley tries to regain control, bringing aniseed, sesame seeds, sourdough bread and oat crackers… Finish: everything falls into place, fruity and floral, yet without tipping into excess. For us, the limit would be gros grain muscat, just a little too worldly, if you see what we mean. Comments: cream sherry, wasn’t that supposed to be for elderly English ladies? Only joking.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
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Mars Komagate 2016/2025 ‘Tsuki Otoshi - Yakushima Aging’ (58.4%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, oloroso sherry hogshead, cask #2067, 204 bottles) 
Colour: deep reddish amber. Nose: this is bigger, meatier, more on flints, old walnuts, fig leaves, brown tobacco, Noilly Prat… With water: coffee fudge and simply latte. The more bitter and herbal notes retreat somewhat. Mouth (neat) magnificent this time, on walnut liqueur, crushed pepper and Seville oranges. All this is classic and dry as a donkey’s truncheon across a mule’s back, as they say… in French. Right. With water: the bitterness and green walnuts return, and frankly, we adore that sort of thing. Even if we suspect the distillate itself has absolutely nothing to do with any of it. Finish: indeed, a lovely sherry cask, bitter, dry, and even pleasingly acidic. Comments: if you enjoy bitterness, this is for you. Just avoid pouring it over ice cubes, it would dismantle your entire spine. As you know, cold brings out bitterness and acidity while muting sweetness.
SGP:471 - 88 points. |
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Mars Komagate 2018/2025 ‘Yori-Kiri - Komagate Aging’ (62.8%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, American white oak barrel, cask #1964)
There we are, we’ve finally understood, all these curious names are to do with sumo! Why on earth did we not realise that earlier? Colour: gold. Nose: pure vanilla, banana, ripe apples, mangoes, acacia honey, barley syrup, toasted hazelnuts… With water: coconut, macarons, marzipan… Mouth (neat) essentially Williams pear eau-de-vie at more than 60% vol. Quite brutal, believe us. With water: the banana returns, along with herbal infusions and green teas. Not easy to find the right strength, this changes quickly, moving from fruit to lawn clippings in no time while you’re adding drops of H2O. You see what we mean. Chlorophyll. Finish: the artisanal pear spirit rules the roost, and does entirely as it pleases, emboldened by so much power. Comments: we’re struggling slightly to rediscover the clarity of the Tsunukis, although perhaps that’s just us…
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
One last try, then adios Japan — for now… Next session: Macallan versus Dalmore, official bottlings only. Just joking ;-)… |
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Mars Komagate 2018/2025 ‘Oshi-Dashi - Tsunuki Aging’ (58.4%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, bourbon barrel, cask #5458, 180 bottles)
Colour: light gold. Nose: smoked ham, new rubber, barbecued herbs de Provence, grilled bacon… With water: not that much change really, this is ultra-rustic. Soaked grains, virgin wool under the rain. Mouth (neat) lively peat, peppery, powerful, almost violent. With water: bitter, dry, herbal, austere, rather difficult. Finish: bitter. Small tart apples. A thimbleful of strawberry syrup in the aftertaste. Comments: this one rather escaped us; we readily plead guilty.
SGP:261 - 82 points. |
Tsunuki over Komagatake any day this time. Right then, one very, very, very last one, which is also ‘rather’ Japanese… |
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The Glover 8 yo ‘Batch 7’ (56.4%, Adelphi, blended malt, Ardnamurchan & Chichibu, 482 bottles, 2024)
A cheerful marriage of Chichibu and Ardnamurchan, so in a way a sort of self-blend, as there are clearly similarities between the two distillates. That said, we do not know the proportions within this world blend. Next time they could push things even further and do the blending exactly halfway between the two distilleries, although that would probably land somewhere near Novosibirsk, and we’re not entirely sure this would be the ideal moment. Colour: gold. Nose: never has a blend of two distillates so geographically distant felt quite so coherent. In truth, this could easily have passed for pure Ardnamurchan or pure Chichibu, and frankly nobody would have argued otherwise blind. Small apples, chalk, virgin wool, grist, baker’s dough trough, bière de garde… With water: touches of camphor, eucalyptus and fresh mint begin to emerge… All this feels absolutely perfect to us. Mouth (neat): same impressions here, lively, taut, very close to the nose though more lemony and herbal, really excellent. With water: the little tropical notes arrive at last, passion fruits, air-freighted mangoes… Forget Novosibirsk! Finish: long, lively, more saline now, ultra-coherent. Comments: a blended malt that entirely behaves like a single malt, now that’s clever! We love this. Watch out, there do seem to have been one or two more recent batches of this Glover.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
We were having a few more but that'll be for another time. |
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