Sakurao 4yo 2019/2023 for Whisky Magazine

Sakurao 4yo 2019/2023 for Whisky Magazine

Official bottling
Single malt - Chūgoku
Amber gold
51.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cloves, malted grains, raisins, oak chips, dark chocolate, sandalwood, coffee. With water, cocoa nibs, coffee, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Sandalwood, raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, cream, vanilla, toffee, honey, marmalade. With water, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, white pepper, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Marmalade, cream, vanilla, chocolate, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Cask 5276. Quite deeply sherried, lots of chocolate and raisins. There’s also sandalwood and vanilla, and water being sour pepper and more cloves. Young, slightly woody whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Togouchi Sake Cask Finish

Togouchi Sake Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single blend - Chūgoku
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, orange peel, white grapes, mint, malted grains, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cooked rice, magic marker, mint, malted grains, vanilla, pears, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Cooked rice, orange peel, molasses, magic marker. 

Comments: 

Well, sake casks do impart some rice notes. Also there’s vanilla and fruit, and some estery notes that remind me f magic marker. The malt still shines through.

Verdict:

I like this.

Togouchi Premium

Togouchi Premium

Official bottling
Single blend - Chūgoku
Bronze gold 
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, peaches, mushrooms, autumn leaves, molasses, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. New plastic, bananas, mushrooms, autumn leaves, orange peel, molasses, hints of gooseberries. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, orange peel, bananas, molasses. 

Comments: 

Fruity, very gentle, and slightly plasticky. This is from Sakurao distillery and is fully Japanese. It’s aged in the famous railway tunnel (Togouchi labelled whiskies are).

Verdict:

I like this.

The Matsui Sakura Cask

The Matsui Sakura Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu 
Very pale gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, malted grains, honey, cream, white pepper, orange peel, hints of cherry blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinder toffee, honey, malted grains, orange peel, cherry blossom, white grapes, hints of peaches. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, honey, white pepper, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Slightly lactic at the beginning on the nose, but it soon changes to cream, honey, white pepper and cherry blossom. Very Japanese, very delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Okayama Triple Cask

Okayama Triple Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu 
Amber red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, vanilla, cream, orange peel, cloves, hints of cinder toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, mouth coating, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, orange peel, cloves, marshmallows, raisins, cocoa nibs, black tea, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Short. Chinese angelica, orange peel, black tea, hints of strawberry jam, hints of camphor. 

Comments: 

Creamy and sherried, lots of classic notes here, but also with sandalwood and camphor. It’s not a typical Japanese whisky, except maybe for the clarity of flavour. One dram I’m very pleased to be able to try.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Matsui Mizunara Cask

The Matsui Mizunara Cask 

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu
Pale straw
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange blossom, vanilla, honey, chocolate, butterscotch, hints of raisins, hints of jute bags. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, chocolate, stout, butterscotch, chocolate, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Butterscotch, fresh cut grass, orange blossom, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Promising from the new Kurayoshi distillery. It’s robust spirit, lots of malty fudgy notes, allows to orange blossom and spice from the mizunara cask. Very pleasant indeed, a good typical Japanese whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Okayama Single Malt

Okayama Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Lemon yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, elder flower, leather, nectarines, hints of orange blossom, hints of pink peppercorns. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, rhubarb and custard sweets, nectarines, orange blossom, leather. 
Finish: Short. Rhubarb compote, nectarines, lemon zest, pink peppercorns. 

Comments: 

A new offering from the Miyashita distillery, which started distilling whisky in 2012. Tart, floral and spicy, very much so, even mouth puckeringly so. But there's a lot of fruit and leather, even a slight peatiness.

Verdict:

I like this.