Ichiro’s Malt Hanyu 15yo Final Vintage

Ichiro’s Malt Hanyu 15yo Final Vintage

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Golden orange
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, walnuts, sea salt, Demerara sugar, peanuts, salt caramel, hints of caramelised onions. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, airy, slightly volatile.
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Orange peel, salt caramel, walnut skins, Demerara sugar, lemon sweets, malted grains, maraschino cherries. 
Finish: Long. Lemon sweets, salt caramel, orange peel, Demerara sugar, walnut skins. 

Comments: 

Citrusy, sweet and slightly bitter. Utterly delicious, I never thought I would be able to have another Hanyu. Now tasting with the benefit of having drunk some Chichibu, I’m struck by how the latter is the heir to the former.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hanyu 2000 cask #919

Hanyu 2000 cask #919

For Zuma / Roka, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - East Honshu
Chinese tea
57.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, chocolate, honey, tobacco leaf, brown paper, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Chocolate, honey, raisins, smoke, leather, orange peel, hints of red grapes. 
Finish: Long. Honey, chocolate, smoke, hints of red grapes. 

Comments: 

Cask #919, about 15 years old. This is a special bottling for Zuma Bar and the Roka chain of restaurants. It's delicious. No need for water, this is full of honey and chocolate notes, with an alluring veil of smoke. Very very nice, plenty of red grapes as well. Incredible whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ichiro's Malt The Joker Colour Label

Ichiro's Malt The Joker Colour Label

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber, tinge of red
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Prunes, dates, pink pepper, orange peel, cola nuts, dried apricots. With water, orange zest, orange juice, strawberries.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, chewy, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Dates, prunes, pine, dried apricots, hints of butterscotch, hints of lemon thyme. With water, sweeter, red grapes, orange zest, strawberries.
Finish: Long. Cola nuts, dates, prunes, dried apricots. With water, red grapes, hints of leather.

Comments:

A vatting of 6 Hanyu vintages (ranging from 1985-2000) from 7 types of cask. It's a legendary bottling, if only because it sold out so fast. I'm lucky to be able to taste this. It's awesome! Fruity and spicy, excellent mouthfeel neat, really drinkable. With a touch of water, it opens up beautifully, lots of dried fruit, sweeter, fragrant, some old leather at the finish. I'm still tasting this hours later.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ichiro's Malt Four of Diamonds (Hanyu 11 yo 2000/2011)

Ichiro's Malt Four of Diamonds (Hanyu 11 yo 2000/2011)

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber
56.9% ABV 
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, old leather, red wine, brown paper, sandalwood, red grapes. With water, more raisins, cookie dough, vanilla, dried apricots.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, chewy, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, red grapes, red wine, old leather, carrot cake, brown paper, hints of mint. With water, sweeter, vanilla, cookie dough.
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, red grapes, raisins, hints of carrot cake.

Comments:

Whisky of high strength, aged in sweet wine casks, a style that I like very much. This one is fruity and fragrant, perhaps a tad sulphuric undiluted. But with water, it opens up and turns more complex, with strong notes of cinnamon and spice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hanyu 2000/2012 Whisky Talk

Hanyu 2000/2012 Whisky Talk

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Golden
60.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, vanilla, malted grains, plums, dark chocolate, hints of hay. With water, hay, mint, more chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, static, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, hay, plums, malted grains, coffee, milk, hints of cola nuts. With water, hay, mint, hints of salt caramel.
Finish: Medium. Coffee, milk, dark chocolate, hay.

Comments:

Dark, rich and chocolatey, almost like a good stout. Even the mouthfeel fits. I really enjoyed this, and with water, even more. Can't be many of these Hanyus left in the world, better try them before they go.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hanyu Chibidaru Cask #346

Hanyu Chibidaru Cask #346

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Rose
58.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, grapefruit, orange peel, rose water, cream, cardamom, saffron. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thin, watery, delicate. 
Tasting: Sweet sour. Honey, grapefruit, rose water, cream, saffron, orange peel, hints of walnuts. 
Finish: Short. Honey, grapefruit, rose water. 

Comments: 

Amazingly delicate, floral and spicy. This is magnificent whisky. Oddly, it doesn't take water well, the lovely fragrant rose water notes simply melt away, with very little further development. It's hard to drink at full strength, but I should have persevered.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.
 

SMWS 131.1 (Hanyu 22 yo 1991/2013)

SMWS 131.1 (Hanyu 22 yo 1991/2013)

2013, SMWS
Single malt - East Honshu
Copper
57.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cream, cherries, cloves, hints of lemon. With water, marmalade, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Cream, vanilla, straw, sandalwood, cloves, hints of lemon. With water, butterscotch, hints of mint. 
Finish: Medium. Cloves, marmalade, cherries, hints of coffee. 

Comments:

Chock-full of spices and oriental fragrances, but sweet and creamy in the bargain. Needed some water to open it up, but once it did it was really smooth and sweet, with luscious citrus notes. Well-aged, shame there's so very little left.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hanyu 2000 Final Vintage

Hanyu 2000 Final Vintage

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Golden
59.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oak, honey, soy sauce, smoked ham, cream, hints of caramel . 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, loose, watery, mouth coating. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Honey, cream, salted caramel, condensed milk, peanuts, soy sauce. 
Finish: Medium. Cream, honey, soy sauce, hints of smoked ham. 

Comments: 

Big hits of soy sauce and smoked ham, this time quite salty. Offsetting those savoury notes are equally big hits of honey, condensed milk and cream. Nutty, sweet and salty. Yum yum, I could almost chew this whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ichiro's Malt Hanyu 15 yo

Ichiro's Malt Hanyu 15 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, oak, salted caramel, soy sauce, hints of smoked ham. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, expands in the mouth. 
Tasting: Bitter. Honey, mint, soy sauce, oak, dried apricots, hints of bitter gourd. 
Finish: Short. Mint, salted caramel, honey. 

Comments: 

First ever Hanyu! Lots of salty and sweet notes, but surprisingly bitter in the mouth. But not unpleasant. There's a very unusual note in the flavour, which I interpret as bitter gourd (slightly earthy, fragrant bitterness). Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.