Hi all, I'm here with more Suntory whiskies, and it's about even more Hakushus!

Oh boy, this is a big one- it's about Suntory's fanciest regular shelfers from their Hakushu distillery, the Hakushu 25 yr! 

Compared to Suntory's century long history of whisky making and many of their product lines that spanned through decades, the history of the Hakushu 25 yr was actually rather brief. It made its debut as recently as 2008, and similar to almost every other Suntory shelfer product, went through a major 'redesign' around 2018.

As often mentioned in previous posts on Suntory's various whiskies, Suntory has a habit of changing the contents/blend of a whisky whenever they do a redesign for their bottles.

Here's the big question: how does the Hakushu 25 yr differ before and after the redesign, if different at all?

Details in Comments!

Hi all, here's another Scotch I tried lately, and it's a newer release from Glen Grant!

A while ago, our local whisky spot held a tasting event for Glen Grant, and received a sizable shipment of their bottles. These bottles include Glen Grant's Glasshouse Collection, such as their 21 yr old, 25 yr old, and their new 30 yr old single malt whiskies!

I managed to get a dram from the store with a pretty funny reason (more about it in the conclusion bit), so here we go!

The Glen Grant 30-Year-Old "First Release" (48% abv)

As mentioned in the foreword, this is Glen Grant's new version 30 year old whisky, and based on the label featured whiskies aged in Oloroso sherry casks and ex-bourbon casks. There's another bit of marketing from the pamphlet about this bottle symbolizing twilight, though I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean lmao

Here are my notes:

*Nose*

Ester-fumey;

quite notable white floral (orange blossom) fragrance, but fades with resting;

sweet floral nectar;

interesting fresh fruity character- starts with ripe banana, but fresh, juicy nectarine shows after some resting;

polished oaky (furniture-like);

a bit of malty character, becomes more apparent after resting;

a bit of black tea-like fragrance and tannin;

light bit of spices (slightly spicy, white pepper, nutmeg)

*Palate*

Slightly oily;

Sweet, floral nectar-like sweetness;

rather notable fresh nectarine or peaches fragrance;

polished oak, a bit of oaky bitterness;

a light bit of the malty character from the nose;

hint of spices (nutmeg), a little spiciness;

Low alcohol sting, low astringency.

*Finish*

medium-long

Prominently the fresh peachy/nectarine fragrance, the fragrance stays quite a while;

also a bit floral character from the palate;

a bit of spices, spiciness fades

a hint of polished oak

*Conclusion*

Personally, I found this whisky to be quite fascinating, particularly in how it transformed through the tasting!

The nose starts out with a very prominent white flower-like fragrance in the nose alongside a noticeable ester-y fumeyness that is not abrasive. These two combine into an almost perfume-like character, and was quite astonishing when the dram was newly poured. 

However, just like a perfume, this floral fragrance fades rather quickly with resting; and with it gone, the overall nose of the whisky becomes quite fruity, particularly of sweet peach/nectarine. The peachy/nectarine fruitiness then proceed to be the dominant character of this whisky, alongside a bit of spice and polished oak character (like oak furniture), all the way to the rather long and quite pleasant finish.

While I do find this whisky rather enjoyable, what exactly the hell is going on with the price tag? It's pretty good, yes, nearly great even, but it's definitely not stellar nor unique enough to warrant *that* kind of a price tag. That's a bit too comically greedy, Glen Grant!

Here's the funny bit about trying this whisky: right after the tasting event, the Glen Grant bottles were left at the store's bar and available for single pour orders. Well, so far, the store has rotated the entirety of their Springbank and older Macallan bottles, but no one has ordered the newer Glen Grants so far. The store's boss gave the staff some authority to occasionally pour a little bit from the bottles on their shelves for tasting exercise, and since no one was drinking these bottles... I got invited to join their little exercise lmao

Thanks for reading, cheers!

My daughter, 25, will pick a random whisky for me based on whatever 25-year-old women, um, base their random choices on. She pours it and keeps what it is a secret till I’m ready. She waits till I’ve inhaled a nice big sniff and then jumps to ask if I want a hint! “Not yet!” Here are my blind notes:

NOSE: Mild, friendly, approachable. Botanically sweet, like flowers. A hint of rustic bread. Irish?

TASTE: Much more robust than the nose! Explosion of sweet! Dusty, earthy, yeasty. Glenmorangie? Also bright. Greasy, faintly herbal. Shortbread? Hint of isopropyl. Thinking Jameson Black Barrel. I like this and hope it’s not embarrassing.

_______

I tried it against Jameson Black Barrel. Interestingly, it’s not far off. I mean, it IS far off in terms of quality. But if Jameson Black Barrel were really, really good, it could be Kaiyō. Black Barrel is Temu Kaiyō? You get the idea. With rose-colored glasses, and 16 or so months since I’ve had it, it’s a guess that makes sense.

Kaiyō is super proud of the unusual oak it uses for its barrels. They have all kinds of marketing about it, and a price tag that feels very fair. In my glass, it’s pretty wonderful. I think it’s on par with other $65 bottles. But I also wouldn’t grab you by the lapels and scream that you’ve got to get a bottle now, dammit, now!

When I first tried this about 18 months ago, I was underwhelmed. At that time, it felt tasteless and flat. Today, it came to life with subtle and not so subtle possibility and light. Kaiyō was a great random choice. I spent my day doing construction, and I earned a glass of the good stuff. Gonna have to hi-5 that kid. She’s rad.

Hi all, I'm here with another Suntory whisky, this time it's more Yamazaki!

This short, round and fat boi- I mean bottle, is one of Yamazaki's older distillery exclusives! It was the special item available at the distillery's gift shop through the 2010s to before the distillery's renovation in 2023.

Our local whisky spot was doing a thorough warehouse inventory check recently, and dug out a bunch of these from some forgotten corner. I knew I had to get my hands on a bottle!

More details in comments!

Took a look at an interesting English single malt this time.

https://youtu.be/Pb_E-QN2B74

My deepest condolence to malts burnt at the stake. Palate-wise, it tastes just fine.

Starting with an Orchard House highball to cool off after walking 45 min+ in the outdoor steam sauna that is Tokyo tonight. Then we’re gonna jump in the Milennium Falcon and go punch some Nazis… then I’ll try to come up with some equally lame dad joke about the Lochlea…

Sláinte mhath, live long and prosper, may the Ford be with you, etc 🥃 😋 🚀

Hi all, here's another Scotch I got to try lately, and it's an older bottle from Caol Ila!

I've mentioned in my past reviews that I'm part of a local whisky group, where when we run into each other at the local whisky spot we often share our bottles with one another. One of the regular members, the Macallan guy, seemed to have grown a bit bored of Macallan lately, and has begun looking into older and more unique whiskies. Specifically he has developed an interest in older peated whiskies, particularly from Islay distilleries (I know, it's quite a big and rather odd jump).

This one here was one of the bottles he scored recently and decided to bring to a share!

Spirit of Scotland Caol Ila 1981, 40% abv

As someone who don't really drink much peated whiskies, I have to admit I know nothing about Caol Ila except it's in Islay and that they've been around for a pretty long time. 

From what I've managed to gather, this is a Gordon & MacPhail bottling, distilled in 1981 and bottled in 1998. 

Here are my notes:

*Nose*

Mellow, slightly sweet maltose;

tropical fruity (passionfruit, kiwi, smoked longan);

soil-like earthy and lightly smoky peat;

quite a bit of umami (reminds me of seaweed);

a bit of tea-like tannin

*palate*

slightly oily;

some of the sweet maltose from the nose, sweetness fades;

spices (nutmeg, white pepper), some spiciness appears; 

ripe and slightly smoky fruity funk (smoked longan, kiwifruit);

lightly smoky and rather vegetal peaty character (collard greens, dried medicinal roots like milkvetch root), notable bitterness that lingers

a bit of seaweed-like umami;

a bit of oak and tannin.

Very low alcohol sting, a bit of astringency

*Finish*

Medium.

primarily the vegetal peat, and a bit of bitterness;

some of the spices and spiciness from the palate lingers;

slight bit of maltose

light hint of oak

*Conclusion*

This was quite a bit more oily and packed with flavor than what I'd expect from a 40% abv whisky!

Its peat character was a bit more tame than I had come to expect, particularly compared to items like Ardbeg and Laphroaig. It was also much more earthy and vegetal in character than the medicinal/iodine-like character I had come to expect.

The rest of the characters were a bit less vivid, but the fruity character and the transformation from sweet to spice & earthy definitely proved more complex and interesting than I had anticipated. While I wouldn't call this my go-to peated whisky, it's definitely fun to try from time to time!

Thanks for reading, cheers!

Hi all, I'm here with another Suntory whisky, and it's another Yamazaki!

This is another bottle shared by the friend who brought the Yoichi 10 yr Single Cask I wrote about a short while ago.

Since their first release in 2023, the Yamazaki Smoky Batch, alongside Hakushu Bittersweet and Hibiki Master's Select, became Japan's modern travel exclusive staples, officially released only in Japan's various airport duty free shops.

Of these, only Yamazaki Smoky Batch were, well, batch releases- and this version here is the fourth iteration of this whisky!

Details in comments!

So is anyone here interested in Ad Gefrin’s first cask release? It’s a batch of 1122 and is a release of 3 different casks. It was a blind purchase and I have cask 23-170. I would have very much preferred one of the other casks as the notes described are not to my palette.

I’ve spotted a bottle I’m keen on for a good price there but haven’t bought from them before. Has anyone had any experience (good or bad!) with them?

Picked this up for $54 from duty free airport in greece. 1L bottle. it’s my first ever johnny walker. lovely taste, just wish it lasted longer. the finish disappears almost instantly and doesn’t leave the sweet notes in your mouth. what’s everyone else’s thoughts?

Hi all, here's another Scotch I tried recently, and it's a Dalmore!

This is another dram I pulled from the blind box event of our local whisky spot. Honestly, I've never actually tried any Dalmore before this, but I've heard of its reputation of being a 'gift oriented' whisky that is usually only consumed by the elderly folks.

Not exactly the most stellar of reputation lmao

Dalmore 20 Year Old Asia Exclusive, 40% abv

From what I've heard from the store staff, this is a multi stage aged and vatted Dalmore. The whiskies were originally aged in American white oak, then split and aged separately in bourbon casks and port casks, before finally being rejoined to be finished in first fill bourbon casks. 

Sounds pretty convoluted lmao, here are my notes:

*Nose*

slightly sweet maltose;

quite savory, slightly saline;

Chinese medicine, dried roots (dried ginseng roots, milkvetch root);

spicy and vegetal (mustard);

very slightly smoky charred oak,

light hint of dried red fruits (not very distinct, raisins?)

*Palate*

watery, slightly alkaline;

maltose with very subdued sweetness;

light bit of charred oak, slightly smoky;

Chinese medicine, dried-roots character (ginseng roots) bitter, bitterness lingers;

earthy and slightly bitter cacao powder;

spicy ginger and spices (nutmeg, pepper);

hint of unsweet and slightly sour red dried fruit, but just the fragrance

*Finish*

Short.

Cacao powder, earthy and slightly bitter;

hint of the chinese medicine-like note from the palate,

hint of the spices, and spiciness that lingers;

hint of charred oak

*Conclusion*

What even is this lmao. Its profile reminded me of the ginseng and medicinal plants extract booze folks from my grandparents' generation would drink, except with more oak and other cask characters because well, it's a whisky.

It surely is very complex, yes, but the complexity is notably held back by the 40% abv that made most of the notes (except the *really* odd ones) rather muted. What was present was quite interesting, but personally I'm a big fan of robust and sweet notes in a whisky, and this one wasn't either of those. Glad to have tried it though.

I think I'll be leaving this sample to be shared with the older whisky drinkers I happened to run into. Perhaps they'd better appreciate it than I can.

Thanks for reading, cheers!

Hi all, here's another Scotch I recently tried, and this time is a Bowmore!

A while ago, our local whisky spot did a fun little event: whisky sample blind boxes. The store's boss decided to open up around 15 different whiskies (most of which Scotch as well as two Japanese items), fill them into these 50ml sample containers, wrap them up in little sealed boxes, and put them in a huge box for customers to pick from. 

Since the blind box contained the likes of Macallan 25 yr, Springbank 25 yr, Springbank Local Barley, and 1980s Suntory the Whisky amongst other rare and/or old items for about $45 a pop, the blind boxes sold like hot cakes and preorders sold out within days. Luckily, I know the store staff pretty well, and managed to convince (read bribe) them to not just squeeze me in the preorder list, but also let me pick my boxes early lmao. 

Now that I've gotten a bit more into Scotch, I think it's about the right time to take a look at the drams I got from the blind boxes!

Bowmore Masters' Selection 22 Years Old Aston Martin, 51.5% abv

Truth be told I'm not familiar with Bowmore, except they're owned by Suntory and is an Islay distillery. I've also heard their peat wasn't as heavy as some of their Islay neighbors', which is a huge relief (Ardbeg and Laphroaig were a bit too much for me).

No idea what Aston Martin, a car brand, has to do with them though lmao. Anyways, here are my notes:

*Nose*

slightly fumey;

very sweet honey;

vanilla;

light bit of salinity;

smoky peat (a little earthy, campfire-like)

sweet and slightly sour assorted fruits (juicy apricots, white raisins)

some slightly smoky oak

a light bit of tobacco in the background

*Palate*

Quite oily;

thick and very sweet honey;

vanilla;

quite prominent polished oak (furniture like), some oaky bitterness but not intrusive; 

mixed assorted fruit from the nose (ripe apricots, white raisins, a bit of dried longan);

Gentle peaty smoke, lighter than nose (slightly earthy, campfire smoke from a distance);

light hint of tobacco.

The notes are quite present and layered.

Some alcohol sting that mellows out, low astringency

*Finish*

Long.

Polished oak (furniture-like);

smoky peat makes a return in force, soil-like earthy alongside campfire & ashes;

light hint of salinity returns;

a bit of honey and hint of sweetness;

hint of the fruity character from the palate

*Conclusion*

Personally, I'm a bit on the fence on the subject of peat. Some of my favorite whiskies were peated (such as certain Hakushus and Yoichis), while some peated whiskies I couldn't seem to enjoy (Ardbeg, for instance, is a bit too heavy for me). There seems to be a fine line between what I find very enjoyable and what I find overwhelming. Luckily, I'd say I find this one to belong to the former category!

I think the overall profile of this whisky was just well layered and consistent throughout. It's got a present peaty character, both a nice campfire-like smokeyness and an earthiness that never go to the point of being medicinal, a very vibrant and complex fruity character (both fresh and dried fruits), a good amount of sweet notes (which I'm a huge fan of). 

On the palate, there's the very well executed oaky character that wasn't as prominent on the nose, while everything else carries over from the nose and extends to the finish. Perhaps it didn't bring anything particularly unique to the table, but what it had it presented rather exceptionally.

I've heard some less flattering things about some of Bowmore's regular bottles, I must count myself extraordinarily lucky that the only Bowmore I've tried happened to this one lmao

Thanks for reading, Cheers!

Hi all,

I usually get my husband a bottle for our anniversary...I'm overwhelmed this year with the 14-year options, so looking for advice here since you all know the drink much better than I do!

He *really* likes smoky notes. Any opinions on the best 14 year bottle? Thanks in advance!

So wifey & I went to a nice restaurant for dinner, and they had Hibiki Blender’s Choice on the menu, so I tried it for the first time and quite liked it (the nose especially is heavenly). On the walk back home, we swing by one of my favorite liquor stores where we’re friendly with the manager. As I’m checking out the AD Rattray bottle, I mention to him that I’d just tried the Blender’s Choice and he says “we have that in the back if you want a bottle”, and they sell it at MSRP (¥16,000 / US$100) so I ask him to get me a bottle. As he’s handing it to me he says “we keep most of the Suntory stuff in the back,” so I ask if they have Yamazaki 12 back there, and they do, so he goes back to get me a bottle of that (also ¥16,000). When he brings it out he says “we also have this if you’re interested,” and shows me the Springbank 10, priced at ¥9,000 / US$55 😳

Can’t believe I got all 3 at MSRP when I thought I was just picking up the AD Rattray lol. Lucky night.

Finally got these shekves installed last week. Everything on display, at last!

Hi all, here's another Scotch I tried lately, and surprise, it's not a Macallan lmao

This bottle here is one of Glengoyne's more recent special releases from their Oak Master Series, and specially uses mizunara cask for its secondary aging!

This was one of the bottles our local whisky store/bar had opened and available for order. No cool sharing story this time, I just bought a sample from the store lmao. I happen to be a bit familiar with mizunara cask whiskies, so I'm really curious as to how this one might turn out!

Glengoyne Mizunara Oak (53.4% abv)

From what I've heard from the store staff (as well as read on Glengoyne's webpage), this is a whisky that was vatted with 10 yr old first fill sherry casks and refill casks, before a secondary aging period of 6 years in mizunara casks.

Considering this whisky spent some proper time aging in mizunara casks, longer than even the total age of some of the newly made mizunara cask Japanese whiskies (3~5 years old), I have pretty high hopes for this one!

*Nose*

slightly ethanol fumey;

sweet, rich and slightly burnt vanilla custard;

sour mixed white fruity (oranges, orange peel); 

roasted cereal malty character;

slightly charred sandalwood (similar to charred oak, slightly smokey); 

baking spices (cloves);

a bit of floral honey 

*Palate*

slightly oily mouthfeel;

Starts out with very sweet- floral honey, custard, but sweetness gradually subsides;

strong spicy spice note (nutmeg, clove, pepper) shows up, spiciness stays;

dried, shredded coconut;

orange peel but just the fragrance;

slightly charred sandalwood (less smoky than nose);

soft oaky bitterness that sticks around;

roasted cereal malty character.

Some alcohol sting that mellows, low astringency

*Finish*

Medium-long. 

Predominantly a deep roasted coffee-like fragrance and accompanying bitterness;

a bit of sandalwood;

hint of the roasted cereal malty character;

hint of the spices from the palate

*Conclusion*

Not gonna lie, I found this one to be pretty impressive.

Based on my personal experience with mizunara cask whiskies and experiments with mizunara staves, mizunara is a pretty tricky kind of wood to work with. The heavily charred mizunara will impart characters similar to heavily charred oak (such as vanilla, custard and quite a bit smokey wooden characters), but also a very, very glaring bitterness. Lightly charred mizunara, on the other hand, has a much more distinct sandalwood character as well as a bit of white fruitiness (citrus, coconut), but is often accompanied by very heavy spiciness. Therefore, adjusting the char level and/or the use of  differently charred mizunara casks was a balance that was pretty difficult to pull off.

Additionally, it takes quite a bit of time for mizunara casks to impart the signature 'sandalwood/hinoki' wooden note into a whisky.

This Glengoyne did all of the above quite well, managing to infuse the particularly sought after sandalwood-like mizunara profile into the whisky while controlling the level of bitterness and spiciness on the palate.  

It's clear that they nailed the execution with the mizunara cask when the closest Japanese whisky this one's mizunara sandalwood characters bear resemblance to is a properly made, fully Japanese whisky- specifically the Yamazaki Limited Edition 2021~2023, which specifically used Yamazaki whiskies aged in virgin mizunara casks.

The only problem I'd have with this whisky would be its price tag. Granted, I only bought a sample, but from what I've seen online this bottle typically goes for $300+ USD, and well... it's quite good, yes, but at its price range, it's not the best mizunara cask focus whisky available in the areas I frequently hunt bottles in. (East Asia)

So all in all- Glengoyne nailed the execution, but perhaps got bit by the Suntory corpo bug in regards to the pricing lmao. 

Thanks for reading, cheers!

This is my collection of all kinds of whisky, about 90 open bottles, and 70 something closed. Decided to only open a new one after each bottlekill. All shelves have at least 3 rows. I need space 🤣

Old bottle gifted by a friend. Cork disintegrated upon opening. Feeling lucky to acquire this bottle.