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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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October 17, 2024
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We proceed our Japanese expedition
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Chichibus, Mars, Shizuokas… In brief, some good issues, in concept, until we come throughout some embarrassingly ‘artistic’ casks. In a couple of years’ time, I imagine this era will possible be remembered because the one the place distillers and bottlers positioned their whiskies in probably the most unbelievable casks doable, in a bid to draw fairly jaded clients.
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Vol.1’ (58%, OB, for The Final Spirits by Rudder, refill bourbon barrel, cask #10772, 230 bottles, 2022) 
Not completely positive what’s on this no-age-statement mix, however we belief the names on the label. Color: white wine. Nostril: it’s very medicinal, with hints of Laphroaig, although it may simply as simply be peated Chichibu. We’re getting bandages, moist plaster, tar, seaweed, Mercurochrome, and recent concrete… Hardly any grain comes via. Then some ripe apples, cider, and a stunning dollop of recent butterscotch sauce. With water: uncooked wool, Islay’s brown waters, a low-tide seaside, clams, and cockles… Mouth (neat): huge peat and candied lemon. And loads of energy—it’s acquired some battle in it! With water: the model holds. Seaweed, samphire, ashes, camphor, iodine, wool, and clay… End: lengthy, with related notes and a contact of limoncello. Feedback: it may effectively be dominated by peated Chichibu, however who’s to say for sure?
SGP: 467 – 88 factors. |
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Chichibu 7 yo 2016/2024 ‘Closely Peated’ (63.7%, LMDW Foundations, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #6179, 161 bottles) 
Distilled from ‘Concerto’ barley. Its sibling, cask #7076 from an ex-peaty barrel, was simply marvellous (WF 91). Color: pale gold. Nostril: they will need to have invented the phrases ‘smoky’ and ‘crystalline’ for this single cask. Basically, it appears like an extract of the earlier Ichiro’s #10772. Extremely-precise notes of inexperienced apple, seaweed, peat, lemon, and moist chalk, evolving into soot, melted candle wax, yellow curry, and satay sauce. Fairly mad, actually. With water: completely beautiful! Rubber tree, new tyres, fir ash, tobacco ashes, spearmint… It’s like a 50/50 mix of Laphroaig and Ardbeg. Mouth (neat): monumental energy. Seawater, lemon, and three tonnes of ash. Let’s make that 5. With water: a couple of olives and candied lemon be a part of the fray, whereas the ash turns into much more large. End: very lengthy, sharp, ultra-peaty, with a lingering aftertaste of roasted inexperienced tea, gentian liqueur, and verbena. Feedback: a whisky of large affect. After all, in case you don’t like peat, I humbly recommend you progress alongside.
SGP:468 – 92 factors. |
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We’ve additionally acquired two Chichibu ex-red Bordeaux. We’ll save these for one more time, yeah? Perhaps we’ll do a ‘Japanese whiskies in uncommon casks’ session.
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Chichibu 2015/2024 ‘Angel’s Favorite’ (63.5%, OB, Spirits of Salud, second fill bourbon barrel, cask #4659, 2024)
Color: gold. Nostril: It’s peated, however softer and rounder, I would even say angelic. Tropical fruits and a few yellow flowers deliver it nearer to an older Laphroaig, in case you catch my drift. Mandarins, blood oranges… Just a few notes of violet and cranberry, however removed from the Eighties Bowmore model. There’s additionally a contact of mint tea. With water: the pure peat returns, alongside plaster, uncooked wool, and ashes, with a definite ‘working kiln’ vibe. Mouth (neat): highly effective, sharp, inexperienced. Mint, lime, a little bit of fir wooden, and a saline edge (potash)… it actually performs along with your lips. With water: excellent, medicinal, heavy on peppermint with a lot of lemon and grapefruit zest. Water fits it completely. Oh, and loads of freshly caught oysters. End: lengthy, pure, with the emergence of putty and glue. A little bit of Timut pepper and extra citrus within the aftertaste. Feedback: a top-tier Chichibu that thrives with water, providing a relatively outstanding retro-olfaction.
SGP:566 – 90 factors. |
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Shizuoka ‘United S – Winter Version 2023’ (50.5%, OB, Japan, first-fill bourbon)
From what I collect, it is a mix of Ok and W, with the second move performed within the Scottish ‘S’ nonetheless. We tried the United S Summer time 2023 version again in August and completely adored it (WF 91). Color: pale gold. Nostril: I’m sorry, however we’ll have to make use of the phrase ‘pure’ once more, despite the fact that that is fairly wealthy, even opulent. A lot of chalk, sunflower oil, plum and lemon liqueur, then mashed banana and recent bread. Just a little contact of fougasse. With water: magical. Orange blossom cake dough, risen however not but baked. Mouth (neat): goodness me, that is pleasant. Italian lemon biscuits, beeswax, blood oranges. With water: excellent. A touch of pepper and nutmeg. Watch out although, not an excessive amount of water or it would break down a bit. End: medium size. Lemon cake, and that’s it. We like it. Wait, and a little bit of peach within the aftertaste. Feedback: I’ve no thought if Shizuoka is aiming for very completely different batches or in the event that they’re striving for consistency inside this ‘United’ line. This one feels fairly constant.
SGP:561 – 91 factors. |
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We’re staying on the earth of bourbon wooden…
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Mars Komagatake 5 yo 2019/2024 ‘Yakushima getting older’ (59.8%, OB, LMDW Foundations, white oak, sherry hogshead, cask #2281, 244 bottles)
La Maison has been providing fairly a couple of relatively new-age Japanese whiskies this 12 months of their new vary, launched at Whisky Dwell Paris beneath the identify ‘Foundations’. However why on earth would we complain!? Color: gold. Nostril: an abundance of fruit, each very ripe and remarkably recent on the identical time, in case you see what I imply. Sultanas, some strikingly crimson gooseberries, a touch of woodruff, and wonderful old style apples, completely ripe as effectively. There’s additionally a stunning contact of earthy and rooty spices, fairly splendid certainly. With water: the sherry affect is delightfully delicate, although you do get recent walnuts and hazelnuts, alongside hints of tobacco, chocolate, and a contact of leather-based. These Japanese chaps actually know the best way to create marvellous issues in simply 5 years, with out resorting to unusual cask varieties. Although, in fact, Yakushima’s local weather speeds issues alongside. Mouth (neat): heaps of apple, demerara sugar, a smidge of salted caramel, after which some aged pu-ehr tea. Various salt tingling on the lips—one wonders the place that’s coming from (no, I’m not dreaming). Might or not it’s from ageing on a southern island? With water: ripe apples once more and a contact of brown sugar. End: lengthy, barely greener, extra sturdy, and with the faintest contact of roughness. Feedback: completely wonderful. That salt is absolutely relatively enjoyable.
SGP:561 – 89 factors. |
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A small peaty one to complete off…
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Mars Tsunuki 5 yo 2018/2024 ‘Tsunuki Ageing’ (58.5%, OB, LMDW Foundations, refill American white oak, cask #T803, 275 bottles)
The barley for this younger whisky was peated to 20ppm (on par with Talisker, simply as a reminder). Color: amber. Nostril: a relatively darkish hue for a refill cask, and there is a distinct rubbery be aware—new wetsuit, recent rubber boots, that form of factor. Then come tobacco, leather-based, bay leaves, dried meat, and rye bread… It’s an uncommon profile and, I have to say, fairly intriguing. With water: it turns into extra floral, leaning in direction of peonies and pansies, with a basaltic contact, earlier than extra woodiness steps in. Very black tea. Mouth (neat): I like it, although it’s fairly fierce. It nearly appears like a kind of newer American single malts. Allspice, pumpernickel, bitter oranges, peppered and salted darkish chocolate, rancio, peppery previous PX, capsicum… With water: triple sec with ginger, propolis, bitter chocolate, and inexperienced tea. Watch out, although—don’t add an excessive amount of water right here both. End: lengthy however dry, with extra black tea, bitter chocolate, juniper, cloves, and a contact of mint essence. Just a few prunes linger within the aftertaste. Feedback: a stunning little beast. All that chocolate is sort of marvellous.
SGP:462 – 90 factors. |
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