ABV: 43 %
Origin: Japan
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very fruity and floral. There’s foremost green fruits. Pears and grapes are its main features. There’s not much of a cask influence at first but some notes of vanilla, honey and a dusty oak continuously move forward as time passes in the glass. The distillate is coming through and there’s a cardboardy note in the background. It feels a bit brittle but sweet and friendly.

Mouth: This is very mild and quite dusty. It’s got an immediate bitter baseline and the honey sweetness is up front together with the fruitiness, which now has turned more towards red juicy apples. The oak arrives early and the vanilla is a little more pronounced now. There’s a spicy touch to it but patience is needed to find it.

Finish: A bit ”boozy” at first. A big spike of green fruitiness comes back but quickly gets covered with vanilla and honey. After a while everything gets overpowered by the oak. The oakiness is very pleasant with a nuttiness to it. It’s a mix of walnuts and hazelnuts. There’s no astringency whatsoever even though the oak tastes like there should be. It’s a long and quite pleasant finish. It lacks some depth and character, but it’s a very nice experience overall.

Additional information
This is created by the Matsui distillery. The ”pure malt” statement refers to the fact that its content is a mix of Japanese and Scottish malts aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels, in Japan.