Bainbridge Battle Point Two Islands Hokkaido Mizunara Cask

Tasting neat: Nose presents soft banana cream and leathery oak. Palate offers vanilla, banana, oats, spicy oak and wood grain. Finish is brief but poignant with more vanilla and banana cream followed by a quick punch of cinnamon.

The mild nose whisks me to a temperate island on Pacific Coadt. It’s dominated by the mizunara oak, with hints of raspberry, pine and briny sea air. Mizunara often reminds me of an agave/tequila smoke. In this case, it draws out the sweetness of the wheat in a unique way, that leads into the caramel and candied apple finish. Brilliant.

Deep complex aroma, subtle sweetness. Super aggressive flavor, blend of molasses and barrel burn, super oaky. Love how strong it is, has a bit of richness to balance the burn as well. One of those liquid fire whiskies, love it.

My favorite Wheat Whiskey taken up another notch with a finish in Mizunara Oak. It’s not quite on the level of smoothness of their Yama, but this just has an amazing, complex flavor. Really great balance.