Hakushu 12 Year

A few surprises in this bottle. 1) The beautifully thick and hefty aluminum seal covers a plastic screw-on cap. 2) Opening that plastic cap reveals an aroma much closer to Pinot Grigio than anything from the Scottish part of the globe. After it settles a bit, the nose is light and sweet, losing the acidic aroma of dry white whine, yet retaining the apples, pears and melons. The palate is more of the same, with Fuji apples leading the way (somewhat fitting, no?) and richly supported by a mess of other fruits that commingle so well as to be nearly indiscernible individually. Dig a little and you get lemon rind, sweetened limes, a hint of juniper and coriander, and then rose petals. The finish is brief and clean, leaving just the faintest floral hint as a precursor for the next sip. This interests me greatly. I love Scotch, I'm intrigued by Irish Whiskey, and I enjoy American Whisky. This takes notes from all three, and creates something all its own. Unique, and yet easily associable with a well-liked known. I get no peat or smoke, and while I'm normally a peat-head, I don't miss it here. The balance is amazing, the depth and variety of flavors astounding, and the clean finish make this an easily quaffed summer drink. But really...a plastic cap on a $90 bottle of whisky? :-/

Fucking perfect. Full, but not harsh, fruity, but not sweet. $90