Kaiyō Japanese Mizunara Oak

I was drawn in by the background on this whiskey with it being both aged in Mizunara oak and like the Jefferson’s ocean aged partially at sea. I don’t get the ocean in the nose yet like some have said, but the nose is very complex. At first taste it seemed as though an Irish has been mixed with some kind of bourbon. I got a lot of the sweet notes you would get from an Irish but with a lot more barrel than you’d typically get. I assume at least one of the casks used must be first fill. I kept drinking this throughout the night and at several points I could have sworn up and down that it was prayed, however I did not get the peated version. I’ve found after you let the glass sit for a bit and some of the alcohol evaporates it offers much different notes. More friendly but less complex. At one point I found the scent of my girlfriends basement in it and could not stop smelling it. Very good whiskey with a decent bit of complexity. If you like scotch blends and Japanese whiskey it won’t disappoint you. It isn’t as profound as a lot of it’s more expensive and well known Japanese counterparts but I think it’s worth the price, and definitely worth a try.

At JTs birthday

Cocoa and oak aroma. Earthy, light baking spices on the tail.

White grape mixes with pear while elderflower lingers in the background. Truly a champagne of whiskies! But not one to celebrate with.

Slightly peaty