Matsui Mizunara Cask

Sweet- apples, little vanilla, white wine

A good offering from the Kirayoshi Distillery, this Matsui Mizunara Cask has won the double gold in San Francisco's World Spirits Competition, and usually when a Whisky wins prizes, it might not be as good as it claims. I believe this is a nice whisky but nothing too memorable. The bottle has a famous painting as its label, it is one of the "36 views of Mount Fuji" made by Katsushika Hokusai between 1831 and 1833, and it shows the "Manchurian Crane" which is a very rare bird. Bottled at 48%abv, amber color. On the nose, very tropical... maybe unexpected. Pineapples, apples, tropical fruits, white wine, bananas, apricot, maraschino cherries. After the first sip, it revealed pears, vanilla. On the palate, a little straightforward. Very fancy toffee, apple, pepper and cinnamon. It gets dimer and watery as you sip it more, not nice for it to lose flavor. Aftertaste its a little mineral, feels rocky. Also apples, like sider; pears and pepper. Overall this is a very fresh whisky. Very fruity. It is easy to enjoy and very easy for a 48%abv dram, no alcohol whatsoever. I get that this will be great for most people but it is a little boring. I just did not get the japanese profile on this one. My score for it is a fair 85 over 100.

--- One of two reviews. This one is at neck pour --- The Matsui is a very pale whisky with a light floral nose, loaded with sour notes. A hint of the oak wood in the background, however the promise of sandalwood and Japanese herbal incense, typical of a mizunara maturation, is all but absent Palate: This is a young whisky, evidenced by spikes of hot pepper and overwhelming bitter spices. Missing are the mellow coconut and rich spice notes typically to be found in a longer mizunara maturation period. The finish, whilst short, doesn’t let up; more hot pepper and bitter oak notes, ending in a taste of dry paper. Overall, an interesting dram to sample as it is atypical of Japanese single malts. Could do with another 10 plus years in the barrel.

Very rough and unrefined. Strong nose that burns through the finish

Very sweet and floral. Very different from other Japanese whiskies but overall enjoyable.

Dramfest 2020.

Wow! Is this whisky? That was my first impression. Super strong floral notes that make you wonder if this is gin or something else. Definitely an interesting dram but not sure it will be a huge hit amongst traditional Japanese whisky drinkers. Try it at a bar first!