Legally, a rice whisky is indeed whisky. The proper definition says it clearly: a distillate, that has only 3 ingredients, Water, A CEREAL, and yeast. Matured in oak casks for st least 3 years and bottled at least at 40%abv.
This Japanese rice whisky, is matured in single brandy casks. Bottled at 41.9%abv with a peach color.
On the nose, very fruity. Spicy clove and plum liquor. Raw rice; Prunes and plums. Sider. After a first sip the aroma changed into glue, and a blackberry marmalade.
On the palate, gooseberries, raw rice, ginger. Very grapy, winey. The brandy cask is very present here.
Aftertaste is the best part. Again this Raw rice feeling, ginger, sider. Spicy and dry.
Overall, if you have this at a blind tasting, you will surely think it is a sweet plum liquor. Very fresh and easy drinkable, not very complex and short finished, this is not a bad dram, it just doesn't feel like whisky. My score for it is 82 over 100.