Ohishi Single Sherry Cask

Before reading anything about this, I found the nose to be unpleasant, full of waxy milk with a slight bazooka joe gum quality plus something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. As soon as I read that this had a partial rice mashbill, I realized that it reminded me uncannily of coconut sake (specifically Momokawa) but still in an unpleasant way. Extremely soft rice notes on the palate with bursts of hard candy sweetness, plus with a distinct spice and oak char quality I associate with older brandy. There is definitely a sake like quality to this, which I view as a negative in whiskey. The waxiness in the nose also appears in the taste, which I don't love. It occurs to me that this reminds me a lot of a homemade rice wine / liquor that my parents used to make when I was growing up. I didn't like that stuff then, and - with those bad memories coming through - I don't like this now.

The nose is rich and complex. It is dominated by sherry with the barest hints of smoke and tree nuts. On the tongue, this rice whiskey is sweet and smooth. The body is rich with a nutty sweetness building on the neutral notes of the rice grain. The finish is sweet and smokey with the sherry coming through in a strong manner. Absolutely delicious.

What do you get when you distill rice, age it in sherry casks, not once but twice? I would venture to say, you get a sherry infused whisky (I think I have learned from here that the barrel does influence the distillate, lol). I guess the truer question(s) is how well does the barrel influence the distillate? Does the type of grain used make a difference? A rich, dark amber color with a touch of gold. The sherry aromas pop. Reminiscent of Glendronach or Macallan. Raisins, figs and cinnamon and soft leather. There is a nutty aroma of almonds and/or walnuts with a gentle sweetness. Brown sugar, caramel and vanilla. Brings me, in my minds eye, to a crisp November day; autumn colors; pumpkins, gords and straw. Light and bright with a sweet bite. Sherry forward, though almost cognac-like rounded with sweetness. Raisins, cinnamon infused maple syrup, brown sugar and black cherries. The cinnamon provides a small prickly and spicy sensation. All the flavors, like the color, are rich and deep, in contrast to the mouthfeel. As it fades, the oak drying tannins encompass the palate with dark stone fruits and raisins and vanilla that fade after a medium length of time. A rice whisky that smells and drinks more of a scotch or cognac. Dense and rich in flavor. A pour for a day when you can cozy up, grab a good book/Kindle or mild cigar, slow time and take in the aromas and flavors. The choice of casks was a perfect pairing to the rice grain used as the basis of the lightweight rice distillate. This is a good pour. I don’t know what this retails for or if it’s readily available. But this was one I will remember and am glad I had the chance to taste. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for this sample, back as an extra from the SDT days. [90/100][Tasted: 4/10/21]

Different taste, I think since it is distilled with rice.

The sherry is semi-sweet, with more emphasis on cooked vegetables, dried stone fruits, herbal tea, medicinal cherry, and cooked cereal. It's complex, yet restrained--gentle even. In the palate, there's more cherry, vanilla, cooked nuts, raspberry, and green tea. However, the finish is where it gets interesting. Here the rice takes hold and a characteristic sake element emerges. There's dry plum wine and some mulling spices, but the rice note is very distinctive. Mouthfeel is light and finish is medium-short, but smooth.