It's rice, and I shouldn't be thinking this is a "rice wine or sake" as the distiller insists, but this is not whisky. Right away you are hit with sunscreen scents of coconut, orange blossom, and other tropical fruits. Is this a bad, thing? Usually not, but there is a fake tropical fruit presence that ruins this for me the whole time. It overwhelms it from the notes one seeks out in a good whisky. The palate is slight oak, raisin, and cranberry - but not the normal notes of whisky - with an overwhelming anise/licorice finish. Not a deep or long finish, but overwhelming. There is just something different about this and it does not translate to good for me. There is a continued fruitiness throughout that might be the sherry but it is not the normal notes I am used to - it is almost fake/sunscreen again for me. Overall, it is sweet and smooth and worth a taste to simply ponder what you are drinking. At $130 or so a bottle, it is definitely not worth buying. I have enjoyed many a Japanese whisky but this does not work for me at all.