I’ve had solid experiences with Kaiyo so far. It seems they source their juice, but they do plenty to keep it interesting. It looks they’re going to be continuing that trend because this is labeled as entry No. 1 in their Ariake Wood Collection. Chestnut cask is a first for me—looking forward to it. Nose: Vanilla frosting. Sandalwood. Licorice. Wild berry. Sugar cookie. Honeydew. A massive lavender note. Toasted almond. Orange and lemon citrus. Honey. Cashew. Caramel. Pound cake. Candy corn. Big time. Clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak spice. It is quite literally all over the place, but very, very good. Palate: The lavender and sandalwood transfer over in a big way. Honey. Kiwi. Vanilla frosting. Dried apricot. Honeydew and cantaloupe. Toasted almond. Caramel. Pound cake and sugar cookie. Malt and toffee. Maple syrup on pancakes. Banana. Walnut and pecan. Grape and raisin. Smarties candy. Finish: Sandalwood. Maple syrup. Walnut and banana. Sugar cookie. Toasted almond. Raisin and grape. Coconut. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and wood. Moderate length. This a fantastic experiment. Chestnut cask is a winner. Kaiyo continues to prove that they can come up with unique and interesting ideas. It’s a necessity considering they have very little age-stated whisky. And they’re delivering. 4.5/5. $70 is a steal for this level of quality. I am very much looking forward to checking out the rest of the Ariake Wood Collection and am glad I got in at the beginning. Hats off to Kaiyo.