Some whiskies strike me quite differently with every dram. Hakushu DR is one of them. It’s pale, with a piney, faintly smoky aroma like toned-down Oude Genever. The palate is malt-forward, then oily, sweet and fruity, with a medium-length finish that recalls damp turf over peat. When I’m feeling as if I don’t really love Scotch malt (gasp!), I don’t much like this. In a Scotch-friendly phase, I think it’s quite fine. Never a favourite though.