First impression: a friend brought me a small, two-ounce dram of this and in the small glass bottle it’s astonishingly clear and delicate. Body: upon pouring it’s apparent that delicate is a proper term for this. It seems clean and clear, and light in the bottom of the glass, but it’s clinging and flows slowly and then beads on the glass. Nose: refreshing and fruity. I found some sugar and caramel, lots of apples, oranges, and some lemon there’s also some wine notes present. I wasn’t hit with a strong alcohol or astringent. It’s just wonderful. I went back for another waft and was greeted by an unmistakable maple syrup smell. Palate: chocolate and caramel and a buttery mouth feel right away. I next found cinnamon and cereal with a bit of smoke and oak notes. Finish: oak and dark chocolate fade into a peppery cereal or bread. Very nice and long, and certainly not sweet (which I prefer). Overall: I wish I had more of this! It’s my first experience with Japanese whisky and you can bet that I’ll have a bottle for my collection. An excellent whisky and I can see that Japan has its own amazing heritage in whisky to be proud of.