The sherry-inflected nose invites a patient and careful sitting to appreciate this whisky’s nuances. I smell almond, moss, and warming malt at play with the sherry. Manuka honey shows up on the palate, with the notes from the nose showing up as well. The malt is rich and yet gentle, reminiscent of a light-roast coffee. The mouthfeel is pleasant and youthful, astringent and acorn-like. Taketsuru Pure Malt finishes with a flourish of spice and marzipan to carry the otherwise gentle flavors back to their beginning. The scent of delicate pipe tobacco lingers in the empty glass. This special whisky is complex and nuanced, with abundant if not somewhat reserved character. It’s one to be savored and treated with patience as it keeps unfolding; like a familiar place that you find isn’t finished telling its secrets. This whisky has elements that remind me of a Speyside single malt like AnCnoc.