Chichibu has consistently released a limited and experimental bottle for the famous Chichibu whisk(e)y festival. The 2018 release was matured in a cream sherry hogshead for over 7 years, but what is “cream sherry”? Supposedly cream sherry is a blend of two types/groups of sherry: […]

Japan’s first proper spirits competition, the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition was held over two days: March 11-12, 2019. Let’s run through some of the numbers: 3 tasting sessions split across 2 days 527 entries across 126 categories. 50% whisky, 20% gin, 30% other 32 […]

Kagoshima-based Komasa Jyozo has officially released the next expression of their gin from the Hioki Distillery. Dubbed Komasa Gin Hojicha, this one drops the citrus of the original, and instead focuses on hojicha as the main botanical. For those not familiar, hojicha is essentially roasted […]

Three new single malt whiskies out of Mars Whisky’s Shinshu Distillery! All available now. From left to right we have: Mars Malt Le Papillon C. thyodamas is the latest entry in the butterfly series of single cask, single malt whiskies. This release comes out of […]

It must be highball week or something, since another of Japan’s smaller whisky distilleries has announced the release of a RTD highball. This time it’s out of Toyoma’s Wakatsuru Saburomaru Distillery, and named the “Harry Cranes Craft Highball.” Harry Cranes… I think of this guy: […]

American white oak Asian exclusive, released November 2, 2017. Nothing much on English based boards and too lazy to check the Asian boards, but it seemed to get rave reviews by some IG and FB characters. Nose: initially a moderate level of peat and wood […]

Kale! Here in Japan, it’s been used as a primary ingredient in the popular aojiru health drink since around 1983. The rest of the world seems to have taken a couple decades to catch on, but you can now find kale all over the place […]

Over a year ago I listed Kiuchi Shuzo’s Nukada Distillery as one to watch in 2018-2019. And watch it I have! That’s why I’m excited to bring news that the company is launching their first whisky product to the public on April 1, 2019. Yes, […]

Have a look at the Japan Distillery Map and it’s hard to miss the concentration of distilleries in Kagoshima prefecture. There’s the historic Kagoshima Distillery, where Hombo Shuzo made whisky from 1949 until 1984. They returned to making whisky in Kagoshima a few decades later, […]

Akkeshi New Born Foundations 3 is one of this quarter’s most highly anticipated Japanese whiskies. Many in the community are viewing Akkeshi’s dedication to sticking with the Islay Scotch style and methods as one of the few rays of light within the doom and gloom […]