Nose: Honey, sweet lemon, fresh cut timber, raisins, caramel, dried pears, putty.
Palate: Honey, cinnamon, raisins, toffee, dried pears, pepper. A richer flavor on the palate that the Awai Bourbon Casks but still fairly simple.
Finish: Honey, flat cola, yeast, toffee and a little oak.
Last Word: Will be joining it’s sibling the Awai Bourbon Casks as the whisky base for highballs.
Rating: 78/100
Value is the real issue here. If you were paying $30-40, you’d think this was OK, but at closer to $100, it just doesn’t stack up. Yesterday I got an email from Nicks offering Glenfarclas 15yo for $99 & a litre bottle of the 105 proof for $105. You’d get far more bang for buck from these than the 2 Iwai bottlings you’ve reviewed here.
A shame we can’t get some of these at closer to Japanese prices.
By the way, have you tried the new version of Fuji Sanroku 50%?
NCF and 700mL.
At its Japanese price it sound like a bargain.
Yes terrible value Alan especially when Nikka F.T.B is $30 less in Australia. Haven’t tried that Kirin yet. Did you get a bottle from your brother?
He’s not due here for a while, but I’ve asked him to bring me a couple when he’s next here.
Apparently, its a big step up from the old bottling – a bigger bottle (700mL vs 600mL) & not chill filtered.If it’s as good as I’ve heard, and at about Y1500 a bottle, it would be a good one to buy by the case as a daily dram.
I remember when we were in Japan about 5 years ago, a bottle of the old version accompanied me on our travels. It was a decent dram for small change.
Yep for Y950 from memory it was a decent enough drop and I certainly had no problem drinking it neat