Kirin Single Malt Blenders Choice 2015 NAS 46%abv

Kirin Single Malt Blenders Choice 2015-2Nose: Lots of honey, toffee and vanilla notes. Sugared apple pie crust, some wood spice, rye spice, oranges, buttered popcorn, white pepper, cinnamon, overripe pineapple. I’d say fairly faithful to the Kirin House style.
Palate: Lots of spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper, chili flakes. Bubblegum, lemon detergent, orange cake, young white peaches, acetone.
Finish: Oranges, orange biscuits, lemon curd, banana, fresh thickened cream, acetone and or petrol fumes.
Last Word: On the palate and finish there is a persistent acetone/petrol fume note/flavor that spoils the overall experience. Apart for the nose, a bit of a disappointment really.
Rating: 79/100

Kirin 17YO Small Batch Single Malt Whisky 46%abv

P1050313Nose: Fresh cut timber, apricot, straw, pineapple, mustard, prune juice, passion fruit.
Palate: Passion fruit, strawberries, rye spice, nutmeg, salt, orange, pineapple, saw dust, balsamic. Light bodied.
Finish: Lots of chewy mints, passion fruit, pineapple, orange, timber.
Last Word: Has a number of typical elements found in many Kirin whiskies. Pineapple, passion fruit and Bourboneque is style. If your not a bourbon fan you probably won’t fancy this, but I like the fact that Kirin has it’s own house style at least in relation to other Japanese distilleries. This one although smooth and well made is not outstanding.

Rating: 84/100

Kirin Fuji Gotemba Single Cask 1995 10YO #M000505 45%abv

P1050287Nose: Peated and while by no means to Ardbeg or Laphroaig level peating, this would be classed as heavily peated by most Japanese whisky distilleries. You can pick up the peated note from 2 feet away. Diesel, creosote, barley, candy apple, dried pears, pomegranate, shoe polish, toffee.
Palate: Toffee coated nuts, nutmeg, toffee apples, tar, dried papaya, dried pears, spearmint, licorice. Water adds milk chocolate and cafe latte.
Finish: Tar, spearmint, toffee, a mineral element and lingers on cafe latte.
Last Word: I am not a peated whisky fanatic but this has a nice balance between the peaty and the sweeter elements of toffee, dried fruit and the bitter sweet cafe latte. These single cask Kirin have been available at the Fuji Gotemba distillery from time to time. I have tried a few but this one being bottled in 2005 is even rarer. Liked this whisky a lot from the start and I’ll definitely grab another if one becomes available.

Rating: 88/100