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This is the eighth edition of Glen Muscle, a whisky brand for enthusiasts by enthusiasts.

Glen Muscle No.8  “Five Spirits”  Atsugishi Blend. 300 bottles only.

What is “Five Spirits” ? Raw spirits from five distilleries and Five pairs of brewers （The subtitle “Five Spirits” expresses the passion of Glen Muscle (Team Glen Muscle + 4 bars in Hokkaido). 

This world blended whisky is a blend of raw materials from three distilleries in Japan and two distilleries in Scotland. The raw materials from the domestic distilleries include raw materials from two distilleries used by the Atsugishi distillery for test maturation at the planned construction site. For the overseas raw materials, Islay malt and grain raw materials imported from Scotland are used.

It took about a year from conception to commercialization of this superb bottle.

The Bottle

Fusion of Akkeshi malt and Islay malt

The malt ratio in the recipe is 8:2, with the most common constituent being Akkeshi distillery malt and Islay malt whiskey, with a relatively peated finish of perhaps 20-30 PPM.

The maltiness and soft sweetness of the Akkeshi malt in the base, the darker flavors of the sherry cask logs that connect the flavors from multiple types of casks, and the complexity from the Quercus cask. I think the fusion of different peat flavors also plays a part in the variety of flavors.

Reference: Glen Muscle No.8 “Five Spirits” Akkeshi Distillery Blended Whiskey｜Kuririn’s Whisky Yard

Our Take

From the moment I put it in my mouth, I could feel the taste of Akkeshi. After the roughness, the Scotch grain brings everything together nicely.

When water is added, the taste changes completely, and the gorgeous fruity flavor comes to the fore as if it has regained its composure. You can also feel the richness and flavor of the malt, which is as strong as it gets even with additional water.

The complex and deep flavor is a perfect description for this bottle.

This bottle is the fruit of the efforts of Glen Muscle members and those who participated in the recipe selection process. 

Team Glen Muscle is a whisky brand that realizes “whisky that is not only delicious but also interesting and has a sharp appeal.

(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)

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