Article first published by our partner, Japanese Whisky Dictionary. Visit them here. Find the original article here.
“Iwai Tradition” is a commemorative blended whiskey released in 2010 to honor the achievements of Kiichiro Iwai, who supported Hombo Shuzo in its early days of whiskey making. More than half a century of Hombo Shuzo’s whiskey making techniques and experience have been poured into this whiskey.
The Bottle
Grain-derived, heavy and satisfying aroma.
It is characterized by a complex and pleasant aroma, gentle and soft on the palate, but with a firm body and a sense of maturity. Elegant and dignified taste. By vatting various cask types and peated malt raw materials in a perfect balance
Aroma | Moderate aroma of peat and a touch of alcohol. After a while, vanilla and ripe raisins appear. There is more peat than I expected, and a strong smokiness. Complex and pleasant aroma. |
Taste | Unlike the heavy image, the mouthfeel is soft, rich honeyed, buttery, burnt caramel, floral like yellow flowers, slightly spicy, peachy and fruity. |
Aftertaste | A pleasant bitterness like carbonated water and a pudding-like sweetness that leaves a soft aftertaste. |
Alcohol content | 40% alcohol by volume |
alcohol category | Blended Whisky |
Barrel type | Barrel type |
Contents | 750ml |
Number of bottles sold | Number of bottles sold |
Suggested retail price | 2,200 yen (tax included) |
Release date | 2010 |
Our Take
It is another rank higher than Mars Whisky’s “Twin Alps” in both price and taste. It is a whisky that can be enjoyed on the rocks, or split as you like without any hesitation in terms of price. The aroma and taste are mellow and rich, and the flavor lingers for a while even with a very light splash of water. The aroma also lingers for a while. It can also be enjoyed in a highball or on the rocks, and as you continue to drink it, you will start to feel a slight sweetness.
Honbo Shuzo is famous for Mars Shinshu Distillery, but recently, they have been releasing whiskeys from Tsunuki Distillery one after another, creating high quality Japanese whiskeys such as “Tsunuki the First” and “Tsunuki Peated” .
Both the Mars Shinshu Distillery and the Mars Tsunuki Distillery are currently offering tours of their distilleries, although there are some restrictions, so if you are interested, why not visit them?
(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)
For more awesome Japanese Whisky content, go visit: