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The malt raw material was brewed and distilled at Helios Brewery and Kyoda Distillery in 2018 and aged for 3 years.

It is released as a Japanese whisky following the previous release, Okinawa’s first single malt whisky, “Kyoda Cask Strength 2020”. This new release will be a single cask and limited to 556 bottles.

The label design features a background that recreates the pre-dawn atmosphere of the mountainous area near the distillery, and the name of the product, adopted from the distillery’s place name “Kyoda” is expressed in strong brush strokes. 

The package and label are almost the same as the previous one, and the design is hard to distinguish unless you look closely. The taste is quite different, though, so it would have been nice to have a new design.

The Bottle

This release is a “single cask” , limited to 556 bottles

Peat malt from the UK This single malt Japanese whisky is made from malt whisky that was prepared and distilled at the Huda Distillery in 2018, and matured in white oak barrels for three years.

Cask No.4248 is characterized by a deep flavor that is revealed when the malt-derived flavors are further refined by the character of the cask. It has a smoky aroma of peat malt on the nose, followed by a rich and deep maturing aroma. In the mouth, the deep richness of the malt spreads out and the lingering sweet aroma of the barrel can be enjoyed for a long time.

Reference: Helios Brewery Online Shop

Our Take

The previous “Kyoda Cask Strength 2020” had a strong peaty flavor that made me think it was an Islay. The current “Kyoda Single Cask 2021” has a different taste, with a fruity and sweet finish.
The peat was just a little bit in the aftertaste, and it was sweet from aroma to taste, with a slight saltiness coming out later.

I was surprised to find that the taste was so different, even though both the previous and current releases were aged for three years and were cask strength.

The official description of this cask says that it was carefully selected by Master Blender Shigetomo Terukina, but I feel that this cask has tremendous potential. I personally think this is a distillery that deserves more attention.

Keep an eye out for future releases.

(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)

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