Article first published by our partner, Japanese Whisky Dictionary. Visit them here. Find the original article here.
The Sasanogawa Brewery, known as “Cherry in the North, Toa in the East, Mars in the West,” played a role in the local whiskey boom around 1975 to 1960.
This is a port wine cask finish from the Yamazakura series, produced exclusively for Isetan Mitsukoshi by the only and oldest local whiskey maker in Tohoku.
The Bottle
The cold wind from the Bandai grater nurtures Azumi’s whiskey.
A pure malt whiskey made from carefully selected malt matured in bourbon barrels and finished again in port wine barrels.
Non-chill filtered (no cooling filtration) and non-colored (no coloring) bottling.
It has a sweet aroma and strong tannins unique to port wine.
Limited edition for Isetan Mitsukoshi.
The port wine is from Portugal, which is characterized by its mild tannins.
| Aroma | Barrel-derived syrup, medicinal herbaceousness |
| Taste | Wine acidity, spicy and bitter |
| Aftertaste | Tannin aroma from the nose |
| Alcohol content | 46% alcohol by volume |
| Classification | Single Malt |
| Barrel type | Bourbon barrels |
| Contents | 700ml |
| Number of bottles sold | Number of bottles sold |
| Suggested retail price | 9,350 yen (tax included) |
| Release date | 2019 |
Our Take
This is a famous product that was quietly marketed because it is a limited product of Isetan Mitsukoshi.
Firm aroma. Tannins that can be fully felt.
The Sasanogawa Brewery, one of the leading whiskey producers in the Tohoku region, has created a series of cask finishes with many variations.
I hope you will enjoy it like a wine, slowly warming the glass in your palm and feeling the aroma open up.
(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)
For more awesome Japanese Whisky content, go visit:
Get the latest news, recommendations and exclusive offers, poured straight into your inbox! Subscribe here.
Call for Contributors
Want To Make a Good Drink Last Forever?
