What you need to know:

• Hiroshima-based Sakurao Distillery is out with their first special edition Stillman's Selection Sherry Cask Single Malt Japanese Whisky.

• For this release, two types of Sherry barrels were used and the goal was to create a whisky featured a soft top note, with a deep, long finish.

• The new Sakurao Stillman's Selection Sherry Cask Single Malt will be launched on 6th June, 2022.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

Sakurao Distillery is the big turnaround story from Hiroshima. What was once a bottler of some not so high-grade whiskies under the Togouchi brand, is now investing heavily in turning a new leaf and putting their money where their mouth is, and now actually producing some high-quality whiskies. We'll get into that later.

For now, we're keeping our eyes on their new limited release titled "Stillman's Selection Sherry Cask".

"Blessed with the nature of the sea and mountains, Sakurao Distillery has storages with different environments, so it is possible to produce whiskies with a different approach. 

The Stillman, who has tasted many whisky styles, selected and blended the new Sherry Cask in the best condition.

Sakurao Distillery's whisky is characterized by a gentle aroma and an esthetic fruit aroma that spreads the moment you put it in your mouth. The scent of raisins and cacao with the essence of the gentle sea breeze in Setouchi. The fruity taste reminiscent of dark cherries and oranges harmonizes with the faint peat aroma. Enjoy the deep finish of bitter sweetness and woody aroma."

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

Most whisky distilleries have a Stillman whose job is to monitor and ensure the quality of the distilled spirit going through the distillation stills and hence make sure the distillery's equipment is producing the desired whisky.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

Official Tasting Notes

Color

Deep reddish dark amber.

Aroma

The scent of raisins and cacao rises gently.

Taste

A fruity taste reminiscent of dark cherries and oranges, harmonising with a faint peat scent.

Finish

A deep finish with bitter sweetness and woody aroma.

ABV

50%

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

For this release, two types of Sherry barrels were used and the goal was to create a whisky featured a soft top note, with a deep, long finish.

The new Sakurao Stillman's Selection Sherry Cask Single Malt will be launched on 6th June, 2022.

Read the full story about Sakurao Distillery here.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

A little about Sakurao Distillery

Sakurao has committed to making "legit" Japanese single malt whiskies. What I mean by that is that before the new Japanese whisky laws last year cleaned up the industry to ensure greater transparency for whiskies made in Japan, many whisky blends carrying the title "Japanese whisky" were nothing more than whiskies sourced from other countries (for example Scotland, Canada, etc.) and merely blended or bottled in Japan, with little to no whiskies inside being actually made in Japan.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

Such tightened product origin laws are important to ensure that consumers can know and purchase with certainty that what they are buying is actually from the country itself. That's key to seeing the country's key domestically crafted products are recognised and valued as premium.

Sakurao's Togouchi was somewhat guilty of that, and not for a lack of trying to do better I should add. For years they tried really hard to produce great, and genuine, Japan-made "Japanese whiskies", but for company that's existed for almost a century, you can imagine things can certainly go astray.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

The good news is the distillery is back and in a bigger than ever fashion! They've cleaned up and have committed to producing Japanese whisky laws-compliant Japanese single malt whiskies and have invested heavily into doing so.

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

One of the most notable aspects of the distillery is that they have two different aging locations - one in a re-purposed train tunnel in Togouchi, surrounded by lush forestry and streams, and the other in the famous Hatsukaichi area that is known by tourists for the Torii gate that stands in the middle of the sea. These two environments are wildly different and so have a significant impact on the final character of the whiskies bottled.

That's wildly interesting to see (and taste). Not only are there differences in notes, for example those aged in Hatsukaichi (under the label Sakurao) tend to be more bittersweet in flavor, the distillery also tells us that the ones from Sakurao also tend to be deeper in flavor with a longer finish, as compared to those from Togouchi (under the label Togouchi).

(Image Source: Sakurao Distillery)

Since then, the distillery has launched two inaugural single malts in 2021, Sakurao and Togouchi, and the new Stillman's Selection Sherry Cask will be the distillery's first new limited edition launch.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot