If Yamazaki single malts stand as the embodiment of rich and robust Japanese craftsmanship, Hakushu single malts dance to a lighter, grassier, more earth-bound melody. They resonate with a character that's crisp, herbaceous and very gently smoky.

Fifty years after the establishment of Yamazaki, Keizo Saji, the son of the founder, saw the opportunity to take Torii’s dream further. He looked to build another malt distillery that would flourish in a contrasting environment, adding new layers of flavour and complexity to the Suntory portfolio.

How does Hakushu offer new flavours and complexity? Whisky enthusiasts might find this fascinating: the current Hakushu distillation facility looks like a playground for innovation, housing several stills of different sizes, shapes, and lyne-arm orientations. Such variety in distillation equipment was intentional. Stefan van Eycken, a Japanese whisky expert, had pointed out that, this array of different equipment reflects Suntory's realization that size and shape greatly impact the resulting spirit. And considering the range of different stills, we have a tangible testament to Suntory's pursuit of different styles and character in its whiskies.

The distillery was located in the sprawling forest area nestled at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Southern Alps, making it one of the highest distilleries in elevation globally. With over 80 percent of the site remaining undeveloped, the site even includes a wild bird sanctuary, a subtle nod to Suntory's ecological mindfulness.

Standard Hakushu single malts already introduce a slightly peaty touch to the palate, but this peatiness had been mellowed down by the water source. The crispness and soft texture are credited to the water sourced from the alps, filtered through ancient granite rocks, rain, and snow.

Plenty of Scotch distilleries wax lyrical about the quality or uniqueness of the waters used. Suntory has a concrete benchmark for comparison: this same water used by Hakushu is also used in the Tennensui brand of mineral water owned by Suntory – Japan's most popular and top-selling mineral water. Hakushu is certainly on to something.

“Peated whisky” is often associated with smoky Scotches known for their intensity. However, this Hakushu Peated Malt anniversary release attempts to showcase what it dubs “Japanese Smoky”.

It's a subtler take on the peated style. Rather than being overpowering, the smoke in this single malt is less prominent, never ruling the flavour but rather elegantly integrating itself into a more complex and gentle pattern. It’s Suntory’s answer to the conventional peat-heavy expressions found elsewhere. Let’s give this a taste too.

Hakushu 18 Peated Malt 100th Anniversary Limited Edition, 48% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold

Aroma: Clean and rather sweet with tinged with a slightly tart sensation. It greets the nose with a full-bodied honey sweetness and a light tartness of passionfruit, along with the presence of tobacco smokiness that weaves through the honeyed sweetness. Brings to mind smoked peaches. There’s a rather dominant caramel and fudge note playing a central role in the aromatic profile.

Taste: The palate shares pleasant oily and unctuous texture to that of the Yamazaki. Opens with a substantial sweetness with lashings of honey and bright notes of pomelo, smoky barbecued honeyed charsiew pork, accompanied immediately by a noticeable spiciness brought forth by cloves and cracked black pepper. As the flavour evolves, herbaceous elements emerge, displaying sage, and the gentle bitterness of perilla citrus rinds. The subtle smokiness is noticed, but never oversteps its bounds, always faithfully acting as a backdrop, somehow enhancing the sweetness and lingering in the background to harmonize the overall flavour.

Finish: Quite lengthy and filled with citrusy notes. A surprising amount of heat continues to linger, carrying the pepper forward from the palate. It concludes with a somewhat tart and drying note of lime zest, accompanied by an enduring ashiness.

My Thoughts

Starting with what went really well: this Hakushu 18 Years Old Peated Malt is an interesting Japanese whisky, particularly because it does indeed present an interesting peated style. The peat here is unmistakable yet elegant and gentle, blending seamlessly with the prominent sweet notes of honey and caramel. It's a robust and great-tasting whisky.

It falls a little bit short in complexity for me. The standard Hakushu's mineral notes and crisp finish seem to be lost amid the smokiness. Additionally, the higher alcohol content leads to a tradeoff in smoothness, and the heat seems more pronounced than in other Suntory whiskies of similar class, such as the Yamazaki 18 Mizunara and the Hibiki Japanese Harmony. This extra heat was a bit too much for my personal taste in Japanese whisky.

Nevertheless, I believe that enthusiasts of robust Japanese whiskies might still find much to appreciate in this expression. Its boldness and thickness make it a unique addition to Suntory’s lineup and a fitting tribute to the brand's anniversary.

But that said, I expect many devout drinkers of Japanese whisky would still really appreciate this Hakushu expression for its boldness and thickness. This remains a very original addition to Suntory’s lineup, and a solid tribute to Suntory’s anniversary, not to mention a collectible.

| If you are based in Singapore, you may purchase a bottle here.

| If you are based outside of Singapore, you may purchase a bottle here.

@CharsiuCharlie