Hakushu, 1993-2008, Heavily Peated Malt, Location 17-14-3, White Oak Hogshead Cask No. 3B40575, 40/216, 59% abv.

Much of the juice from Hakushu is considered "smokey", at least relative to Yamazaki and other Japanese producers. To my knowledge, Hakushu does not use peat to dry their ingredients, so a heavily peated product does sound like something out of the norm for them. However, in my experience, peated and heavily peated Japanese malts don't seem to show much peat in the senses.

Nose: at a distance I can sense the peat, but the closer my nose gets the less peat I smell, wood, salted ham.

Palate: abv burn, initial palate is honey, mid palate is wood, some smoke, ocean shellfish, string beans, generally honey sweet with smoke here and there.

Finish: medium, dry, honey, grape soda.

One of the few heavily peated whiskies where there is some peaty evidence. It's not as strong as most of the Islay malts, but the aromas show it as well as the palate, partially... Quite potent too at 59% and it feels like it. I got some weird flavors on the palate too, not sure if it's me or the juice.

Grade: C+

Whiskyfun.com, Serge Valentin, sgp:447, 85 points for previous cask "#3B40574"
Malt maniacs, 84 points for previous cask "#3B40574" on 11 reviews

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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