Hanyu 23, Ichiro's Malt Cask Strength, 1985-2008, Hogshead, 58% abv.

This bottling was supposedly from 1985 and 1986 distillate which aged in four sherry hogsheads, but the back says it's a mix of a hogshead, bourbon cask, and sherry cask. One of the older Hanyu.

Nose: a light vanilla that gets stronger with time, more toasty, well balanced in my opinion.

Palate: woody, tannic, a lot of wet old steamed lotus leaves/expired sherry on the midpalate and a bit on the back palate, becomes coal smoke and spice on the back palate. A little sharp here and there.

Finish: dry, a woody/vine-like coating.

This one is slightly straight forward, but has a few distracting elements there. I genuinely thought, from the nose, that it'd be simple and sweet, but it's not. Overoaked sherry type. Couldn't say I enjoyed it though.

Grade: D+

Malt maniacs, Konstantin Grigoriadis, 90 points
Whisky advocate, Dave Broom, 91 points
Lawhiskeysociety, Ries, A-

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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