Kirin 17, Premium Reserve, Blended Malt, 43% abv.

Not much information from my sources. According to the bartender, this Kirin is a light blend that might have some Karuizawa in it, I would assume due to the relationships between Kirin and Mercian (subsidiary). I am unsure when this bottle was released, but Kirin-Seagram was established in 1972.

Nose: apples, pears, molasses, beehive honey, fresh raisins from the box, glazed doughnuts about summarizes it.

Palate: very light bodied, light wood, honey, leathery, old library books, initial palate is a little spice, but then the leathery wood flavors run amok. Very light vanilla chocolate on the back palate.

Finish: medium, menthal, methonal, ... those weird mints.

It's simple, unassuming, and leaves a slight spice in the mouth. Yeah, not much going on.

Grade: C

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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