Hakushu Suntory | Japanese | Single MaltWhisky | Subtle Smoke, Crisp Apple and Mint | Made With The Pure Waters Of The Southern Japanese Alps | 40 Percent ABV | 70 cl

Product Information

Car – the distillery is located 15 minutes by car from the Kobuchizawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway. The car park has a capacity for 200 passenger cars (Large buses can also be accommodated). Please note – Drivers are not permitted to sample whisky as consumption of alcoholic beverages by drivers is prohibited by law. Thank you for your cooperation. To make the whisky, Suntory used peated malt from the UK, including some that is heavily peated. The distiller used refill American oak casks in four sizes. The nose opens with notes of green apple, fragrant jasmine and subtle smoke, which lead to a sweet palate of chocolate-chip biscuits and vanilla. The finish is reasonably dry, with more sweet and gentle smoke. Yamazaki 18 Year Old Suntory 100th Anniversary Release That’s in part because Suntory is raising the prices of many of its whiskies in the spring of 2022. And the more expensive, the greater the increase. Hakushu 18 will increase 28% to 32,000 yen. And you should expect that price increase to be felt in the US too. All that negativity aside, Hakushu 18 is a spectacular whisky. Getting a good deal requires patience and the ability to walk away from extreme mark-ups.

The expressions are available from select retailers including Harrods, The Whisky Exchange and The Whisky Shop. The bottle design for Yamazaki 12 pays tribute to its production facility, which is the oldest malt distillery in Japan. The illustration features the distillery in deep copper tones from a low angle, looking up. Nose: Woodsmoke and the earthiness of peat hit you in the schnoz as soon as you open the bottle, so there’s no question this is a peated whisky. The magic is in the honeyed essence underneath the smoke and peat, however. This whisky made my mouth water as I thought of a crisp bite of apple on a fall day. Also orange peel and burnt, buttered toast. Meanwhile, the new Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt is comprised of malt whiskies all aged for a minimum of 18 years. The new expression is said to offer a ‘new angle to the world of peated whisky’. Many quality Japanese restaurants and bars will carry Hakushu 12. It’s one of the top handful of recognizable brands, so it behooves buyers to carry it. Non-Japanese bars with good spirits selections will also often carry this great whisky.Many people prefer the fruitier whiskies from Yamazaki. I like the herbal and crisp Hakushu malts. But everyone is different, so I encourage you to try them side by side if possible.

Refined and elegant, this centennial Hakushu Peated Malt is a distinctly Japanese take on peated whisky. The smoke is less strong, never dominant and in typical Japanese style, is more complex and gentle. The Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Single Malt is comprised of meticulously selected malt whiskies all aged for a Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara was blended for our 100-year anniversary and features a rich texture created from a long ageing process,” said fifth-generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. “This expresses the delicate and meticulous attention to detail that went into its craftsmanship.”The Hakushu 18 YO Peated Single Malt is comprised of meticulously selected malt whiskies all aged for a minimum of 18 years in various casks, created in honour of House of Suntory’s centenary.

The environment around the Distillery is key to the Hakushu Distillery story. When setting the distillery up, Suntory travelled around the country testing countless water source samples to ensure they had the perfect source for their most precious ingredient; water. Hakushu’s soft water source flows through the forest and granite before getting to the Hakushu Distillery, and it has been attributed some of the credit by the production team at Hakushu for the light, soft flavour of the end product. Train – the distillery is located about 10 minutes by car from Kobuchizawa Station on the JR Chuo Main Line.

History

Bus service – From Nirasaki to Hakushu Distillery, No. 3 boarding area at Nirasaki Station → Matsubarakami (the closest bus stop to the distillery). These overall comparisons hold true for Yamazaki 18 and Hakushu 18. Suntory releases them both at the same price. But Yamazaki tends to be a little more expensive retail. Tasked with producing an original whisky distinct from those originating at Yamazaki distillery, the Hakushu distillery was built as Suntory’s second distillery in 1973 on the 50th anniversary of the start of construction at its sister facility.