The Japanese whiskeys are becoming very popular, and we were very lucky to get ourselves a bottle of the Hakushu 12 Year Japanese Whiskey.
The nose on this whiskey is very bright, full of citrus notes, malted barley, wood, and sweet sherry-like hints. It is mild in the sense that it does not assault your nose, but it is complex and remarkably inviting. It is definitely reminiscent of a single malt scotch, however it is lighter and has more sweet citrus than some of the Scotches we have come across.
The Hakushu hits the palate soft on the front, the oak influence comes through in the mid palate with a little char. There is a little bit of a sweet sherry flavor, which we found out is from a short time the whiskey spends finishing in sherry casks, but it is not very heavy, rather complimenting the rest of flavors beautifully. The sip finishes with peat and smoke flavors once again reminiscent of the Scotch whiskey that influenced Japanese Whiskeys, and does not linger long. The sip is complex, but could use a little more body and a little longer finish.
As always, we added a couple drops of water into the glass, and let it sit for a second. The Nose is much sweeter, with some mellow wood still coming through, and is lighter than without the water.
The sip has a little more oak on the front, with some of the sweetness being on the front of the palate instead of the mid. The mid has more dark fruit flavors that come out, but is a little more passive, not as apparent. The finish still has peat and smoke flavors to it, but it is even shorter than before adding water.
So let’s get into our ratings for this.
Angie: 89/100
Zach: 89/100
Overall: 89/100
This could have topped the 90+ ratings with just a little more body, and a longer finish. However, definitely a terrific bottle, and one you definitely should pick up given the chance if you like Scotch and Scotch-style whiskeys.
