A collectible single cask release from the Hanyu distillery, one of Japan’s fabled distilleries closed in 2001. It was distilled in the distillery’s final year and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange in 2016, even previewed to great acclaim at The Whisky Show. With Hanyu whisky growing rarer by the day, this a chance to own a piece of Japanese whisky history!
Hanyu was founded in 1941 by Isouji Akuto, a 19th-generation member of a sake and shochu-producing family with roots dating back to the 1600s. In 1980, during the Japanese whisky boom, Hanyu began producing malt whisky, importing Scottish whisky casks and filling them with the Hanyu newmake. Around 80% of their production used refill hogsheads, with the rest in virgin oak. Unfortunately, this venture didn’t last very long as the distillery was shut down in 2001.
This product does not include a box.
NOSE
The nose brings to mind a buttery, rich pastry with brown sugar, wrapping around a core of barley sweetness and tropical fruit (papaya and mango). Hints of polished oak and varnish add a spicy warmth, layered with orange cream and milk chocolate in the background.
PALATE
Bold spices lead the palate – cinnamon, clove, and fresh dark oak, balanced by sweet licorice, waxy wood polish, and dark chocolate with bitter cocoa and sweet fruit. Bittersweet caramel adds contrast, mellowing into notes of orange, lemon, buttery pastry, toffee, and fudge-like a lemon tart with a brûlée topping.
FINISH
A tingling spice lingers, revealing baked apple, candied lemon, and blackcurrant. before mellowing into vanilla pastry and a soft, sweet spice.