Tag: #adventure

Hakushu Single Malt NA – Hakushu Distillery, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

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The whiskey: Suntory Hakushu Single Malt NA 43%

Country of Origin: Japan (Yamanashi Prefecture)

Location: Suntory Hakushu Distillery, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

The Hakushu is a relatively popular single malt whiskey from one of the big Japanese whiskey houses, Suntory. Although Hakushu isn’t one of my favourite whiskeys, or even one of my favourite Japanese whiskeys, it’s special to me because it was the first Japanese whiskey I tasted – in a brightly lit izakaya in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. I was dragged there by a few colleagues and decided to treat myself to the whiskey the bar was promoting – the Hakushu 12.

A week before my visit to the distillery Suntory announced that they would be discontinuing the flagship Hakushu 12 due to supply issues – we’re all drinking the stuff quicker than they can produce it. The day I visited I was recovering from a serious chest infection, it was raining and the shuttle bus had been cancelled so the trip to get there was a little epic. I also wasn’t entirely certain the distillery was going to be open since it had been closed for maintenance recently and in light of the 12YO’s future I could understand if tours were no longer being conducted. So it was with relief that when I arrived the gate was open and I was welcomed in.

The Hakushu distillery rests in forested area at the foot of Mount Kaikoma in the Southern Japanese Alps and much is made of the distillery’s natural setting and access to pristine water. It really is a pretty location, up in the hills and the grounds of the distillery (or those that you can access) are serene and aesthetic and worth walking through.

As well as the distillery area the site has a bar (which I didn’t visit), a whiskey museum and the obligatory gift shop. The museum is well worth a look, so if you plan to visit set some time aside for this.

The tour covers the history of the site, the component ingredients (including an excellent hands on explanation of what ingredients whiskey is made from) and goes directly through the distilling area – past the mash tuns and the stills and into the barrel store. The tour is excellent and caters to English speaking tourists well.

The tour concludes with a tasting of some of the separate component parts of the Hakushu NA including lightly peated spirit, japanese white oak barreled spirit and finally the completed Hakushu single malt.

Note: Tasting notes are for the Hakushu NA Single Malt, not for the component parts

The nose: Vanilla, herbs ( I don’t get mint as our guide suggests, I would have said coriander leaf). I get the cucumber, but only after it was specifically pointed out by our guide. Light, bright but dilute honey. There’s a touch of peat lurking back there if you look for it.

On the palate: Light green tea, the light wood – I’d say the white oak is doing something in there, otherwise there’s french oak too (think Macallan 12 Fine Oak). Definitely citrus, yes to the yuzu and lemon, although my first thought was pink grapefruit. I get a little toasted nut – almonds or cashews, but faintly. Some peaty heat after the swallow, but very mild.

The finish. It does actually hang around but it’s pretty subtle, so it seems like it finished earlier than it really does. I’m left with the vanilla from the wood, some sweet peat aftermath and some really subtle buttered toast characteristics. Honeyed lemon peel (again, really light).

What do I think: It’s a good whiskey, but not one I’ve often reached for. It’s too subtle and light for me – not good enough on it’s own (in comparison to alternatives) but too good to use in a highball (it does make a very good highball though). It’d make a good introduction whiskey though as it’s approachable and inoffensive, despite being (lightly) peated.

What does it remind me of: Macallan 12 Fine Oak. But not as seamless and with a lighter mouthfeel and flavours. Given that in Australia it retails at about the same price as the Macallan 12 Fine Oak I’d pick the Macallan.

Nikka Miyagikyo NA – Kosciusko National Park, Snowy Mountains, Australia

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Nikka Miyagikyo NA – Kosiuscko National Park, Snowy Mountains, Australia

The Miyagikyo 12 is one of my favourite whiskeys ever, deliciously silky, and balanced with just a hint of smoke to round out the finish. The no age offering is also a favourite as it captures a lot of what I love about the 12YO but is so much more affordable, even with the inflation of Japanese whiskey prices in recent years. The Miyagikyo is starting to make it’s way into Australia in bars and Japanese restaurants, so keep an eye out for it.

The Whiskey: Nikka Miyagikyo NA 45%

Country of Origin: Japan (Miyagi Prefecture)

The location: Main Range, Kosciusko National Park, Snowy Mountains, Australia

The Snowy mountains (commonly called the ‘Snowies’) are, by international standards, underwhelming as a mountain range – in many places they’d barely qualify as foothills at the base of mountains. Yet for us this collection of craggy peaks, rounded treeless hills and alpine lakes is what we consider our ‘local’ alpine area. We often visit the area in summer to hike using the elevation as a way to escape Australia’s brutal mid-summer heat.

Ascending from the valley below you pass through thick eucalyptus forests and fern groves, weaving your way upwards until the thick, lower growth gives way to alpine herbs and snow gums. The snow gums, with their multi hued bark and twisted, stunted forms are almost surreal, but beautiful parodies of what a tree should be.

Once you reach the alpine tundra it becomes reminiscent of images of the scottish highlands, thick, low heath and soaring tussocked hills scattered with freshwater springs and waterfalls. Snow drifts are still present even in midsummer, clinging to the shadows. The diminutive heights of the largest mountains (our highest peak, Mt Kosciusko is a mere 2288m) and their rounded shape give a false sense that this is easy country to access – while it’s not considered difficult terrain for experienced walkers the ascent from the nearest township at 1500m is still grueling. Along the spine of the Main Range runs an old road, now closed to traffic, that is bare, often windblasted and exposed to the elements and once we’ve gained the heights we use this to trek towards our campsite. For Australia this is a unique landscape, occupying a tiny percentage of our landmass, and the threat of climate change looms large over its future.

As the Range tumbles southwards down craggy bluffs we follow a creekline down into a secluded glade, hidden mostly from the wind and with a source of water close by. With camp set up it’s time for a dram.

On the nose – sherry fruit,

On the palate – silky, light cocoa, red fruits (pickled plum??)

The finish – lingers, with a wisp of smoke to finish it off.

What do I think: Phenomenal, especially for a no age whiskey that retails at around $65 a bottle (in Japan, depending on the exchange rate and taxes). This has been my ‘go to’ Japanese whiskey for years and for good reason. I don’t think it’s a typical example of the style that Japanese whiskeys are known for, but it’s an excellent example of what Japanese distillers can achieve. Very enjoyable.

What it reminds me of: Dimple 15 is probably the closest match to this that I can think of, although the Miyagikyo is smoother and has a distinctly Japanese flavour I can’t quite pick – pickled plums perhaps. Some of the Mars distillery’s offerings, especially the Iwai are in a similar style and other wine cask finish whiskeys carry similar stone fruit flavours.

Joadja Single Malt PX Cask Batch 7 – Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains, Australia

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Joadja Single Malt PX Cask Batch 7 – Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains Australia

Joadja is a relatively recent find for me and is already very special to me, both the location where it’s made, the distillery it’s made in and the whiskey itself.

Whiskey: Joadja Single Malt PX Cask Batch 7 48%

Country of Origin: Australia (Southern Highlands)

The location: Mt Boyce, Walkdown Gully Area

Joadja’s 7th batch of their sexy PX finished single malt comes in a convenient 200ml bottle, so when a whiskey loving mate suddenly wanted to drive to the Blue Mountains for a climb it fit easily into my pack, tucked in against a couple of small whisky glasses.

Mt Boyce is a favourite climbing destination – steeped in history the first ascents of these 70m+ cliffs were with outdated climbing equipment, to the point of being considered dangerously inadequate by today’s standards. Although modernisation has caught up with Boyce the crag retains some of it’s former glory with long, committing routes requiring equipment that can be slotted into the naturally occurring cracks and pockets of the cliff. This style of climbing is more arduous, and in many ways more rewarding, than more modern techniques. The ever present gusts of wind and the long line of jagged buttresses and deep amphitheres make it an atmospheric location.

It was here, perched on a rock in the sun, after ascending one of the classic routes of the area the we treated ourselves to a medicinal couple of drams of Joadja PX to settle the nerves.

I find Joadja’s offerings really exciting – beyond two whiskeys they also product a gin on site (with lemon myrtle a pleasantly dominating and refreshing note), an anise liqueur, a new make and they also import Pedro Ximinez (a fortified wine) from their hometown in Spain. It’s the barrels the PX is shipping in that are used to finish the PX cask whiskey. The whiskey spends two years on wood, any more and the PX influence would be overwhelming.

On the nose: Syrupy raisins, butterscotch,

On the palate: Christmas pudding

The finish: Is long and heavy, leaving you with the PX wine flavours long after you’ve put the glass down.

What do I think: This is a whiskey that excites me a lot. I really enjoy it and although it can be challenging I think that actually adds to the appeal – there is some burn but it suits the style, the PX dominates but it works, it’s super syrupy and sweet but in a sexy way. Two drams and I’ve had enough, but I enjoy those two drams a lot. Against other offerings in your local whiskey store this won’t seem like great value, but find me another estate produced two year old whiskey that drinks anywhere near as well and only then will I reconsider. Joadja don’t make a fuss about it, but their whiskey is an estate production – meaning they grow their own grain, use water from a spring on site and do all spirit distillation, barreling, aging and bottling on site. It gets more exciting when you discover this is a family team who use PX casks direct from their hometown in Spain to finish the spirit and the entire distillery sits within an abandoned historic village, nestled deep within the Southern highlands, south of Sydney. Joadja have only been producing since 2014 so given that and the size of their operation and their approach to sourcing the ingredients I think what they’re producing is very impressive and this is one distillery to watch.

What it reminds me of: Concentrated Aberlour 12 perhaps? Like the most intense sherry or PX cask whisky you’ve every had. Really it doesn’t remind me of anything specific, and that’s kinda cool.