yamazakura

Blessed by its clean ultrapure water from melting snow due to the unique region climate in the northeast part of Japan, makes it an ideal environment for whisky production.

Being the only whisky distiller in the northeast region of Japan, Sasanokawa Shuzo is praised as a rising star in spirits industry. Based in Koriyama, Fukushi, one of the oldest sake breweries in northeast Japan, expanding their categories with whisky. Sasanokawa Shuzo began in 1765 with a history of more than 250 years, mostly active in Japanese sake and shochu field. In 1946, they obtained their first license to distill whisky. In 2015, the company established Asaka Distillery and introduced new copper distillation equipments from Miyake Industry in Japan. In 2016. Asaka Distillery was the smallest distiller in Japan.

Yamazakura’s Pure Malt is said to be a blend of various single malts which are at least five years old. These are a mix of peated and unpeated single malts aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks.

Yamazakura Pure Malt review (from ‘malt-review.com’).

Yamazakura Pure Malt – Review

48% ABV.

Color: First steep white tea.

On the nose: I initially get bold but short aromas of barley, mangoes, mango skin, cooked pears and dried apricot. The ethanol heat can get inconsistent. At times it’s just in your face. There are times when it’s very well-behaved. After the initial aromas are light and short aromas of barley husk, chocolate malt, roasted coffee beans, browned apples and honeydew melons.

In the mouth: The sherry components are instantly noticed just as the whisky touched my tongue. I get light but stretched out tastes of coffee, dark chocolate, the chocolate and peat mix one gets from Lagavulin 16, and chocolate malt. There’s even a tingling taste of raisins and sultanas somewhere in there. After are some light but shortened tastes of kaffir lime leaves, pepperiness, lime peel, honey and coconut sugar syrup. I also noticed that the heat here is consistent. The bite is more of at the end but it feels more like it comes from a 43% ABV whisky.