Akkeshi – Daikan Blended Peated 2022 (70cl, 48%)

Akkeshi Daikan is a peated Japanese blended whisky from the Akkeshi distillery, released in 2022 and bottled at 48% in a 70cl bottle. It is the sixth release in the distillery's 24 seasons series, which alternates between single malt and blend. Half of the blend is Akkeshi's own malt, alongside imported new pot grain whisky that has aged for more than three years. The name refers to the fifteen days of cold weather at the end of January, and the packaging draws on kearashi, the frost smoke that rises as mist from the sea. Tasting notes mention dried fruit, honey and light smoke on the nose, then caramel, vanilla, candied fruit and gentle peat on a velvety palate, with a long finish.