Eigashima Shuzo Akashi 5 Year Old Sake Cask Finish (75cl, 50%)

Akashi 5 Year Old Sake Cask Finish is a Japanese single malt from Eigashima Shuzo's White Oak Distillery in Hyogo Prefecture, bottled at 50% ABV in a 750ml bottle. It is made from lightly peated barley and distilled in copper pot stills. The whisky spends four years in ex-bourbon barrels, then a final year in American-oak casks seasoned with Kijoshu, a rich, port-like style of sake made by the Eigashima family. The nose offers walnut, vanilla and a little peat, with candied orange, almond butter and sake lees. The palate has bittersweet orange and chocolate-covered banana over saltwater taffy and cocoa, with a savoury umami thread. The finish dries with black tea tannin, fresh cypress and leather.