Fukano Distillery – Select Japanese Whisky (70cl, 43%)

Fukano Select is the annual release from Fukano Distillery in Hitoyoshi City, Japan. It is made with koji and distilled from 100% rice, malted, unmalted and koji, after a 21-day parallel fermentation, in a single run through a stainless steel pot still. This edition brings together the six casks behind the 2023 Single Cask bottlings and adds ex-red wine and sherry casks. The whisky was aged in new and used white oak, ex-red wine and ex-Manzanilla sherry casks. It is non-chill-filtered, bottled at 43% ABV, and 4,172 bottles were filled. The nose is jammy red fruit and confectionery spice, with cinnamon, ripe peach and stewed strawberry. On the palate come brighter spice, dehydrated apple, hints of wet clay and warm oak, leading to a long finish.