Hakushu – 18 Year Old (70cl, 43%)

Hakushu 18 Year Old is a Japanese single malt from Suntory's Hakushu distillery, founded in 1973 in the Japanese Southern Alps, in Yamanashi Prefecture. It is bottled at 43% in a 70cl bottle. The whisky was matured for 18 years in a mix of American white oak, sherry casks and mizunara, or Japanese oak. The distillery uses mountain water from Mount Kaikomagatake and copper pot stills of varying shapes and sizes. The nose combines honey, pear, orange and vanilla with green apple, floral notes and subtle smoke. The palate is dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruit and spice with delicate smokiness. The finish is long, with oak, spice, honey and a mild smokiness that fades slowly.