Hatozaki 5 Year Old Sakura Cask Finish Omakase Collection (70cl, 46%)

This is a 5 year old Japanese blended malt from the Kaikyo Distillery in Hyogo, the fifth edition of the Hatozaki Omakase Collection. It is bottled at 46% in a 70cl bottle, and Master Distiller and Blender Kimio Yonezawa makes it in small batches. The whisky begins its maturation in new, toasted oak casks and is then finished in Sakura cherry wood casks. The finish gives it a copper colour. The nose is malty grain with ripe pear and delicate blossom. The palate is full-bodied, with honey and toffee and a fine citrus note. The finish is spicy and dry, with lasting vanilla, a hint of oak and a subtle floral trace.