Hayashi 8 Year Ryukyu Japanese Whisky (70cl, 43%)

Hayashi 8 Year Ryukyu is a single-grain Japanese whisky made from 100% Japanese indica rice, fermented with black koji. It follows the tradition of awamori, the native spirit of the Ryukyu Islands, and no caramel colour is added. The whisky was matured for eight years in bourbon casks in Okinawa and is bottled at 43% in a 700ml bottle. The nose is earthy, with mushroom, caramel, leather and maple alongside vanilla and tropical warmth. The palate is silky and thin in texture, moving from mushroom and mild oak to coconut milk and pineapple, then caramel, leather and walnut. The finish is long, with pineapple, caramel, toasted coconut and oak.