Ichiro's Malt MWR Mizunara Wood (70cl, 46.5%)

Ichiro's Mizunara Wood, labelled MWR, is a Japanese blended malt put together by Ichiro Akuto from single malts of the Hanyu and Chichibu distilleries. It comes in a 70cl bottle at 46.5% ABV. The whisky is finished in casks made of mizunara, or Japanese oak, a wood that must be more than 100 years old before casks can be made from it. The nose is soft malt, pastry, apple, apricot and melon, with fine wood and spice such as sandalwood. The palate is creamy and almost syrupy, with ripe fruit, apple, lychee and honey, then ginger, citrus, oak and spice. The finish is medium and balanced.