Sakurao – Single Malt (70cl, 43%)

Sakurao Single Malt is a Japanese single malt from the Sakurao Distillery in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture. It is bottled at 43% ABV in a 70cl bottle and was one of the distillery's core releases in 2022. The whisky is aged for over three years in four different cask types, in a cellar close to the Seto Inland Sea. Large temperature swings through the year speed up maturation there, and the malt takes on a hint of the tide. The nose combines raisin, orange and peach with subtle peat. The palate shows vanilla sweetness balanced by astringency and acidity, and the finish is smoky, with cask aroma, rich sweetness and a lingering bitterness.