Shizuoka – United S Winter 2023 (50cl, 50.5%)

A lightly peated Japanese single malt from Shizuoka Distillery, bottled in winter 2023 as a limited edition. It comes in a 50cl bottle at 50.5% ABV. Shizuoka was founded in 2016 and has been operating since 2018. It works with two stills: one that came from the Karuizawa distillery and one that is fired with wood. The name United points to the combination of the two. The nose is fresh and fruity, with apple, lychee, pear, honey and lime. The palate is oily, with apple, sunflower oil, pastry and citrus fruit alongside a little peat. The finish is expressive, leaning on peat and biscuits.