Yamazakura Asaka Distillery Mizunara Private Single Cask Single Malt Japanese Whisky (70cl, 62%)

A single cask Japanese single malt from the Asaka Distillery, matured in a bourbon cask and bottled at a natural cask strength of 62%. It was distilled in May 2020 and bottled the following November. It is non-chill-filtered and of natural colour, a pale gold. Asaka belongs to Sasanokawa Shuzo, a company founded in 1765 that gained a licence to make whisky in 1946 and established the distillery in 2015. The nose is fresh and fruity, with vanilla, honey and lemon cake. On the palate come honeyed sweetness, green apple, pear and cooked peach, with subtle grassy notes that move towards salted butter. The finish carries lingering oak spice.