Hakushu 18 years old / 43% / 0.7l

Hakushu, built in 1973 in Yamanashi Prefecture, was Suntory's second malt distillery.

In 1981, a sister facility, Hakushu Higashi (Eastern Hakushu), was built next door, and the whole created the largest malt distillery in the world – equipped with 36 stills and capable of producing 30 million liters of distillate per year. In the 1990s, as a result of a drop in demand for Japanese whisky by over 75%, the owners reduced the number of stills to 11 and consequently the distillation capacity to 4 million liters. Hakushu 18 years old debuted in March 2006 and immediately won a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. It is composed of distillates aged in first and refill sherry casks and in bourbon casks.

Nose : fresh, slightly floral, pears, apples, grapes, vanilla, coffee with milk, forest floor, notes of mint and oregano and a distant whiff of smoke.

Palate : mild, cooked apples and pears, mango, quince jelly, vanilla, milk chocolate, candied ginger, cinnamon and subtle oak tones.

Finish : quite long, fruity with notes of oak, a pinch of cinnamon and a trace of peat.