Kaiyō Mizunara Oak The Peated / 46%/ 0.7l

Kaiyō Ltd. is a Hong Kong-based whisky publisher founded by a former Asahi manager named Mr. Watanabe.

Asahi is one of the main producers of alcoholic beverages in Japan, owning, among others, the Nikka distillery (Yoichi and Miyagikyo) and supposedly Mr. Watanabe's contacts allowed him to buy barrels of so-called spooned malts (single malt with a minimal admixture of another malt whisky) from Japanese distilleries (he does not reveal which ones). These whiskies are aged in Mizunara oak barrels, and the final maturation phase takes place during a 3-month sea voyage (kaiyō means ocean). According to Jeff Karlovitch, the Kaiyō blender, the version of The Peated presented here is a whisky aged in Madeira barrels for two years, then another 2-3 years in Mizunara oak barrels.

Aroma : fruity and pleasantly peaty, apples, pears, peaches, summer berries, vanilla, caramel, notes of iodine and sandalwood.

Palate: peaty-sweet, vanilla, honey, toasted sesame seeds, orange peel, pears, honeydew melon, sugared almonds and a light oak bitterness.

Finish : medium long, with notes of peat, tropical fruits, roasted grains, a mixture of spices and oak.