The Hakushu 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

The Ojira and Jingu rivers provide the water used to mill and crush the malted barley used to make the Hakushu 18-year-old Single Malt Japanese Whisky. The water’s filtration through the granite rocks of the Japanese Alps gives it a special softness and purity. After being mashed, the grains are fermented in wooden washbacks by a special strain of yeast (Hakushu Distillery has thousands of different strains in its arsenal). By adding naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria and other microorganisms to the wash, wooden washbacks, as opposed to stainless steel washbacks, capitalize on the distillery’s special location, despite the increased expense and effort involved small batch bourbon.

Before the whisky is stored in the distillery’s warehouses, the wash is twice distilled via Hakushu’s copper-pot stills after fermentation. Pure Japanese spring water is used to bring the whisky to proof after it has been matured for at least 18 years. Hakushu 18 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky has a delicious scent with notes of citrus, pear, and dry smoke, which is a result of the whisky’s sleep in Japan’s deep forests. The palate is dominated by notes of honey buns, baking spices, and pastries, which culminate in a finish that is accentuated by hints of cinnamon and smoke bottled in bond bourbon.

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Notes on Tasting

fruity scent with notes of dry wood, citrus, and pear. The palate is dominated by notes of honey buns, baking spices, and pastries. Finish with hints of cinnamon and smoke.

Concerning hakushu whiskey​

The father of Japanese whisky, Shinjiro Torii, established a general store in Osaka, Japan, in February 1899, where he dealt in imported wines. Torii started making his own sweet grape wine, Akadama Port Wine, within ten years, and it quickly gained national acclaim. After World War I, Torri, who had always been interested in whisky, made the decision to grow his company and started building Japan’s first whiskey distillery, the Yamazaki Distillery.

Keizo Saji carried on his father’s idea and started building Suntory’s second distillery fifty years after the Yamazaki Distillery was built. Torii and Saji both envisioned a distinctively Japanese method of producing whisky, despite being influenced by conventional Scottish distilleries. Therefore, the Hakushu Distillery is located in the southern Alps of Japan, in the thick forests of Mount Kaikomagatake. Surrounded by approximately 6,000 different types of flora and granite rocks that date back thousands of years, the area has a distinct microclimate.

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Japanese whisky brands

Even though it might not be the first spirit that comes to mind when someone mentions Japan, the Japanese produce some of the best whisky in the world. Although it has softer, more delicate aromas, it is strongly inspired by scotch.

Japanese whisky has only been around for a hundred years, yet in that short time, Japanese single and blended malts have swept the globe and are now able to compete with whiskies from all around the world.

Explore our treasure trove of rare and difficult-to-find japanese whiskey​, discover your new favorite among the top bottles under $200, or peruse our remarkable range of japanese whisky worth trying.