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Overall review

While the rarity, and difficulty of finding Japanese whiskies tend to make it more expensive. The price doesn't match the quality. Far too many "Teaspoon" blends to hide their origins, and i think the regulations need to be better to create transparency of the process used.

The premium is when they are able to use Mizunara white oak which shows through and gives more Oak spice.

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Day 24

Yamazaki 12 year old

ABV: 43%
Color: Deep gold

Nose: Strong array of fruits, and a hint of herb
Palate: Hits strong with the fruits, orange, clove, some ginger
Finish: Strong smoke, cinnamon and ginger with a dripping honey tail

Notes: Superb quality that really benefited from long aging, very complex, very drinkable

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Day 23

Miyagikyo
Single malt whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: light gold

Nose: good fruit and floral, hint of smokeyness
Palate: Semi-sweet, fruity a bit of malt, and char.
Finish: Firey youthful burn at the end with some fruit and strong smoky finish

Notes: Nice complex whisky but again, a little young, and firey

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Day 22

Akashi White Oak
Blended whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: Light gold

Nose: vanilla, caramel and some watery herds
Palate: young and spirity, weak malt, lots of grain and alcohol notes
Finish: short, grain whisky, some citrus, and a trail of honey

Notes: Mixer quality grain driven spirit.

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Day 21

Kurayoshi Sherry Cask Pure Malt
Blended Whisky

ABV: 43%
Color: Light gold

Nose: Bready, fruitcake, some nuts
Palate: Honey bread and some hints of ginger
Finish: Strong finish with brown sugar, pears and blueberries

Notes: Excellent sherry cask whiskey, lots of subtle flavors, and can be sipped straight

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Day 20

Fuyu
Blended whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: Light gold

Nose: Floral some carmel and spice notes
Palate: oaky and dried fruit
Finish: hint of smoke

Notes: big disappointment. Nothing stands out and it is young and muted in all its flavors

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Day 19

Suntory Toki
Blended whisky

ABV: 43%
Color: Light straw

Nose: lemon oil and grain
Palate: grassy with some harsh citrus
Finish: trails off with some smoeky spice

Notes: barely passable with some water added.

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Day 18

Kaiyo Cask Strength
Blended Malt whisky

ABV: 53%
Color: Deep gold

Nose: strong Juicy pear, and apples, hint of maple syrup and vanilla. Good “bakery” smells
Palate: strong pear, bit of salt, oak, apples
Finish: Nice orchard flavors, trails off into oakyness, and finishes with a bit of salt and honey

Notes: Excellent “Mizunara Oak” whiskey. Very complex flavors and only a slight burn even at 53. Top notch

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Day 17

Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Blended whisky

ABV: 43%
Color: Light gold

Nose: Rich woodness, hint of berries and apple
Palate: Medium body, buttery with some fruits.
Finish: Honey that trails off with some smokey car, vanilla, and fruits come up at the end like a blossoming flower

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Day 16

Hatozaki Pure Malt
Blended Whisky
ABV: 46%
Color: White wine

Nose: slight vanilla, some florals, and a bit of fruit.
Palate: harsh sweet grains, some grape and lite pepper and vanilla
Finish: very short, lots of char and smokey grains

Notes: young rough and boring whisky

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Day 15

Nikka White oak
Single Malt (Barley)

ABV: 45%
Color: Light gold

Nose: Peaty smoke, vanilla, dried fruit, some pear
Palate: Lots of peaty char, but hard to pull out any flavors.
Finish: Smoke at the end with a bit of honey finish

Notes: really young whisky and almost seems it was trying to have barrels do most of the work.

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Day 14
Mars Komagatake (2021 Edition)
Single Malt whisky

ABV: 48%
Color: Light Gold

Nose: Grassy, with lemon and ginger
Palate: Strong barley sugars, ginger, raisins and a hint of citrus
Finish: barley sugars linger with a nice trail of a smokey char

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Day 13

The Chita (Suntory)
Single Grain (corn) whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: yellow gold

Nose: hints of caramel, pear, oak
Palate: Slight Honey vanilla a little caramal slight fruit
Finish: same flavors but trails off with a bit of char

Notes: really hard to draw any flavors from this, it is lacking any punch, and feels like it is trying to be not moonshine but failing

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Day 12

Togouchi Premium
Blended Whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: White wine

Nose: Strong grain alcohol with some fruit notes
Palate: Harsh astringency, with some smokey peat
Finish: bit of honey that fades quick

Notes: Supposedly they took a rejected Scotch, and a rejected Canadian whisky. Took it to japan, stuffed into an abandoned railway tunnel, and after 3 days it was resurrected as this abomination and called “Premium”

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Day 11

Nikka Coffey
Malt Whisky

ABV: 45%
Color: Light amber

Nose: Oily Butterscotch and vanilla, with bits of caramel
Palate: Butterscotch and roasted pastries notes of spice and minerals
Finish: medium fade of butterscotch malt fruits and vanilla

Notes: Decent sense of balance, medium bodied and slightly oily.

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Day 10

Mars Kasei
Blended whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: old gold

Nose: florals with some fruit and a hint of smoke
Palate: green apple, some smokey notes, followed by honey and some malt
Finish: vanilla and citrus with a nice char that lingers

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Day 9

Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky
(95% corn, 5% malted Barely)

ABV: 45%
Color: Light Amber

Nose: Sweet, caramel vanilla and fruits
Palate: dark sweet, grains, and a bit of smoke
Finish: Light fade of caramel, toasted bread, char

Notes: young grain whisky, casual no frills sipper to break up routine. Nothing special

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Day 8
Nikka's Yoichi
single malt whisky

ABV: 45%
Color: Straw

Nose: Full, smokey peat fades to citrus
Palate: Powerful smokey and char flavors lots of spices, very “Chewy” and complex
Finish: Long silky finish, mature fruits peat turns to herbs and malt, and slight coastal saltness

Notes: Absolutely a divine whisky, just a full Smokey flavors throughout. Drink straight and savor every drop as you walk along the coast

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Day 7
Hatozaki
Blended whisky

ABV: 40%
Color: Gin Clear

Nose: light malt, cereal notes and some lemongrass
Palate: Grain sweet, touch of honey. Slight floral notes
Finish: nuttiness lingers with more cereal notes

Notes: passable. Might be okay to mix

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Day 6
Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve
Single Malt
ABV: 43%
Color: Old Gold

Nose: Strong fruit smell. Cherry and dried fruits, sandlewood, hint of coconut
Palate: Dried berries, oak, peach, and a bit of spice
Finish: Long vanilla tail, smokiness

Notes: Excellent whisky, great value. Even go as far as to say it could go toe to toe with a 12 or 14 year MaCallan or better