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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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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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.

@Kinnison This one sounds deelish

@Kinnison Agreed. I've had a couple of nice Japanese whisky but they are mostly meh. Now, the few Indian ones I've had have been much better.