Spirit Type: Blended Whiskey

Country: Japan

ABV: 40%

Bottle size: 70cl

Description:

The Sasanogawa Brewery, famous for its Cherry Whisky, was part of the local whisky boom known as "Cherry in the North, Toa in the East, and Mars in the West" from 1975 to 1960.

In 2004, Mr. Ichiro Hido, the president of Toa Shuzo, asked Sasanogawa Shuzo to take care of the whiskey stored at the Hanyu distillery due to Toa Shuzo's poor management. The whisky was stored at the Hanyu distillery for the poor management of Toa Shuzo and was entrusted to Sasanogawa Shuzo, which was later released as Ichiro's Malt.

The Yamazakura series includes Yamazakura Blended Whisky Black Label and Yamazakura Pure Malt.

Color: First steep white tea.

On the nose: Bold but short aromas of barley, mangoes, mango skin, cooked pears, and dried apricot. The ethanol heat can get inconsistent, and at times it's just in your face. There are times when it's very well-behaved after the initial aromas are light and short aromas of barley husk, chocolate malt, roasted coffee beans, browned apples, and honeydew melons.

The sherry components are instantly noticed in the mouth just as the whisky touched my tongue. Light but stretched out tastes of coffee, dark chocolate, the chocolate, and peat mix one gets from Lagavulin 16, and chocolate malt. There's even a tingling taste of raisins and sultanas somewhere in there. After are some light but shortened kaffir lime leaves, pepperiness, lime peel, honey, and coconut sugar syrup. The heat here is consistent. The bite is more of at the end, but it feels like it comes from a 43% ABV whiskey.