Suntory Hakushu Distillers Reserve 43%

Description

Suntory Hakushu Distillers Reserve Single Malt Whisky is a Japanese whisky made at the Hakushu Distillery, known in Japan as “the forest distillery”. This is the second of Suntory’s distilleries and was founded in 1973, joining the Yamazaki Distillery, the oldest distillery in Japan, established in 1923 by the founder of Suntory, Shinjiro Torii.

The Hakushu distillery is located in the heart of a vast evergreen forest in the foothills of the southern Japanese Alps at the base of Mount Kaikomagatake. The water that runs off the mountains is naturally filtered through the granite rocks of the area, producing a very pure spring water. There are numerous springs in the area, including the clean and pure Ojira River. The whisky is distilled in coal-fired stills, and uniquely, the whisky is filtered through bamboo charcoal before bottling. The relatively high altitude of the distillery (700m) and the clean, cool, humid air allow the whiskies to gently and slowly age away in carefully selected oak barrels. This all combines to produce a contrasting style to its Yamazaki siblings; the Hakushu whiskies are lighter, crisper and fresher in style.

Suntory Hakushu Distillers Reserve Single Malt Whisky is a no-age-statement (NAS) whisky and is a blend of young lightly peated single malts (8 years old) and older, more heavily peated malts (18 years old). All the whiskies are blended by Shinji Fukuyo, who is only the fourth Chief Blender in owner Suntory’s 90 year history.