Hakushu 18 years




Reviews and comments by others
Robert Karlsson, Malt Maniacs 101, February 2007 gave 87/100 ("highly recommendable") to a 2006 bottling. He said it was "very drinkable". There were fruit flavours on the nose - "papaya, passion fruit, also citrus and lemon grass" - and also a very slight touch of smoke. He found the palate refreshing: "the slight traces of smoke returns. Lime. Wood derived spices." He found it slightly bitter at the end with leather tastes developing.
Serge Valentin on Whiskyfun.com was also impressed, scoring the same 2006 bottling at 80/100 ("recommendable") and describing it as a "good, rather unusual whisky". He found the nose started on "bananas, papayas and elegant oaky tones". The oak built "with quite some vanilla, a little varnish, brand new wooden cupboard" and then switched to "ginger ale and pear eau-de-vie after a moment, canned pineapples... huge notes of nutmeg appearing after a while." In the mouth, the first taste was woody and tanniny: "Slightly astringent but there’s also the same very nice fruitiness as on the nose, with lots of bananas again, dried lychees, walnut skin, almonds, cider apple." There was a long tanniny finish.
Out of 13 reviewers on the Maltmaniacs.org website, the 2006 bottle scored an average of 83/100 ("recommendable").
Martine Nouet and Dave Broom tasted the same bottling in the June 2006 issue of the Whisky Magazine. They gave identical 7.25/10 scores in their reviews. Both commented on the intensity and fruit notes of the nose. Nouet found the palate "smooth at start then becoming sherbety. Cooked fruit (apples and pears) soon covered by dry oakiness." Broom described it thus: "Direct with decent grip. Finer in character than the 12 with similar levels of sweetness but this has more toastiness and better length. Silky." Both reviewers found it better neat. Broom liked its "clean progression of flavours" while Nouet criticised a lack of balance.
(Please note the dates on reviews if they are provided. There may be significant variation between different years of a single malt brand)

Alcohol
43 per cent
Price (April 2007)
700 ml - 21,000 yen

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