Suntory Vintage Malt 1987 Hakushu

Review by Nonjatta contributor - Serge Valentin

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"Vintage Hakushu 1987/2005 (56%, OB, sherry, Spanish oak, Omi cellar)
Colour: Amber / mahogany.
Nose: Maybe not exactly in the same league as the Yamazaki 1984 that won the Malt Maniacs Awards 2006 but the dryness is perfect here. Loads of chocolate, coffee, prunes... A lot of rubber as well (not sulphury at all, rather like bicycle inner tubes). Liqueur-filled chocolate, blackberry jam, liquorice. Not peat that I can smell (but the sherry is ‘loud’ so...) Anyway, this one is very clean and perfectly balanced sherried malt, no monster in any way. Now we know where all the great sherry casks have gone ;-).
Mouth: Ultra-bold, ultra-fruity and ultra-winey. As thick as if they had re-cooked sherry several times. Really like if there was at least 1/3 sherry in it. What’s interesting is that the result isn’t cloying in any way despite the relative clumsiness. Nice notes of orange liqueur as well, very bold. ‘Spoonable’.
Finish: long, thick, heavy, sweet but not sluttish. Kind of austere in it’s full sherryness. Extreme, in any case. Do I like it? Well, I’d say it is very remarkable. Is there any peat? How would I know? 82 points." (Serge`s scoring system is explained on this page.)

Alcohol
56 per cent (abv)
Price700 ml - ?