Komagatake Single Cask 1989/2006

"Shinshu Komagatake 1989/2006 (60.1%, Official Bottling cask #616, 430 bottles, bourbon)
Colour: Full gold.
Nose: The oak is doing all the work here. There is a mass of vanilla, huge lactones, whiffs of sawdust and hints of coconut, strawberries and ginger. This one reminds me of the ‘Missouri Oak school’. We aren’t too far from grain whisky here. With water: It’s much nicer. Not particularly complex but there is a smoothness there now and a faint maltiness. Very ‘Glenmorangie’. Maybe the famous Highlands distillery had been benchmarked at some point?
Mouth (neat): Typical uber-sweet, very oaky whisky. Exactly the same profile as on the nose when neat. Needs water! With water: the wood really stands out now, with an unusual blend of plain cane sugar and very dry tea and spices (white pepper). A rather light distillate it seems.
Finish: Medium long. clean but a little indefinite.
Comments: A good average light whisky in a rather active cask. Maybe not much depth but it is perfectly drinkable. SGP:431 – 77 points." (Serge`s scoring system is explained on this page.)

Alcohol
Abv 60.1 per cent
Price
This whisky is difficult to find now. Was being sold at about 12,000 yen.

The photograph is taken from this online seller.