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[Brownski]

Sounds good. The rum category is tricky. Back when Grey Goose was still growing and Patron was still the hot new thing a bunch of companies try to create a super/ultra premium segment but none of them really succeeded. And the aged rum category is tricky too because a lot of the countries that produce it allow age statements to reflect an average age instead of the youngest. Others just stick numbers on the label that don’t really represent anything but people assume is an age statement.

 

[JTG]

Definitely going to be interested in the resident expert’s take in this one.

I picked up a new “Japanese” whisky entrant this evening.

Seems to be a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding this one, but it’s a “teaspoon whisky” project that was born 12 years ago, has deep pockets funding it, and a decades experienced master blender (Jeffrey Karlovich) at the controls....although I’m not sure anyone knows exactly what the hell this is.

Seems it starts with un-named Japanese distilled whisky that is then put in Mizunara Oak ($6,000 a barrel, rare and difficult to work with, imparting unique flavors) barrels, with the whiskey aged at sea (which imparts its own characteristics) as it makes its way from Osaka (?) to Liverpool for sale.

Brownski...shed some insider light on this one, please!

Oh, how is this mysterious “Japanese” spirit? The vanillin in the Mizunara Oak impart flavors I like, and it has a subtle smokiness that is not unpleasant to this not-a-peat fan. Pretty smooth, and very tasty!

 

[Brownski]

Wish I could help. It certainly sounds good. Can’t really comment on the whiskey itself without tasting it but Mizunara is some super special wood. If I remember correctly it’s from a protected forest in Japan and they’re only allowed to harvest a very small amount of lumber from it each year. Twelve year old Japanese Whiskey is pretty expensive by itself at this point so I’m sure this stuff must have been costly.

 

[JTG]

It’s a NAS whisky, and given the teaspooning it can’t even be called a single malt. Nobody really knows what distillery it’s from, nor how old it actually is.

Apparently a Mr. Watanabe (nobody knows his first name) is behind creating Kaiyo, and Mr. Watanable is supposedly and ex-Asahi employee. So perhaps that connection means the whisky comes from Asahi, or maybe from Nikka, which is owned by Asahi?

So, the suggested retail is only $55 for 750ml. Of course nothing coming out of Japan sells for MSRP, but it was only $70.

This one was #14 on Whisky Advocate’s top 20 whiskies of 2019.

The liquor store also had a bottle of Cask Strength Kaiyo ($99), which is apparently the best of the bunch. Kaiyo makes the regular, Cask Strength, and a peated offering.

 

[Peter Minde]

I just returned to where I started, lo those many years ago: adult beverage retail. There's a dizzying array of single malt scotches and Japanese and 'Murrican whiskies.

 

[Brownski]

I just returned to where I started, lo those many years ago: adult beverage retail. There's a dizzying array of single malt scotches and Japanese and 'Murrican whiskies.

Seriously. When I started in the business, everybody said brown spirits were dead and all the vodka brands were introducing new flavors one after another.

 

[Peter Minde]

Glenfarclas single malt, which Winebow sold in the 80s, is nowhere to be found. Then we had Springbank, which I seldom see. Can't keep track of all the flavored vodkas. Many years ago, I attended a Russian friend's wedding. All of his buddies came from the old country with real flavored vodkas. Not Stolichnaya. We had to drink shots and serenade his in-laws.

 

[Brownski]

Glenfarclas is around still. I’ve sold it in the past.

 

[Brownski]

Glenfarclas is around still. I’ve sold it in the past.

Looks like Sazerac has it now. It’s been kicked around a bit

 

[Peter Minde]

Is total vertical integration becoming a thing these days? E.g. for years, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio was imported by Tony Terlato. Now it's "Santa Margherita Imports." Many more examples of this. A way of eliminating one of the middle men?