Ichiro Akuto's most voluminous and accessible Whisky is, as it says on the label, a blend of Malt and Grain Whiskies. While the exact source of the material is not published, it's known it's a blend of Japanese distilled material vatted with Whiskies sourced from around the world. In addition to whisky from his own stocks--including, potentially, Hanyu and Karuizawa, as well as his own Chichibu--the blend contains spirits from Canada, the United States, Ireland and Scotland. The imported Whiskeys are 3-5-years-old, aged in their country of origin before being carefully blended with local Japanese material and matured a further 1-3 years at Chichibu. The Whisky is vatted in 2 x 5,000-litre wooden barrels built by French cooper Taransaud. Non-chill filtered, non-coloured, Chichibu Ichiro's Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky is a pure example of Akuto's whisky making expertise.

In 2017, the Tatsumi Distillery opened in Gujohachiman, Japan and uses traditional brewing practices and materials such as copper pot and kabutogama stills to produce high-quality Gin and Absinthe. The kabutogama still is an old method of distillation that was popular until the late 19th century and the owner Mr. Tatsumi is dedicated to reviving this method through his patience and expertise. His passion for creating unique and authentic spirits is gaining recognition from industry peers and consumers alike. Tatsumi, the owner of Tatsumi Distillery, has created an exceptional craft gin using only one botanical, Juniper berry sourced from northern Macedonia, known for its high quality. The juniper berries found in North Macedonia are distinct due to the unique natural terroir, which results in a high concentration of essential oils. These berries grow wild on high mountain slopes that are unpolluted and pristine, making them the ideal choice for crafting the world's finest gin. Tatsumi Distillery Gin is distilled from two different Shochu bases, Sake Lees Shochu & Chicory Shochu, using the traditional Kabutogama still. To ensure consistency, Tatsumi Distillery Gin is handmade in small batches of less than 500 bottles. Tatsumi Distillery Gin has a woody taste similar to that of coniferous trees, along with a subtle hint of citrus and a fruity aroma reminiscent of Ginjo-Sake. The palate is dominated by the clear flavour of juniper berry, which is pleasantly spicy. The aftertaste is complex and rich, with a depth that comes from the carefully selected base spirits.

A timeless style of malt whisky, Balcones 1 Texas Single Malt breathes new life into centuries of distilling tradition with classic techniques and ingredients adapted for New World tastes. Opening aromas bear hints of toffee and overripe fruits. On the palate, layers of toasted malt and honey give way to mellow notes of baked pears and apples. A long finish is accompanied by cinnamon and cloves. Texas made, Texas proud, we hope you enjoy the whisky we owe our success to as much as we enjoy making it.

Using locally grown Oushukubai plums from Oyama, Oita which are said to be the best for ume brewing. Umeshu that has been aged for 3 years is then matured for a further 2 years in white oak barrels previously used for the maturation of Single Malt Nikka whisky. Comes with handmade Wooden Gift Box, and wrapped in a Furoshiki. Aromas of honeydew, stone fruits, almonds, apricots, brioche and malt, oak flow across the nose. The palate is rich with the fruity sweetness of plums, almonds, apricots and dried fruits with notes of Yamazaki malt. The impression of ex whisky barrels delivers some vanilla and woody notes to the finish. Slight bitterness to finish.

Fresh, sweetly fruity and smooth-bodied, Caol Ila 12 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky delicately balances a range of tastes. The clean, appetising nose shows subtle citrus fruit with just a puff of smoke. Firm and smooth, it begins sweetly then yields a fragrant smokiness and a sweet-smoky, lingering finish.

Nestled away in the far north of Scotland's Highland region is the distillery of Clynelish. Situated at Brora on the stormy North East coast, this 14 Year Old single malt has been matured in specially selected oak casks and then bottled at the full 46%. Displaying a waxy nose with a hint of sugar and florals, the whisky arrives on the palate with power and flavours of signature spice and maritime saltiness.

Yamazakura Blended Whisky is a release from Sasanokawa distillery, dating back to 1765 with highly recognised sake and schochu production. Based in the city of Koriyama Sasanokawa expanded into whisky in the 1940s. This represents a high-end complement to their entry level whisky range ('Yama' means 'mountain' and 'Sakura' means cherry tree, hence the beautiful label design). This blend is composed of four malt whiskies and one grain whisky. Orange blossoms, tangerine and gardenia on the nose, followed by cedar, burnt sugar and nashi pear on the palate. So quiet yet so powerful.

Japanese whisky is not only Suntory or Nikka, there are many other less known distilleries whose reputation continues to grow. And for this new tasting, They choose a blended malt, the White Oak Tokinoka blended malt. The White Oak distillery, located in the city of Akashi (Hyogo Prefecture), was the first to obtain a license for distilling whisky in 1919. Built in 1888 for the production of sake and shochu, at the beginning the distillery produced only blend whisky in a traditional way and specially reserved for the domestic market. Then the site was modified in 1984 to start producing whisky in bigger quantities. The Eigashima Shuzo Company owner of the distillery, produced since 2007 several single malts named Akashi.