From the town of Togouchi, made by Chugoku Jozo in underground tunnels. Chugoku Jozo is a Japanese brewery located near Hiroshima. It has been making liqueurs, sake, and the traditional Japanese spirit shochu since 1918. For decades, Chugoku Jozo has developed a knack for making some of the most beautiful spirits in the world. But it wasn't until 1990 that the brewery decided to dabble with whisky by creating its Togouchi line. The master blender carefully chose the distillates (malt and grain) which would be sent to Japan, grown, and blended in the Japanese fashion. The 9 years old refers to the minimum time each whiskies in the blend spent in barrels. NOSE: rather intense and pleasant, dispersing aromas of yellow fruits. Palate: sweet spices, with the appearance of fruity flavors of citrus. In the end, peat and smoke come nicely together. Good stuff.

The history and evolution of the Japanese Whisky scene can be traced back to one man, Masataka Taketsuru; a man known as the 'father of Japanese whisky'. Taketsuru not only left Japan to learn the craft from the experts in Scotland, he also crafted Japan's first whisky at the Yamazaki distillery before establishing the premium whisky house of Nikka in 1934. This unique bottling of 'From the Barrel' is a breathtaking blend of malt and grain whiskies that are hand selected, blended together and then reintroduced to cask upon their marriage. The result is a blend that possesses a distinctive personality characterised by solidity, depth of taste and a richly expanding aroma. With immediate aromas of cedar and maple, it has an exploding mouth-feel showcasing cinnamon, dark chocolate, pepper and toffee. Serve with a little water to reveal cacao and tingling spices.

"A dense harmony created through the weaving together of pure whiskeys of variousages. The gentle union of flavors and a mellowness found only in a pure malt whiskey. Delicate yetcomplex aromas and flavors open up, dancing smoothly in the mouth. Nose: Nutty, with hints ofgreen apple and fresh herbs. Richly rounded with only a slight smokiness. Palate: A crisp alcoholicpresence, solid, yet delicate and smooth in the mouth. Finish: Refreshing and clean aftertaste witha long finish. Vanilla notes give way to understated woody flavors that linger in the mouth."

This is a Junmai Daiginjo sake with a rich aroma that carries undertones of peaches aand lychee and an elegant taste full of depth and freshness

This sake featuresa smooth feeling with a soft dry taste that givesyou a sense of fully ripe rice plants swaying gentle in the breeze.

This sake features a calm fragrance and pure crisp taste that gives you a sense of a quiet, snow-covered sake factory.

Produced from the pure waters of the Southern Japanese Alps, Hakushu Distillers Reserve is a green and fresh whisky with a crisp and vibrant taste. Now, for the first time ever, this whisky is available outside of Japan.

Sasanokawa Shuzo Co. Ltd was founded in 1765 and started producing whisky in 1946. The Yamazakura is a ji-whisky made by Sasanokawa Shuzo Co.This particular Black Label bottle is a new Yamazakura product that was released in 2015. Smooth after taste is refreshing with a hint of sweetness. Enjoyable both on the rocks or neat.

Kurayoshi Pure Malt Whisky and Tottori Blended Whisky are one of the first Japanese small-scale craft (or Ji) whiskies to be released in Australia. Created in the shadow of Mt Daisen, at the Matsui Distillery, Kurayoshi and Tottori benefit from the mountains crystal clear waters and the distillerys 108 years of production experience to craft a superb Japanese whisky.

Yamazakura Fine Blended Whisky 40% 700mlDistillery: Sasanokawa Shuzo Co. Asaka Distillery ABV: 40% Tasting notes:Orange blossoms on the nose, followed by oak, caramel, and fresh orchard fruit on the palate. Bringing serene balance and depth, this is a bottle from Japans new generation distilleries.Yamazakura - Sasanokawa Shuzo Co. chose the name Yamazakura to launch the distillerys premium whisky range because it is a combination of two important Japanese symbols in culture and society: Yama is the Japanese term for mountain, signifying the strength and poise of the spirit, while Sakura refers to cherry-trees, to relate the ephemeral beauty of the stunning blossom to the quality and sophistication of the whisky.About the Distillery:Sasanokawa Shuzos sake and shochu making dates back all the way to 1710. However, almost 200 years later, they decided to dive into the whisky making market in 1946 thus setting up Asaka Distillery. Their quality was able to stand toe to toe with large rivals like Nikka and Suntory in the northeast region of Japan. Most importantly, Sasanokawa Shuzo were also the ones who famously helped Ichiro Akuto (Ichiros Malt / Hanyu Distillery) save his whisky stocks and allowing him to build the Ichiros Malt brand. The distillerys mash tun and 5 washbacks are all stainless steel. Unlike other Japanese whisky distilleries using imported Forsyths stills, Asaka went with two copper pot stills made right here in Japan by Miyake Seisakusho. The wash still is 2000L, and spirit still 1000L, both using percolators for heating. The whisky is mostly non-peated and will be rested in primarily bourbon casks but also some sherry and wine casks.It's worth noting that the Chichibu Distillery and the Asaka Distillery have a relationship. Ichiro Akuto-san asked Sasanokawa Shuzo to store the leftover casks of the defunct Hanyu Distillery until he could get Chichibu up and running. So basically, Chichibu owes Asaka a favor! Ichiro Akuto-san brought back most of the casks and released his now highly sought after first release, the Ichiros Malt Series (otherwise known as the card series!). In fact, the Sasakanokawa Shuzo facility still has Hanyu casks in storage!