One of only two whiskies available from the Mars range, the Mars Iwai Bourbon Barrel Japanese Whisky displays beautiful amber gold hues, with hints of rose. Light, floral and sweet on the nose, deepened by cherries, roasted coconut and dark cacao. Extra sweetness experienced with notes of honey suckle and marshmellows. Palate is soft, gingerbread, raspberry and spiced honey make for a delicious first sip. Underlying flavours of dried fig and allspice give it that extra kick. Wonderful finish of spiced port and ginger.

Apart from Single Malts, Suntory also produces a premium series of blended whiskies under the label 'Hibiki' (meaning 'harmony'), usually containing a high proportion of Single Malt (upwards of 50% according to one of the company's blenders). Thirty different malts are employed from Suntory's three distilleries, most with an age well above 21 years. Hibiki 21 Year Old was, yet again, selected as the best-blended whisky in the world at the World Whisky Awards 2017. Hibiki has been awarded every year at the WWA since 2009. The judges described it as being Elegant, sweet and complex. This whisky is full of dried fruit, orange peel, strawberry jam, and baked apple from start to finish. Smooth, subtle and fairly short. Obvious collector appeal here, but we'd like to imagine this one being appreciated for what's inside the bottle. 43% Alc./Vol.

Yamazaki is Suntory's flagship single malt, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas. Yamazaki 18-Year-Old is rich with mature autumn fruit resulting in a blackberry, strawberry and dark chocolate palate and long, spicy, smooth finish. It is not lacking in any flavour or aroma. Enjoy it on its own, over ice, or pair it with sticky pork ribs. Many have it with dark chocolate for that touch of decadence. Best to drink it during dessert or after a meal. Cart limit applies. Limited Stock

Special single cask whisky - distilled at Mars Whisky's Shinshu Distillery in Nagano Prefecture in 2013 and aged in Bourbon barrel in stone cellar at Tsunuki Distillery in tropical Kagoshima Prefecture till 2017. Excellent balance between sweetness from Bourbon barrel and its peat character with citrus character like orange and kumquat. Beautiful expression of tropical environment, full body leads sweet finish with hint of roasted nuts and biscuits or custard.

Yuza Distillery was established in 2018 and to date has released just two single malts (The First Edition has already picked up Gold at the San Francisco International Spirits Challenge) and is well on the way to becoming one of the country’s newest cult distilleries. Sitting at the base of Mount Chōkai in the heart of Japan’s snow country, Yuza is the first Whisky distillery in the country’s Yamagata prefecture. Operational since November 2018, from day one, Masaharu Sasaki and his young team have drawn on the example laid down by Chichibu’s Ichiro Akuto, to perfect an authentic Japanese Whisky that could compete with the world’s best, while remaining true to their sense of monozukuri and producing Whiskies that are uniquely Yuza. It’s early in the piece and yet all the signs — not least the meticulous attention to detail and limited production — point to Yuza becoming one of the brightest stars in Japan’s Whisky firmament. Yuza sits on the flats near the Sea of Japan and enjoys an abundance of soft water from snowmelt and underground springs fed by the sponge-like crevices of lava of the nearby volcano. Chosen for this purity of water and access to the port for their specialised equipment, the area also experiences a massive 40°C average temperature difference over the year. This is projected to super-charge the maturation of the Whiskies in barrel; Masaharu Sasaki estimates eight years maturing in Scotland will equate to just five years in Yamagata. To hone their craft, the Yuza Distillery team partnered from the start with Forsyths, world leaders in distillation equipment. Yuza’s entire distillery team is fresh to Whisky but nurtured and overseen by the Scottish still-makers, providing an essential blank slate to be moulded to a completely new formula, key to Yuza’s dedication to an unfettered style. Facility equipment is centred around five Canadian Douglas Fir washbacks and two stills, including a Glendronach-inspired spirits still with an extended line arm, designed for more surface contact to give cleaner flavours with fewer sulphites. Dedicated only to Single Malt production, this small operation (the distillery covers just 620 square meters) has passed up the opportunity to release any ‘newborn’ expressions. The wash is currently 100% barley from Crisp Maltings with plans to eventually include a local option. Early bottlings point to a non-peated house style, but several heavily-peated batches have also been laid down. While Yuza’s barrel program remains secretive - even when touring the facility, you’ll find all the barrelheads are painted over - the early signs pointed to a preference for ex-Bourbon barrels. Now there is a portion of Sherry cask in the mix and Masaharu Sasaki has spoken of his desire to increase his inventory, picking up stock whenever he can. This cask strength Whisky was carefully selected from barrels from the first season at Yuza Distillery from February to July 2019. It’s estimated, that this selection could contain up to 80% ex-Sherry barrels. As distinct from the First Edition - a very bright expression raised in ex-Bourbon cask - the Second Edition was blended for more complexity, depth and luxurious flavour. This has a very old-world flavour profile (slightly reminiscent of top-shelf Speyside) and the alcohol sits in excellent balance with the complexity of the spirit. There’s a whisper of peat on the nose, with fragrant cereal notes before a progression towards deeper stone fruits and fig. It’s luscious and oily in the mouth, round and slightly earthy with spice and oat notes. It finishes dry with traces of liquorice and a mineral tang.

Suntory's Flagship whiskey, the Yamazaki takes its place as the number 1 single malt whiskey in Japan. Also available in 12, 18 and 25 year varieties the Distillers reserve is the youngest in the lineup. Crafted using malt matured in sherry casks which gives the whisky a rich spiced nose of sherry soaked plums and raisins. On the palate you’ll find coffee and chocolate with a hint of smoke. A fantastic Japanese malt and one of the best currently produced bearing the Takesuru name.

Akkeshi began distilling in 2016, based in the Akkeshi District of Hokkaido, the concept of distilling and maturing single malt in Japan’s northern wilderness traces back to the very first plans of Masataka Taketsuru, a pioneer of the country’s early whisky production. No.4 in the 24 Sekki Series. Shosho means ‘the heat stops’ and represents the 14th of 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendars. Akkeshi’s single malt accounts for more than half of this blend and also includes imported grain Whisky (new-make) aged at the Akkeshi distillery. The average age is four years, mostly drawn from ex-Bourbon casks. Opens with campfire smoke, and plenty of saltiness. Honey, butter, and orange infiltrate the nose, while the palate is bright and fruity; a cacophony of citrus intertwines with a seam of smoke. There’s a pleasant, light bitterness on the finish. The Akkeshi Shosho Blended Japanese Whisky 700ml (2021 Bottling) has been awared World’s Best Blended Whisky and Best Japanese Blended, 2022 World Whisky Awards.

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.

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.