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Suntory Whisky was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii. For over three generations, Suntory's master blenders have devoted themselves to pursuing the harmony of Japanese nature and craftsmanship. Shaped through masterful technique and served with a reverence for Japanese omotenashi, Suntory whiskies are among the most awarded and admired in the world. Hibiki is the paragon of harmony - launched in 1989 to commemorate Suntory's philosophy of living in harmony with people and nature.The name Hibiki means "resonance" in Japanese. Suntory Whisky Hibiki resonates with the subtleties of nature infused by the twenty-four seasons of Japan's traditional calendar and reflected in the twenty-four facets of its bottle's design.Hibiki is a noble blend of innumerous malt and grain whiskies from Suntory globally acclaimed Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. The whiskies are meticulously blended to create a sense of "wa" - a oneness which unveils a full orchestra of flavours and aroma.Hibiki is embraced as an icon of Japanese luxury from the award winning House of Suntory Whisky.

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such may have some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product pictured. Whisky is big business in Japan with Scotch whisky being especially popular, yet with their own history of brewing and sake production, it's only logical that the Japanese are now making whisky too. What began as a conscious imitation of Scotch, now has a style all of its own, and since commercial production began in the early 20th century, the quality has been steadily improving. Today, most of the malt whisky produced in Japan is for blending but Japanese distillers generally don't trade casks in the manner that Scottish distillers do. Consequently, it's up to each distillery to produce a diversity of styles that will form the base components of 'house blends' that offer unique and complex flavour profiles. Some Japanese blends will even include a percentage of Scotch whisky, rather than whisky from rival local distillers. This jealous reluctance to exchange is considered one of the major obstacles holding the industry back from the prominence it deserves: In a number of blind tastings recently organised by Whisky Magazine , which have included Japanese single malts in the lineup along with malts from distilleries considered to be among the best in Scotland, on more than one occasion, the results have had Japanese single malts scoring higher than their Scotch counterparts. After a long absence from the Australian market, we've finally managed to secure some world class Japanese whiskies from the Nikka distillery, Japan’s second largest whisky producer after Suntory. Now owned by the brewer Asahi, the company was originally set up by Masataka Taketsuru, who built Yoichi distillery in 1934, having previously spent two years studying the art of distilling in Scotland. (He also developed the now famous 'Yamazaki' distillery in Kyoto for Suntory which he managed for ten years). Yoichi typically produces rich, peaty and masculine malts. The whiskies get their distinct aroma and body from direct heating distillation, in which the pot stills are heated with finely powdered natural coal - a traditional method that's hardly used today, even in Scotland. Tasting note: Nose: Pronounced, astonishingly fresh, dry, peat. Palate: Mint creams, then orangey. Finish: After the creaminess, the peat surges back. Clean, sweetish, soft smokiness. Comment: This is a wonderful whisky at 10 Years Old. I love the almost shocking hit of heavy peating. Rating: 9/10 . - Michael Jackson, www.whiskymag.com

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product not shown. Following on from the duo of Rich Cacao and Fine Cacao comes the second instalment in Macallan's limited annual series. 'Intense Arabica' and 'Smooth Arabica' are said to be influenced by the Ethiopian Arabica coffee bean. Both special malts exude flavours of sweet oak, tiramisu and dark chocolate and reportedly provide a delightful whisky and coffee pairing experience. The story goes that Chief Whisky Maker, Steven Bremner wanted to create an expression that would pair perfectly with an espresso, so he worked with a group of caffeinated experts including Ethiopian grower Kenean Asefa Dukamo, Scottish roaster Lisa Lawson and acclaimed American barista Andrea Allen. “Exploring the world of coffee with our masters in the industry, who shared their knowledge, creativity, and love for their art, was both an education and an inspiration,” says Bremner. “There are many parallels between the approach to creating incomparable whisky and coffee. Each requires unique skills and craftsmanship to achieve depth and complexity of taste and both worlds aim to deliver an extraordinary consumption experience.” Each whisky was aged in a combination of American and European oak casks but have different accents. As the name suggests, Smooth Arabica brings a creamy, silky character to Macallans malt, retaining the dark spice and heavy fruit we've come to expect. Also one for the collectors to complete the set. Drawing inspiration from a connection to the natural world, the distinctive packaging incorporates organic by-products and gives them new life. These are made partially from repurposed coffee bean husks, created by Italian paper mill, Favini. Very limited stocks.

Kanosuke Single Malt Japanese Whisky embodies Kanosuke Distillery’s concept of "mellow land, mellow whisky. It was produced using all 3 of their pot stills, aged in several varieties of oak barrels, and blended together after 3 years of maturation. The Second Edition of the 2021 Kanosuke was distilled from unpeated malt in 2018, this release is largely matured in first fill re-charred ex-bourbon barrels for about 3 years. About 5,000 bottles have been released at a cask strength ABV of 57%. Citrus, Vanilla, Honey and Lemon Tea on the nose leading to a flavours of grapefruit with some cinnamon sweetness, sweet fresh fruits, vanilla and dark chocolate bitterness.

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.

For over 150 years, the Dalmore has set the standard in multi cask maturation. Hand selected casks, from the world's finest bodegas and wineries are expertly curated to create a sumptuous and layered whisky of legendary finesse. The Dalmore 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been matures in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and aged in Matusalem oloroso sherry casks.

Specially selected for its aromatic palette, the barrel for this limited White Oak Akashi 10 Year Old has the particularity of being a sherry butt, a large barrel of 500 liters used for aging the famous Sherry wines of Andalusia which in addition to strongly colouring the whisky, transmit a greedy aromatic richness. An expressive nose with typical aromas of whiskies aged in sherry casks with hints of dried fruits, chocolate, and nuts, which are met on the palate with notes of spices, tannins, and candied fruit. Located in the city of Akashi in the Hyogo Prefecture, by the seaside of the Seto Island Sea is the White Oak Distillery. This distillery was founded in 1888 by Eigashima Shuzo and has been producing Sake and Shochu every since. In 1919, Eigashima Shuzo obtained a license to manufacture whisky and when the company moved to their current facilities in 1984, the White Oak Distillery was born. Cask Number - 105206

The Rare Perfection whiskies are just that ”exceedingly rare and just about as perfect as whisky gets. The careful selection for this brand is unmatched in the industry. Nationality doesn't apply.” If it's a true rarity and the whiskey is great, it can be bottled. This lot of Rare Perfection 15-year whiskey is made from a bourbon mash bill of corn, wheat, and malted barley that was distilled in Canada. This whiskey was originally intended to be aged in a cold warehouse for a relatively short period of time, but the distillery was sold off and these barrels were forgotten in the back of the warehouse and left to age in the cold Canadian air. 15 years later these barrels were discovered, dumped, and bottled at barrel proof. Rare Perfection 15 year is a limited release that was bottled at cask strength, 119.7 proof.

To create The Balvenie PortWood 21 year old single malt whisky, a marriage of rare Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines. Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics. Considered by many to be David’s finest creation, this whisky is one of his proudest achievements and has won an array of highly coveted industry awards since its release in 1996. A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes is backed by a nuttiness on the nose. The palate is refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes and a long, gentle nutty finish.