Our whisky of the month is the Hakushu 18 Year old, a truly wonderful drink from Suntory, we thought we might want to give you a little more info on this whisky and the distillery it is made in, so here it is:

In 1973, a year after the Chita Grain Distillery was founded the Hakushu distillery was founded as well. The location chosen was Mount Kai Komagatake which has some of the best water in all of Japan. The whisky made at the distillery was popular enough for them to build another distillery, named Hakushu Higashi (East). Hakushu Higashi was added in 1981 and has a capacity to make 3 million liters. The buildings are perhaps the most beautiful distilleries in all of Japan with their double pagoda roof and the green environment all around and if you are thinking about visiting there is even a museum there!

What is particularly notable about the Hakushu distillery is the water they use, Japan’s most popular mineral water on sale is the Minami-Alps Water. And the factory which bottles this water is on the same plot of land as the Hakushu distillery, so obviously, Hakushu whisky uses the same water, the very best Japan has to offer. This is the reason for the light and fresh taste og Hakushu. And in fact most people in Japan prefer to drink it diluted with mineral water.

Suntory itself describes the Hakushu 18 Year old as being silky with floral notes, with deep gold color, a ripe pear, dried mint and oregano nose with a hint of smoke. The palate is Jasmine and Mango as well as menthol, the finish is long and pleasant, with a hint of bitterness.

We think this pretty much captures the essence of this excellent whisky, and if you are like us, you are getting thirsty already! And if you don’t want to jump straight into the deep pool, the Hakushu 12 and No-Age statements are very affordable!