For an introduction to "Whale" rice whiskey, you can click on the picture to refer to this previous article:
Have you noticed that there are more special wines on the market? They are probably made from high-alcohol sweet potato or wheat shochu, or rice distilled wine, and are aged in oak barrels such as sherry barrels and Mizunara barrels, and then "Liquor" bottled and sold.
These things are very interesting, and you should definitely try them if you get the chance.
But when it comes to such Japanese treasures, "Whale" is the real old-timer. It uses rice as raw material to ferment, distill and then put it into barrels. It has been doing this for more than 30 years, so it has been able to produce products that are older than the editor. Limited edition high-vintage model, with fragrant aroma, rich taste, mellow taste and complex layers...
Of course, it is a collection-level wine, and the editor only had the opportunity to taste it because I had to write a wine review.
Today, let’s go back and talk about the relatively affordable new Core Range in the “Whale” series. There are four models in total, but at this stage, our store will introduce NAS, 10yo and 15yo first.
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Kujira Ryukyu Whisky NAS 'Inari' 46%
New non-vintage bottling, Inari is the rice god, the god in charge of good crops. The only raw material of Kujira Whiskey is "rice", which is the "rice" in "Inari God", so the name is a bit interesting.
White Oak Virgin Oak is aged, which can be expected to favor the flavor of American bourbon, and this NAS is the only one in the series bottled at 46%.
Smell: only a little like bourbon, lighter caramel, light cream, a lot of cloves, cinnamon, mint and other spices, licorice, gingerbread, lively wood, with a bit of fermented sourness, like balsamic vinegar and cherries Wine.
Taste: A bit like Cointreau, of course not as sweet, with quite obvious candied orange peel flavor, a bit of cherry wine, white oak, dark beer, licorice, gingerbread, cinnamon, and pepper.
Aftertaste: The sweetness is very short, but the spice, wood, and dark beer feel are quite long.
Summary: Surprisingly good, but the performance is obviously different every time you smell and taste it. Maybe you need to wait a week or two.
At least now, there is very little gummy feeling similar to Rum, and the expression of wood and spices is very complex, not greasy or overbearing, and very interesting.
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Kujira Ryukyu Whiskey 10yo 43%
Like the previously introduced 10yo setting, it is also aged in new white oak barrels, but it does not necessarily mean that the old wine is replaced with a new bottle. After all, the taste of the same whiskey in different batches is slightly different, and the Whiskyfun scores are far different. Just a handful.
There is also half a bottle of old bottle 10yo, just in time for a comparison drink.
Smell: This one is more like Rum, molasses, a lot of icing sugar, a lot of banana cake, pineapple, coconut, tar, licorice, cinnamon, gingerbread, cloves. This is a lighter Rum, very tropical, not too Japanese.
Taste: molasses, syrup, coconut, banana, pineapple, sugar cane, orange, obviously sweeter than Inari. Of course, it also has a gelatinous texture like Rum, but only a little bit. Maybe you should check the hlpa value.
Finish: licorice, mint, tar, dry.
Summary: Seems more fruity, lighter, less caramel sweet than the previous 10yo, sweet and fruity, less gummy than Foursquare, like Hampden with low hlpa.
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Kujira Ryukyu Whiskey 15yo 43%
Do you still remember the Kujira 12yo from the past? This wine is aged only in sherry barrels, showing obvious flavors of berries, black vinegar, caramel and more.
This time the 15yo not only has sherry cask, but also Bourbon Barral and Virgin Oak. What effects will such a new combination bring?
Smell: Like malt whiskey, with fruity aromas such as preserved apricots and ripe pears. At the same time, the creaminess is heavier than the above two, with a slightly fatter feeling. Followed by orange blossom, a little licorice, tar, the same banana, coconut oil, pineapple, ripe mango, obviously more layered and rich.
Taste: Complex, smoother, oily and rich in tropical fruits, significantly less spicy, and overall more mature, steady and balanced.
Aftertaste: orange blossom, caramel, oily, fruity and woody sweetness, all quite long.
Summary: noticeably more mature, very good, well balanced, rich and full, just a bit "fat", but that's not a bad thing.
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Overall, Inari is spicy and lively, 10yo has a light and fruity taste, and 15yo is more mature, full and greasy. Each of the three has its own characteristics, and the taste performance is quite good. Frankly speaking, they are all much better than the editor expected.
Do you suspect that the editor sells flowers and praises their fragrance? The above-mentioned "Whale" bottles are now open at all branches. Friends who are interested can come to taste and chat.
In addition, there are samples of other brands of whiskey for you to compare and taste, so as to more clearly feel the difference between malt and rice whiskey.
As for aged Rum wine, it all depends on fate.