Hakushu 18 Year Shelf Review
Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.
File this one under, “Not going to see sitting on a shelf”, but regardless, this deserves a quick review. I have sadly not been able to secure a full bottle of this yet, but this review comes to you via a sample provided by K&L Wine Merchants in California as part of their Suntory + Republique dinner experience earlier this month. The team over there put together an incredible flight that included 6 of Suntory’s best-known spirits and so I was lucky enough to sample many of these side by side.
Hakushu 18 year is the older, more mature version of Hakushu’s 12 year I reviewed earlier this month. But similarly to the Yamazaki 18 vs Yamazaki 12, there is a lot more going on here than just six years of age. Let’s dive in and explore.
Age: 18 Year
ABV: 43%
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, and Mizunara oak
MSRP: Not relevant
Distillery Name: Suntory’s Hakushu Distillery
Review Date: 12/11/20
Nose: Initially more smoke, more wood and more pine notes are present as compared to the Hakushu 12. This still comes off as herbal but is much darker and more brooding than its younger counterpart. There are also notes of pear, grape, and the smell of walking through an old tea shop.
Palate: While the smoke is strong on the nose, its more subdued on the palate. Instead, melons, fruits, and toasted meringue interplay with earthy tones of bark, dark chocolate, and grass. As the whisky opens up in the glass, more pine, nuts and menthol shine while some of the nutty sweetness from the Sherry casks pokes through as well. An elegant and restrained palate. The mouthfeel is excellent and shows good body and texture for only 43%.
Finish: Hakushu 18 showcases a long finish and flavors of mint, grass, and a salty breeze. Not as bright and sweet as the Ymazaki 18, this is a more reserved expression of Japanese single malt.
