Ichiro's Malt MWR Mizunara Wood Reserve

Having tried various whiskies with Mizunara cask treatment, while not reaching the heights of other wood finishes like Caspian Sea or French Chestnut, when executed properly, it bestows a delightful character. Reportedly, its use began after World War II when Japan, facing a scarcity of imported barrels for aging spirits, turned to their indigenous oak, mizunara. This oak doesn't grow straight, holds significant moisture, and is considerably more permeable than other types, contributing to cask leakage issues. Its name, incidentally, means “water oak.” Remarkably, the tree must be two centuries old for cask utilization, a factor that drives prices up to $6000 per barrel, likely explaining brief finishing periods for more affordable bottlings. While Yamazaki 18 is an excellent, albeit pricey, spirit, it incorporates less than 20% mizunara aging. It presents pleasant notes of sandalwood and incense, mirroring the official descriptions. This producer earns my admiration. The hype around 'Japanese' whisky often involves exorbitant prices for single malts, inflated costs for mediocre blended malts, or spirits not even distilled or significantly aged in Japan. This offering stands out as a well-executed, reasonably priced Japanese whisky that is genuinely from Japan. My initial impression was positive but unremarkable; however, by the conclusion, I found myself truly appreciating every sip, rating it a solid 4 to 4.25, even with a palate dulled by prior tastings. Allow this one some consideration.

Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve, 2010 Release An exquisite Japanese blended malt created by Ichiro Akuto, released in 2010. This blend contains spirits from Hanyu and Chichibu, matured in Japanese Mizunara oak barrels. It starts with a fragrant bouquet of oak, honey, toast, orange, sweet and delicate citrus, with undertones of grapefruit and sugar. The palate is rich and zesty, featuring sherry, dark chocolate, spice, fruit, malt, touches of honey and toffee apples, caramel, vanilla, nuts, black pepper, and pine. The finish is brief and peppery. September 2017 / April / June 2018 / August 2022

This is excellent. It’s smooth and offers notes of raisins, apples, citrus, caramel, vanilla, white chocolate, cinnamon, barrel spices, and pears. You can even taste Yamazaki and Hibiki influences woven in.

Unable to provide a proper or unbiased assessment because the liquid's character has significantly shifted. What I recall and what I sampled from the same bottle two years ago is dramatically different.

Smells like butterscotch and ash. Thick, slowly moving legs indicate its richness. The flavor is not as sweet as the smell suggests, offering notes of Brazil nut and white pepper instead.

This whiskey is fantastic. The spice, sweetness, oak, and fruit notes are well-balanced. The powerful Mizunara impact might lead to a slight bitterness at the end.