Ohishi Acacia Cask Finish Whisky

This should be intriguing. This is an acacia oak-aged spirit; its distinctiveness was a key part of its appeal. Aroma: Dry and woody. A bit on the subtle side. Not unexpected given the 42.4% ABV. What I can detect is pleasant. Some pumpkin pie, vanilla, and caramel. Some cinnamon, ginger, and baking spices offer a little zest. There are also some apricot and floral notes. Sandalwood. Overall, enjoyable, but a little unmemorable. Taste: Exhibits surprisingly strong spice. Most of that comes in the form of cinnamon, ginger, baking spice, and even pumpkin spice. I'm not sure this makes sense, but I'll offer it. The mouthfeel and profile are reminiscent of pumpkin pie. There's cucumber, apricot, and some orange peel bitterness. It's dried apricot, like in trail mix. Floral notes are still present. Just a touch of caramel. Definitely more lively on the nose. It's a bit unfocused, but it manages to stand out from other whiskies I've sampled, generally in a positive way. Finish: The mid-palate was mild and sweet. The finish strongly reintroduces the spice from the earlier part of the palate. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and more of that pumpkin spice hit hard. Again, it's surprising considering the proof. Once that fades, I'm left with fresh apricot and finally, cucumber. It all results in a medium-length finish. Scoring this is incredibly difficult. There's very little to compare it to, even among Japanese whisky. The closest profile I can recall is the Kaiyo Mizunaro Oak (the standard release.) However, I can confidently say I prefer that over this Ohishi release. It's a good whisky. I'm just not convinced this Acacia wood experiment warrants a $70 price tag. At this moment, I don't think so. But I believe this bottle warrants further tasting. It's remarkably unique, so I'll have to give it another try. A flat 3 stars for now.