Shinobu 15 Year Pure Malt Mizunara Japanese Oak Finish

Shinobu, meaning "forbearance" in Japanese, is said to represent the spirit of a samurai, hence the elaborate and detailed designs on their whisky labels. Located in Japan's Nigata prefecture, surrounded by a scenic environment and pure water sources, locals consistently praise their three white treasures: snow, rice, and sake. Shinobu distillery, utilizing Japanese Mizunara oak, has crafted and blended this 15-year-old whisky into a dram that I would argue is worth experiencing. Unlike the Nikka and Hibiki whiskies I've previously enjoyed, this Shinobu 15 YO blend is much milder, muting the strong fruit notes I typically expect. Instead, cereal grains, nuts, and oak come to the forefront, highlighted by the Mizunara influence. At 43% ABV, nosing this whisky was a pleasant and surprising change. On the palate, the notes transition to citrus and spice, then mellow into a medium finish with tapioca, rice, brown sugar, and a hint of sea salt. Overall, it's a decent whisky! I found it interesting to detect the rice note, also prominent in sake, which acknowledges two of the three aforementioned 'white treasures' of Nigata. NOSE: Plums, raisins, dates, tapioca, oak, nuts, cereal grains, cherries PALATE: Oranges, spices, cinnamon, ginger root, cherries, brown sugar FINISH: Sea salt, oak, tapioca, spices, pepper, rice, brown sugar Rating: 83/100 Grade: B Good – not essential, but a nice addition.

Nose: Grain, caramel, ginger, clove, cherries Palate: Toffee, candied almonds, allspice, orange, milky coffee Finish: Dry oak, white pepper, lemon, burnt caramel Value: C, Like most Japanese whiskies in the US, this is excessively priced. I purchased this bottle in Switzerland and it's quite pleasing with some complexity, but the cost seems too high for a nice but not exceptional dram.

The aroma is savory, like roux and gravy. Notes of mushrooms and old, musty books. It fades quickly.