Suntory Kakubin

Nose: Cereal and ethanol, lightly fragrant with some faint, delicate fruit notes. There is a touch of honey and vanilla but it has no complexity. Palate: Straightforward, soft arrival focused on cereal notes supported by a little sweetness and very mild spice (ginger? cinnamon?). There is very little development apart from some faint citrus and honey, and the texture is thin. Finish: Short. The mild cereal/fruit character dissipates into a spirity aftertaste with traces of vanilla and mint, but there is no bitterness and no metallic notes. If I tasted this blind I would mistake it for a bottom-shelf blended Irish whiskey or grain-dominated blended scotch. The palate is clean and crisp but of no great interest, the finish is short and unremarkable and you can clearly taste the presence of a lot of grain whisky (but to be fair it is of good quality). It's best used as a mixer in a highball which I believe is the classic way of using it in Japan. This was "whisky zero" of the night - the palate cleanser to set the scenery for the whiskies to follow. In that capacity it worked well but I would not buy a bottle. "Adequate": 70/100 (2 stars)

Aroma: Sweet butter with a hint of honey and fresh orchard (green) apple, light floral note. A slight sharp spice note, possibly a faint ethanol-like touch. Fragrant but simple. Pleasant, very approachable. Taste: Similar to the aroma. Has a hint of something resembling licorice possibly at the finish. The taste doesn't linger long. Overall, not complex at all. Very much like Irish whisky, which is definitely the category I would place it in. Commendable for producing a good budget Irish whisky that isn't technically Irish whisky. Simple but enjoyable for its price point. It drinks better than many budget Irish whiskies. Would mix very well. Worth trying for the cost if you're ever in Asia.

A blended Japanese spirit, designed for a broad audience. Bottled at 40% alcohol by volume with a burnished hue. On the nose, it's quite light; I detect notes of brown cake with raisins, prune peel, vanilla, oranges, brown sugar, the scent of grapevines, and honey. On the palate, I found dry brown grasses, tobacco, clove, cereal, and oak. It has a light body, and the finish is medium-long, pleasantly full of oakiness. Overall, it's a decent dram, not quite bottle-worthy for me, but interesting. 72/100

For about $30 per 700mL, this spirit offers exceptional value. Each time I order from Japan, I include a bottle of the yellow, black, or white label. It's affordable and the flavor profile far exceeds its cost. The black label is superior among the three, in my opinion. The yellow is lighter in color and taste, but represents an incredible deal that's impossible to pass up when available.

I felt obligated to finish a bottle of this, largely due to social pressure, while visiting Japan. This whisky is the sole negative recollection from my trip there. I recall its flavor being very one-dimensional, tasting only of wood and honey. It probably would have been better in a highball.

I've never seen it in the States, but when I was in Japan, this was available at 7-Eleven for a surprisingly low price and was quite good. It's not complex or interesting, but perhaps one of the best whiskeys for casual drinking ever! It went down like water! Like apple juice in whiskey form. Somewhat similar to Canadian, but even lighter.