Akashi Single Malt
Review of a Whisky from the Japanese White Oak distillery. Akashi Single Malt – it’s not the most popular whisky which you can meet on the market shelves, though you can meet it as a blended whisky as well.
I know – cherry flowers would have been better, but… I only had a plum tree nearby
Akashi Single Malt
Akashi is the name of a port city in Japan
Japan Single Malt
Region: Kiniki
NAS
46% ABV
The content of phenol compounds, about 2-3 PPM
Matured in ex-Bourbon casks, ex-Sherry and in new American white oak barrels
Non chill-filtered
Two things are immediately apparent. First of all: a screw-cap instead of a cork – but it is very solidly made of hard, good quality plastic. Second: the capacity of the bottle – 500 ml.
Color: beautiful. Amber, without an artificial caramel
Tasting notes
Nose: clearly bourbon at the beginning. Then appear coffee beans, caramel, wood, you can feel a little bit of… something, like a flour – a similar smell sometimes appears when Whisky matured in new oak barrels. Besides, dried plums, vanilla. 20/25
Palate: a bit sweet, a bit of black pepper. In contrast to the smell, it’s clear, pure – I didn’t sense this floury accent… Dried plums, juniper, vanilla, Bourbon, caramel. You can definitely feel that the barrels used for the aging of this Whisky were of great quality. Despite 46% ABV, the alcoholic content is perfectly hidden, and the clear influence of wood from different barrels fits beautifully with the whole composition. You can sense at the smell and the taste. 22/25
Finish: ash, wood, caramel, plum jam, rum. 21/25
Balance: some say that Japanese Whiskies simply counterfeit Scottish. This case doesn’t confirm it at all. It is very specific and original. You can feel the Bourbon influence (something like The Glenmorangie 10 Original) and tastes just as nice as a good Scotch Single Malt, but I don’t get the feeling that Akashi is counterfeiting anything. I can feel the clear influence of great quality barrels. Non chill-filtered, natural color. Very tasty, great Whisky. 22 / 25
Overall: 85 / 100
Other reviews:
The Whiskey Jug (2017): 79/100
Price: 60 – 80 € for a 500 ml bottle.
It’s hard for me to compare this Whisky with any other, but … the first idea, that came to mind, would be to mix Springbank 10 with Glendronach 12. Something like that. Maybe it is not a phenomenal discovery, but a very solid Single Malt.
I would recommend.
More photos here
