A magnificent cavalcade of sharp citrus fruits—lemons, kumquats, limes, bergamot, yuzu and finger lime—keeps rolling through the finish.
Rich and textured, this Shindo offers lemon cake, mochi and toasted sesame ice cream, followed by a high-definition lemon green tea palate with a pinch of salt.
A pleasant surprise: vanilla cake, honey yoghurt, syrupy root vegetables and saline fennel make this little Tottori rather good.
The reviewer calls it their favourite of the three, praising its fresh, pleasant finish with touches of lime, aniseed and mint.
A Chivas-like nose of overripe apple and nougat leads to a rather good, slightly rough palate, but the finish is short and cardboardy.
A floral nose gives way to pear on the palate and finish; while the cherry character is elusive, the reviewer quite likes this unusual profile.
Light and pleasant on the nose, it starts malty but drifts into cardboard and sawdust, with a few agreeable citrus notes and a short finish.
A wonderfully unusual whisky, combining an oily, mineral character with peppers, ashes and an unforgettable spicy tomato-sauce note.
A powerful, youthful whisky with speculoos, bitter orange and spice, becoming honeyed with water; its PX cask influence works very well.
A truly fine whisky with a finish of green tea and not quite ripe kiwi.
A very fine, taut whisky with chalk, green pepper, orchard fruit and herbaceous notes, finishing long, peppery and austere.
Molasses, maple syrup and pepper lead to sorrel, lemon zest and cardamom, while the finish turns long, intensely peppery and bitter.
A smoky, saline monster with earthy cumin, caraway and shoe polish—utterly mad, incoherent and not drinkable neat, yet great fun with water.
A lovely, attractively malty whisky, with earthy notes evolving into baked apples, bitter caramel, herbs and a hint of pear.
A very malty whisky, with notes of beer, cider, fudge, caramel, eucalyptus, chicory, calvados and coffee toffee.
A wonderful whisky balancing fresh strawberries, mint, peach yoghurt and citrus with elegant resinous woods, though it flirts with the limits of tannicity.
A very pleasant whisky with wax, marzipan, walnut cream, green tea and lemon, though it may not be distinctive enough for its long maturation.
A pretty, taut whisky with beeswax, stewed apple, quince and almond milk, though it lacks the extravagant fruitiness expected and finishes on marzipan and…
