Matsui Shuzo The Kurayoshi 8 Years Old

The Kurayoshi 8 Years Old by Matsui Shuzo of Tottori prefecture was first bottled in 2016 and has remained a mainstay of the range's global distribution. Presented at 43% in the standard Ex-Bourbon expression, it sits in the accessible, crowd-pleasing tier of Japanese blended malt. As with other Kurayoshi releases from this era, the malt component may include sourced stock alongside distillery-produced spirit.

Ex-Bourbon cask maturation shapes the character here: vanilla, a soft golden syrup sweetness and gently toasted cereal dominate the nose and palate, with orchard fruit appearing in the mid-palate and a lightly warming wood finish. The 43% strength keeps the spirit balanced and easy, well suited to the range's broad market reach. A clean, consistent blended malt from Tottori, representing the house in its most straightforward expression.