Asaka Yamazakura Peated

Yamazakura Peated is a blended whisky from Sasanokawa Shuzo, the Fukushima producer that kept Japanese blended whisky alive through the lean decades before opening the Asaka distillery in 2016. The expression combines peated Asaka malt with the broader Yamazakura blend recipe and was released in 2022 for the European market at 46%.

Maturation rests on Ex-Bourbon casks, which frame the peat in a softer, sweeter register. The flavour profile draws on citrus peel, cooked fruit and honey with a dry, hay-like finish. Because Yamazakura is a blend, some component whisky may be sourced; the smoke is a signature of Asaka's own peated distillate rather than an imported character.