Kaikyo Hatozaki

Kaikyo Distillery opened in 2017 in Akashi, Hyogo, under the auspices of Akashi Sake Brewery, bringing a heritage of fermentation expertise to the world of Japanese single malt. The Hatozaki NAS draws on the distillery's signature three-cask approach, marrying Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso sherry and umeshu wood into a no age statement release bottled at 46% for the European market.

The maturation across bourbon, sherry and umeshu casks gives the whisky a layered character: vanilla and light toffee from the American oak, dried fruit and a gentle nuttiness from the Oloroso, and the plum-like sweetness that is the hallmark of Kaikyo's umeshu-cask heritage. At 46% it retains enough weight to carry those layers without water.