Mars 2017 (LMDW)

Distilled at Tsunuki in 2017 and bottled in 2023 at 6 Years Old, this is a single cask single malt selected by La Maison du Whisky for release in France at cask strength. Tsunuki is Hombo Shuzo's Kagoshima distillery, opened in 2016 in the subtropical warmth of southern Kyushu, a climate that compresses the maturation timeline and builds fruit and wood character faster than cooler Japanese distilleries can manage.

The cask is a bourbon barrel, which over six years in Kagoshima's heat will have contributed generous vanilla, coconut and dried fruit, building a more layered profile than the 4 year releases from the same vintage. At 60% and without dilution, the whisky carries its wood influence at full intensity. Where specific tasting notes are not listed for this bottling, the expected character at this age in this cask type combines mature citrus and orchard fruit with warm caramel and toasted oak, the hallmarks of Tsunuki's bourbon-barrel programme at mid-range maturation.