Matsui Shuzo The Matsui Mizunara Cask

The Matsui Mizunara Cask is an NAS, cask strength single malt from Matsui Shuzo's own distillery in Tottori prefecture, bottled in 2019 at 48% for the European market. Matured entirely in mizunara, Japanese oak, it is one of the earlier releases in The Matsui single malt range and represents the house's most culturally specific maturation choice. Unlike the single-cask Cask No. MSM-7, this is a small-batch vatted expression rather than an individual cask.

Mizunara oak is renowned for its demanding cooperage, slow flavour release and the sandalwood and incense notes it imparts over time. In this cask strength expression at 48%, those aromatic qualities are the defining thread: sandalwood and a faintly resinous, temple-like incense note underpinned by coconut and a gentle drying spice. The NAS format means the exact maturation depth varies, but the mizunara character is clear and present. A distinctly Japanese style of single malt from Tottori.