Matsui Shuzo The Tottori 23 Years Old

The Tottori 23 Years Old is a blended whisky from Matsui Shuzo in Tottori prefecture, bottled in 2017 at cask strength 50% for the Austrian market. Twenty-three years of Ex-Bourbon maturation makes this one of the most mature expressions in the Matsui Shuzo portfolio. As a blend, the composition draws on both malt and grain components, and the origin of those components, whether entirely domestic or partly sourced, should be understood in the context of the house's approach to its blended range.

Two decades-plus in Ex-Bourbon casks builds a settled, deep character: vanilla and toasted oak are joined by dried fruit, a gentle coconut sweetness and the mild waxy quality that long-matured spirit often develops. The cask strength 50% adds warmth and grip, and the finish is long and warming with a faint drying woodspice thread. A rare aged expression from Tottori, sitting well above the standard NAS blended expressions in the Matsui Shuzo lineup.