Sasanokawa Shuzo Yamazakura Kuyuri

Yamazakura Kuyuri is a no age statement blended whisky from Sasanokawa Shuzo in Fukushima prefecture, bottled in 2023 for the French market at 46%. The Kuyuri name marks it as a distinct release within the Yamazakura range, a contemporary expression created with an export market in mind and bottled at a strength above the legal minimum to give it more presence than the standard blend.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks, the Kuyuri shows a more complex flavour profile than the entry-level Yamazakura blends: chocolate depth, citrus brightness, a thread of smoke and the freshness of new wood all appear in the profile. The smoke note is notable and suggests some peated component in the blend. At 46% the extra strength gives those diverse notes room to emerge. A modern and deliberately characterful blend, aimed at the French specialist market.