Shinobu 10 Years Old

Shinobu 10 Years Old is a blended malt produced at the Shinobu Distillery in Niigata prefecture, a region better known for sake and clean water than for whisky, which lends a certain purity to the grain character at this house. Bottled at 43% for global distribution, the expression sits at an age that allows the three-cask programme to develop proper integration.

The liquid passes through Ex-Bourbon barrels, bringing vanilla and soft cereal sweetness, then into Oloroso sherry hogsheads where dried fig, raisin and a hint of warm spice accumulate, before a finishing period in mizunara Japanese oak. Mizunara is a porous, slow-acting wood; even a relatively short finish here adds the distilled sandalwood and incense note that distinguishes it from European oak. The overall profile is gentle and layered, with the three wood influences in balance.