Shinobu Pure Malt Whisky

Shinobu Pure Malt Whisky is a no age statement blended malt from the Shinobu Distillery in Niigata prefecture, bottled at 43% and released globally. Pure malt is an older Japanese term for what is now labelled blended malt, indicating a vatting of malted-barley whiskies without grain spirit.

The liquid follows the house's established three-cask route: Ex-Bourbon barrels deliver vanilla and soft cereal sweetness as the foundation, Oloroso sherry hogsheads add dried fruit and a gentle warming spice, and a concluding mizunara Japanese oak finish brings the resinous sandalwood and incense character that distinctive wood is known for in Japanese whisky. With no age statement, the expression prioritises flavour balance over a stated maturity claim, and the mizunara finish is the signature flourish that sets it apart from the distillery's straightforward blended whisky releases.