Shizuoka 3 Years Old 2018 Cask #781 (Blackadder)

Shizuoka 3 Years Old 2018 Cask #781 is a single cask single malt from Gaiaflow's Shizuoka distillery in Shizuoka prefecture, selected by Scottish independent Blackadder and released for the global market in 2022. Like its sibling cask #1357 from the same vintage and year of bottling, it comes from Shizuoka's early 2018 production, when the distillery was still establishing the character of its new make.

At 64.9%, this is a high-proof, uncompromising expression, and with cask detail not available the spirit leans heavily on its own inherent character: the citric brightness, clean cereal grain and light herbal quality that cedar washback fermentation gives to Shizuoka malt. The short maturation means the bourbon wood has softened rather than dominated the new make, keeping the distillery's directness at the centre of the glass. For those interested in Shizuoka's founding vintage, this 2022 release offers an early and revealing portrait.