Shizuoka Contact S

Shizuoka Contact S is a cask strength single malt from Gaiaflow's Shizuoka distillery in Shizuoka prefecture, one of the distillery's core named releases intended to give drinkers direct contact with the spirit at its most uncompromising. Bottled in 2021 at just 3 years of age, it was released to the Japanese domestic market and reflects the early ambition of a site that opened in 2016 with an ex-Karuizawa pot still, a wood-fired still, and cedar fermentation vessels.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks and bottled at 55.5%, it shows the citric brightness, fresh fruit energy and husky grain character typical of very young Shizuoka malt. New wood and a nutty, oily texture add depth, and the bourbon oak gives enough vanilla sweetness to balance the spirit's youthful directness. An honest, uncomplicated introduction to Shizuoka at full strength.