Shizuoka Pot Still K

Shizuoka Pot Still K is a NAS cask strength single malt from Gaiaflow's Shizuoka distillery in Shizuoka prefecture, named for the distillery's most storied piece of equipment: a pot still rescued from the closed Karuizawa distillery and given a second life in Shizuoka's mountain air. The K designation marks liquid produced on that still, carrying with it a direct link to one of Japanese whisky's most celebrated sites. This 2023 European market bottling was filled into a 500ml format.

Matured primarily in Ex-Bourbon casks and bottled at 55.5%, the spirit shows a citric brightness, cooked fruit depth and honey sweetness that characterise Shizuoka's house style at this strength. An oily, slightly nutty texture runs through the palate, the result of the copper-rich pot still and the cedar washbacks used in fermentation. The K still brings a particular elegance to what is already a fruit-forward, clean new make.