Tasting note: Matured in a Bourbon cask. Amber gold. Opens a little shy, but develops with a spicy fruity interplay (dried fruits, plums, apricots?) perhaps a touch of grapefruit, then more nutty and sweet-spicy. All very subtle. Silky and mellow beyond its age statement. A deft burst of spice seals the finish. Possibly less fruity than the 3 year old but with a plusher texture. Quite lovely malt. 43% Alc./Vol.

A 9 year old blended whisky from Chugoku Jozo's interesting Togouchi range. The producers create their expressions with whisky from both Scotland and Canada, and age it in a railway tunnel in Japan.

Special single cask whisky - distilled at Mars Whisky's Shinshu Distillery in Nagano Prefecture in 2013 and aged in Bourbon barrel in stone cellar at Tsunuki Distillery in tropical Kagoshima Prefecture till 2017. Excellent balance between sweetness from Bourbon barrel and its peat character with citrus character like orange and kumquat. Beautiful expression of tropical environment, full body leads sweet finish with hint of roasted nuts and biscuits or custard.

In ancient times, the land around I-Lan in Taiwan was called Kavalan, a mysterious land that was solely inhabited by the indigenous people of the Kavalan clan. The name was officially recognized by the Emperor of the Chin dynasty in the year of 1809 when the original city was also built under the same name. Kavalan had always been kept primitive and protected from the outside world by the Syue-shan mountain range which is abundant in high quality natural water that comes from deep within the mountain range. The mists of Kavalan and the spirits of the past have been created for you in this exquisite whisky. The water is drawn from springs in the surrounding mountains with their rich volcanic soil imparting a smooth and creamy mouth feel to the whisky. Matured in hand selected fresh American ex-Bourbon casks, the whisky is available at cask strength and non chill-filtered hence it retains a fuller flavour of a natural single malt whisky. Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon is a delightfully complex single malt whisky. Clean and fresh tropical fruits, vanilla and coconut on the nose lead to a smooth well balanced palate of vanilla and oak spice. This cask of Solist Ex Bourbon, was chosen and bottled exclusively for Australia, with only 179 bottles released.

Not strictly a Japanese whisky, Togouchi source grain whiskies from Scotland & Canada and aged them in Japan. This is a blend from Chugoku Jozo, who mature their whiskies in a tunnel rather than a warehouse. The temperature of the tunnel is always 15 degrees while the temperature of the cellar at the headquarters in Hatsukaichi city is a little higher than that. Nutty, spicy whisky with a lovely butterscotch mouth feel. On the palate it expresses vanilla sweetness and a fine peat iodine, with hazelnuts and chocolate on the finish. Almost feels like a whisky/bourbon hybrid.

Founded on the shores of Lake Biwa in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture in 2016, Nagahama Distillery is the smallest distillery in Japan. They produce single malt whiskys and also blends carefully selected whisky purchased from overseas and ages it in Nagahama’s climate. This Amahagan World Malt Edition No.3 is a fantastic world blend produced at the Nagata distillery. It’s a smooth and mellow creation that brings gentle fruits, fragrant wood imparted by mizunara oak maturation, subtle peppery spice and sweet caramel. It’s a well-accomplished and carefully balanced creation that is further highlights the possibilities in the world blend category.

The Shinobu 15 year old Mizunara Cask Whisky is hand crafted by master distiller, Mr Usami. First matured in ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks, it is then finished in Japanese Mizunara oak. Mizunara is an expensive oak which is hard to craft into barrels, but it imparts incredible flavours on the spirit of Shinobu. This pure malt has been maturing for no less than 15 years which has allowed the spirit to take on some very inspiring characteristics. The result is a unique fusion of flavours and dynamic explosion on the palate yet so smooth and easy to drink. Deep rich in colour and complex in flavour, mellow oak wood aromas lead to flavours of honey and molasses, hints of blueberry and deep tones of the Mizunara oak. The palate has subtle ripe fruit, lemon zest, leather and cinnamon with a hint of sweet malt and aromas of fruity oak barrels.

Kurayoshi are one of a few Japanese small-scale craft (or Ji) whiskies to be released in Australia. Created in the shadow of Mt Daisen, at the Matsui Distillery, the whiskies benefit from the mountain’s crystal clear waters and over a century of expertise. The blenders here often combine malt whisky from Scotland with locally produced whisky. This is not an uncommon practice in Japan, and the exact breakdown typically remains undisclosed. Tasting note: Polished copper. Not vastly different to the 8 year old, showing the same subtle Summer yellow fruits, only softer again and with delicious succulence, a bigger finish and better length. It's delicately oily with cocoa-dusted stewed fruits and buzzing spices through the finish. The balance is perfect here, and it feels older than it actually is. Pick of the bunch. 43% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Fresh wood barrel dominates the spirit with a touch of vanilla and flowers that bring to breath of nectar, maltose, tones of fruits citrus, Mizunara oak & coffee beans; medium wood intergration, then finish with a sweet aftertaste of maltose. Very smooth, rounded full pallet and easy to drink.

Now available in a 1L bottle, Grey Goose Vodka is distilled using French wheat from the La Beauce region and made with water from the Gensac that is filtered through champagne limestone; Grey Goose lay claim to make the