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This extraordinarily smooth, sweet, yet rich whisky is forged by a long marriage of spirit in 'double wood', essentially using two types of oak barrels to mature the spirit. The early smooth honey, sweet vanilla and citrus character is derived from the harder American oak, whilst the bold rich flavours of stone fruits, dark toffees and old sherry come from the lush French oak casks. The rich, oily malts create a honey-like mouthfeel and a beautifully long finish.

Dewazakura and the local agricultural bureau developed regional sake rice called Dewa Sansan which is used in this sake. A very soft and deep flavoured style with good zingy acidity, and a clean and fresh finish.

"One for no age statement naysayers... Eloquent & beautiful." - whiskyadvocate.com Back in 2015, Nikka announced they were discontinuing their age statement and No Age Statement (NAS) releases for the Yoichi and Miyagikyo labels and consolidating them into two new bottlings. These whiskies have now arrived in Australia. Two NAS versions that differ slightly to the previous versions now represent the entire portfolio. It was yet another move that triggered a buying rush. Reports have it that Tokyo is now pretty much out of age statement Japanese whiskies, unless you visit bars or auction houses. Nikka's reasons for the radical new strategy are now familiar. They simply have no old stocks to sell. Decades ago, both local and world demand for Japanese malts was low, so few barrels were being laid down for extended periods. Stefan Van Eycken, writing for www.nonjatta.com explains "...there were years, at both Yoichi and Miyagikyo distillery, when the barrels laid down for maturation could be counted on the fingers of one hand. The ‘stock shortage’ is not an excuse or a PR stunt – it’s very real. Sources within Nikka have said that it is ‘likely’ that age-statement single malts will be brought back in 5 or 6 years’ time. No official statement to that effect has been made for the simple reason that doing so – in Japan – would be interpreted as a promise (which could come back to haunt them in 6 years’ time)." The dropping of age statements doesn't always translate into a drop in quality. Early reviews for both releases have been very positive. Evidently, Chief blender Tadashi Sakuma has risen to the challenge of creating a great assemblage from a restricted inventory.

Firm, powerful. A well-balanced attack gives equal footing to aromas of peat, smoke, spices, fresh fruit (melon, kiwi) and nuts (almond, walnut), which it delivers in spades. The mid-palate starts off with chocolate notes, but the peat soon takes the lead once again.The finish is long, silky. Extremely mature, it overflows with ripe fruit (pear, Mirabelle plum, apple). The peat starts taking on an herbaceous and malty character, while the salty flavours gives the finish plenty of depth and coastal freshness. The final nose offers menthol, spicy (coriander, dill) and earthy (leather, chestnuts) notes.

Light in body, yet full of flavour, this is an excellent introduction to Japanese whisky. Elegantly fruity with sherry-cask character.Firm, lively. Malted barley is at the heart of the palate, coated in herbaceous, liquorice, spiced (ginger, cinnamon) and chocolate tones. Very elegant, the mid-palate also delivers plenty of energy and as it draws to a close, fresh tobacco leaves and coconut intertwine to create a natural symphony of aromas. The finish is long, soft. It evokes the scent of wilted roses. Fine tannins balance its tangy character (lemon, grapefruit). It lingers on notes of tobacco, spices (cardamom, ginger), toasted nuts and stewed fruits (apple, damson). The final nose reveals exotic notes (lychee).

Meaning beauty in japanese, Bi is one of Houraisen's flagship sake's. It is a very elegant style of the highest grade of sake, Junmai Daiginjo. Tank matured for 10 months at 10 degrees in order to have a rounder and more mellow character, it has a nose that indicates sweet fruits with the palate showing good balance between the gentle acidity and the sweet fruit flavours.

Tengumai's flagship sake. Yamahai is the traditional method used to make this sake. This sake was matured in tank for 2 years. It is full flavoured sake with great complexity balanced by cleansing acidity and a clean crisp finish.

Pale lemon in the glass. Highly aromatic nose of citrus fruits, orange, and tangerine, ripe melon, custard, and mushrooms. More restrained on the palate, while there is some melon, pear, and white peach flavours, it also tastes of earthy mushrooms, faint herbal notes and (not surprisingly) rice.