Great night with @caskstrengthreviews at #mashtan.
I tried
1. Hakushu Peated 12yo 2000-2012 bottles for Shinanoya.
2. Ichiro’s choice Single Grain Kawasaki 1976.
3. Komagatake 1987 27yo for Salon de Shimaji.
I can’t say nothing more for each dram but try to recall the impression here;
1. Soft peat flavor with slow start fruitiness. Initial palate is weak as a peated labeled dram but a little accent follows in a second. Long lasting, faint woody Hakushu taste is rich enough.
2. I can’t think of more malty single grain than this one. Rich but not so sticky sherry flavor comes first, but the palate insists “I’m grain”. High ABV stimulates my tongue as normal grain does but soft and mellow, apricot plus burned sugar appears. Flavor reaching to the upper nose as a sherry cask maturation restores the image of grain cask bottle.
3. Fresh honey, cacao, orange and hint of cinnamon. High ABV alcohol recalls manmade cask, but suddenly changing the atmosphere to beauty lady. She dances on the tongue for a while but changing the type of dance again and again. Very difficult to catch but thus enjoyable one.