Genshu Single Cask 10-year-old
Review by Nonjatta contributor - Dramtastic
"Genshu Single Cask 10-year-old (bought at the Yoichi distillery) Cask No. #408511 61%
Nose: Huge oak, huge stone fruits/stone fruit seeds, varnish, a hint of soapiness and some florals coming through with time. Then some nuttiness and smoked fish as the florals and oak get a little bigger. Sounds like it's a bit all over the place but it's a complex single cask and
I love them because of their individuality. The palate is massive, with giant hit of spice/salt infused oak and nuts. If it had had some of that lovely Yoichi peatiness in there somewhere it would have scored a point or 2 higher. The finish is long and warming and a little dry.
Note: Genshu means an alcohol that has not been diluted at bottling (cask strength). It is a word used in the sake and shochu industries but also seems to be increasingly used by Japanese whisky makers. This particular spirit was bought at the Yoichi distillery.
Comments
N: initially earthy, oak, fungal. Smoke comes out later, cereal notes, dark and mysterious, complex. P: sweet initially, moving towards those mushroom/earthy notes, then sliding into some smoke then BIG malt/oak and alcohol. There is definitely a lot going on here - not for the feint of heart. F: lingering burn on the tongue, middle weight, coating. With Water: N: saw dust, saloon floor, sweet notes seem to be enhanced. P: tames the alcohol some, sweeter, earthy mushroom tones not as prevailing, malt is still there, almost a little bitter now.
I do find that the oak is having overtones here, but my initial taste is that of a strong almost overbearing explosion of taste.
It later mellows out in to the oaky and smoother taste.
I left a small fortune at Yoichi and Miyagikyou this last April but find that overall, the Miyagikyou malts are less to my taste then the Yoichi ones.
But in Miyagi, the tours are nicer with cute tour girls.