Hakushu Sherry Cask 2013 is a limited single malt released in Japan in February 2013, the second edition of Suntory's Hakushu sherry series. It was bottled at 48% in a run of 3,000 bottles and pushes the distillery's usual green, herbal style towards dried fruit and spice.
About This Whisky
Suntory released its first Hakushu Sherry Cask in 2012 and followed it with this edition, which went on sale in Japan on 5 February 2013. Hakushu new make was matured entirely in selected sherry casks, then vatted and bottled at 48%, a little above the 43% of the standard range. There is no age statement and it is not a single-cask bottling. Only 3,000 bottles were made, far fewer than the Yamazaki sherry release of the same year.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Raisin, walnut, polished leather and orange peel, with mint and pine underneath.
- Palate: Lighter than the dark colour suggests, with dried fig, clove, a peppery edge and malt sweetness.
- Finish: Fairly dry and long, on bitter orange, oak spice and a faint wisp of smoke.
Serving & Food
Pour it at cool room temperature into a Glencairn and drink it neat; if you add water, stop at a drop or two. Good matches are jamón ibérico, Manchego with membrillo, or a slice of dark fruit cake.
How to Enjoy
Hakushu enthusiasts curious to see the distillery in heavy sherry wood, and followers of Suntory's early limited releases.
Product Details
Distillery: Hakushu
Producer: The House of Suntory
Expression: Sherry Cask 2013
Style: Japanese single malt whisky
Edition: 2013 limited release (3,000 bottles)
Released: 5 February 2013, Japan
Cask emphasis: Sherry cask
ABV: 48% ABV
Volume: 700mL
Country: Japan
About the Distillery
Hakushu's warehouses sit in cool mountain forest in Hokuto, Yamanashi. Seasons swing hard here and the air is fresher than at Yamazaki near Kyoto, so casks age at a different pace, and the spirit tends to keep its lively, herbal edge even after years in wood.
That makes sherry casks an unusual partner. Heavy European oak meets a light, lifted malt, and Suntory has used the combination sparingly, mostly for small releases like this one rather than for the core range.