Suntory Premium Kakubin Special Blend - ABV: 43%

Nose: Clean and reasonably mellow - no hard hitting grain present. Lots of greenery: various plants and fresh rich green plant leaves. There is a mixture of light floral scents: lilies and orchids, which interchange between light green fruits: green (granny smiths) apple skins, kiwi fruit, and honey dew melon with a light smear of vanilla cream. Becomes oaky with barley sugar in due time. Quite a summery nose really. Golden kiwi fruit explodes with water.

Taste: Spicy oak, minerals, bitter (almost verging on bitter Goya), and weak barley sugar. Grain is evident here. There is chamomile and representations of horseradish. Not the best of palates unfortunately when consumed neat and nowhere near as rewarding as the nose. Water dulls the bitterness and enhances the oak and barley sugar.

Finish: Reasonably consistent with the palate - very moderate to long in length with bitter oak.

Comment: I initially thought this wasn’t too bad when trying it at a few events. However, once buying a bottle and spending time with it it is not what I thought it to be. My palate may have been tainted on a few occasions (dinner before hand) when tasting this but I get the same tastes every time. All the points are given to the nose. The taste of the Premium Kakubin is not completely bad nor does it present the wow factor - in my opinion best drank as a highball. It reveals a lot of sweetness when doing so and is actually quite nice. It could be argued that the palate of the standard Kakubin can give the Premium a run for its money regardless of the price point difference…only an opinion however.