Nose: Lush and purely outstanding with rich sweetness. The platform is rich sweet bourbon with all the elements: gorgeous vanilla oak, creamed corn, custard tart, and maple syrup. Sweet sensations continue from here on with toffee, eggnog, and plain pikelets followed by more natural sweetness in the form of rich banana, papaya, chopped orange rind, prunes, and Japanese pear. This grain whisky is clean-cut, elegant and sophisticated with surface floral notes. Well made and certainly nothing industrial about this gem. Water creates an assortment of lush woody elements with subtle raspberry and wanted oils (literally only a few drops needed if any at all).
Taste:
Gorgeous oak injection with nutmeg and subtle cinnamon. Not as overly sweet on
the palate compared to the seductive nose. Nevertheless there is an abundance
of toffee, bourbon, creamed corn, prunes, maple syrup, Japanese pear, and raspberry.
Mouth coating whisky with a balance of sweetness and spice: white pepper and
barley sugar. Water although not really needed (experimentation purposes) makes
the grain velvety and ever so syrupy with hints of spiced honey.
Finish:
Moderate to long with cinnamon pears and mellow maple syrup sprinkled with
mellow white pepper. It is a tad dry and tingling but in the very best of ways.
Comment:
This single grain whisky is distilled in pot stills opposed to the more
conventional method of grain distillate in continuous stills. I don’t often
rave about a whisky unless it truly deserves it - this is a whisky that has
pushed all the right buttons on a personal level. It may work for some and not
for others, but if you want to break away from the norm try it - I highly recommend
it. To date it is one of the best Japanese grain whiskies I’ve had in the price
category. Unfortunately the Fuji Gotemba 15yo single grain is only available at
the distillery - it is a distillery bottling that can only be purchased
directly. Plead and beg anyone you know going to Fuji-san to swing by the
distillery, which is at the foot of the mountain, and secure you a bottle.
Agree with your opinion on this one. I much preferred it over their 18 year old single malt. This is a great whisky
ReplyDeleteA great whisky indeed, Chris. I prefer this compared to many Japanese grain whiskies in the price range of 4,000 yen ~ 6,000 yen, including Nikka's recent grain introduction - although it is Coffey grain it is in a different catogery I guess however, it falls into the same price point as fujigotemba. Lovely stuff. Need to secure more stock.
DeleteOver the years I have tried various grain whiskies, young and old, but only rarely did they make an impression with me. With this one it was love at first sight! I found it to be incredibly rich and lush, the mouth coating vanilla and the peppery spiciness perfectly balanced. Wow! I wonder whether this is due to the pot still distillation... In any case one of my favourite grain whiskies!
ReplyDeleteHi Pierre, yes - "rich and lush" for sure. As for your experience with young and old grain whiskies over the years I presume that includes both Scotch & Japanese? I'd be interested in hearing more about your adventures with grain whiskies. As for the Fujigotemba single grain - I've been told that the pot still - their pot still - gives the lush qualities to the 15yo. I believe it's not just a marketing ploy but an actual fact. Obviously there is other attributes but the pot still plays a big part in this sensational whisky for 5k.
DeleteI've tried grain whisky from Suntory, Nikka and Kawasaki. While not all of them have been massively complex, well Kawasaki single grain can be, they've all been creamy and easily drinkable.
ReplyDeleteYou have to wonder how many of these Kirin Single Grains have sold as over the last 5 years I have maybe seen 3 for up for grabs on the resale market. Or maybe, people might actually opening and drinking this one.
Kirin can make very good whisky, most people haven't tried their product but dislike the company for closing Karuizawa.
Interesting observation, Brian. I've never seen one on the resale market at all. Mind you I have not been looking at the market as long as some. I guess it could be the matter that people are actually opening them and drinking them, hence not seeing them pop up at auction. I also presume that since it is a decent trek for many to get they really don't want to part with it for all the effort it took getting it. Having said that though being a distillery limited bottling you'd think it would have reached the resale market more so than we have seen. Let's hope we don't witness a flourish on the resale market any time soon.
ReplyDelete