Hiroshima Prefecture's Sakurao Distillery's two flagship whiskies - Sakurao and Togouchi - may have only started life in 2018, making them less than a decade old in terms of how long they've been produced, which is more or less on track with the new wave of Japanese craft whisky producers, yet their parent has a history that rivals even the founding father of Japanese whiskies!

Sakurao Distillery in part of Chugoku Jozo, a Sake and spirits maker, that was founded in 1918 in the namesake precinct of Sakurao, Hatsukaichi, of the Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan (and is said to have gotten its distilling license by 1920, having distilled several batches of spirit around that time, although intermittently). Now for reference, the first official Japanese whisky to be produced locally dates back to 1924. And whilst in the early days Chugoku Jozo had simply wanted to go where the demand was locally and was really open to producing any style of local beverage that the people had a taste for, it had always harboured ambitions of making its own whisky. Set facing the coast of the Seto Inland Sea (where the famous Itsukushima Shrine's floating Torii gate stands), with the Chugoku Mountains at its back, the producer would periodically toy with whiskymaking which was just emerging at the time, and as those who follow Japanese whisky lore would know, had yet to find resonance with the local palate then, which led the company to focusing more on Sake and Shochu instead.

The iconic floating Torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine.

By the 1980's, Japan's whisky scene (although really this was a worldwide phenomenon from Scotland to the USA) had gone through some tumultuous times, and as such the company would decide altogether that perhaps it would be better off importing foreign whiskies and producing world blends instead. Yet as the company approached its landmark 100th anniversary that would take place in 2018, with now a vastly different whisky landscape - one where the world was now clamouring for Japanese whiskies and at the same time domestically there was a greater call for transparency - Chugoku Jozo would decide that perhaps it was time to revive its whiskymaking ambitions. The company would commit a striking $100 million Yen investment into constructing its distillery, fitting it out with the best equipment it could get its hands on, even giving itself the forward-sighted capacity to produce both malt and grain whiskies, and had also roped in bartenders, manufacturers and whisky experts from around the world to weigh in on how it should produce the absolute best whiskies.

By 2018, Sakurao Distillery was ready, just in time for the company's big 100th anniversary, and production was well underway. 

With big ambitions, the distillery had taken on the classic Japanese whiskymaker's playbook of having numerous ageing sites for its whiskies, so as to produce at least two distinct styles of whiskies that would each take on its own identity, but at the same time could be blended for a solid blend, which is by and large the most popular selling style of whisky domestically. Whilst the sole distillery remained by the shore of the Seto Inland Sea, the now fully qualified and authentic Japanese single malts (completely made in Japan) could either be aged by the seaside, exposing it to warm winds from the and cool breezes from the mountains, with large temperature swings through the year, with also a salinity from the ambient sea spray that would permeate the casks, or be brought to age in the nearby town of Akiota, where it sleeps in the heart of the Mt Osorakan and Mt Shinnyu ranges, within what is probably the most unique maturation site - a refurbished railway tunnel through the forested mountains - where here it is dark and cool, surrounded by lush greenery, the scent of which is absorbed by the casks.

Today the distillery also produces some phenomenal gins!

Of gorges and mountain ranges in the Chugoku Mountains.

As with most distillers, the first whiskies out of the stable were debut limited editions, which we were able to get our hands on, and had found ourselves astonished at the quality - the inaugural 1st Release Sakurao Japanese Single Malt (which very astutely was presented at Cask Strength, just as how it ought to be) was eerily reminiscent of Japan's most famous whisky starting with "Y", whilst the inaugural 1st Release Togouchi Japanese Single Malt (also presented at Cask Strength, and not to be confused with the similarly named world blended whisky) was awfully familiar to arguably Japan's second most famous whisky starting with "H" - what was even more astounding was that both Sakurao and Togouchi single malts felt like those two whiskies at their tiptop prime. We mean that with no hyperbole. Everything we've tasted since has confirmed as much, and for that reason, we've been huge fans of Sakurao, even if till today they remain starkly underrated.

We even made the trip down ourselves, which you can read about our visit here.

| Read: Distillery Visit Reporting From Sakurao Distillery

The Togouchi tunnels.

Regardless, after the debut limited editions and private cask releases have tempered off, the distillery was finally ready to release a year-round flagship version of both its single malts, which we've finally managed to get to try! Very excited indeed!

PS. This was presented by Malt Wine Asia, which carries Sakurao and Togouchi's Japanese single malts in Singapore, who brought along the whiskies for the Sake Matsuri festival, which is the largest showcase of Sakes and various Japanese spirits and liqueurs in the country, and is held twice a year - a definite must go for anyone who's into Sakes or Japanese beverages! It's great fun and we've never missed a single edition, and it's where we get to try stellar pours like these!

Whisky Review: Sakurao Single Malt Japanese Whisky, 43% ABV

Distilled and aged by the Hiroshima shores towards the Seto Inland Sea (which separates the main islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) with its back against the Chugoku Mountains), the ambient climate here is one that supports big temperature swings that help the casks breath in that salty sea spray, giving the whisky a lot of depth and robustness. For its flagship Sakurao single malt, 4 types of casks are used, with the 3 year ageing done in first-fill Bourbon, Sherry, and new American White Oak, which is then vatted and finally finished in Mizunara. It's also got some peated malt in there. 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Honey

Aroma:. Immediately showing good richness, it's honeyed and really firm, with a waxiness to it, almost of beeswax and lacquered exotic woods. There's a whiff of aromatic incense that comes through, blending in with that musty aromatic lacquered wood and cedar, conveying some sense of Japanese shrines. Towards the core there's a brighter fruitiness of apples and bananas, coaxed in with thick honey, still with that delicate incense smoke wafting about, and then also a fresh coastal air of gentle ocean breeze. It's really aromatic and firm, with a good deal of complexity that comes through really cohesively.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, firm and rounded, still with that waxiness, beeswax, herbal tones of manuka honey and eucalyptus, here peppered with a light ashiness too, that binds with that mintiness to give a mentholated quality that layers upon that aromatic honeyed fruitiness of apples and woody incense smoke.

Finish: Those red apple notes carry through the finish, still coated in honey and dusted with that lingering ash and mint, seamlessly gliding through a long, honeyed, incense and lacquered wood driven ashiness that's rounded out by that candied maltose, without any bitterness.

My Thoughts

Spot on! This wasn't too far off that debut 1st Release at cask strength! It's pretty much retained that identity to a tee, with that waxy, minty, apple-y, ashy character that comes through so refined and almost old school - think cigar lounges and darkened bar rooms! It has that sort of masculine, slightly brooding yet at the same time incredibly charismatic, polished yet mysterious quality. I couldn't help but think of those iconic oversized blazer, Italian pin stripe double-breasted suited, fedora wearing men in the 80's, with that classically high waisted, pleated pants, polished black leather loafers and red tie - you know what I'm talking about! 

It's a really good combination of bright fruitiness contrasted with a depth of aromatic mustiness and then layered on with a herbal tone and delivered with this almost chewy waxiness that's just so evocative and so classically enjoyable! It's got breadth, it's got depth, it's harmonious and has a really distinct identity. We've always said Sakurao is a sleeper hit, and its flagship single malt is no exception!

Whisky Review: Togouchi Single Malt Japanese Whisky, 43% ABV

Now, not to be confused with the Togouchi blended whisky, the single malt is fully Japanese, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in Japan. Whilst the whisky is still distilled in Sakurao (by the shore), it's then brought over to the Togouchi tunnels in Akiota, which is in the forested area of the Chugoku Mountain ranges. Here it's surrounded by the scents of lush mountainous woody greenery (of Mt. Osorakan and Mt. Shinnyu), with also a really stunning and famous gorge (Sandan-kyo Gorge) just around the corner. This tunnel was once a railway tunnel that has since been refurbished for use by Sakurao, where the casks of whisky are aged in its cool darkness, although still exposed to the mountain climate which is able to breeze through the tunnel. The temperature here is much more consistent through the year, which allows the whisky to age more gently and steadily, with less interaction with the casks. The Togouchi Japanese Single Malt is aged for at least 3 years in Bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Really perfumed cedar wood mustiness, it's more resinous here in its waxiness, more compact and almost more crystalline, with a foresty fir and pine aroma. There's then bright yellow fruits of bananas and pineapples atop a base of herbal manuka honey. It's rather candied, with then towards the base more of a beeswax, lacquered wood and temple incense quality. It's very evocative, showing good depth and complexity, here more subtle and gentle.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's candied and waxy, keeping with that honey and beeswax, dusted with that slighty ashy incense. Herbal manuka honey, eucalyptus, maltose candy, tobacco, leather, with then a base of stewed plums, prunes and raisins. It's more compact and concentrated here with a really nice power and boldness to its deliver.

Finish: That herbal cough syrup, eucalyptus and mint, manuka honey, carries through the finish. Here with then a light bitterness of dark chocolate and a lingering savouriness of burnt ends. Some of those bright yellow fruits come through, banana hard candy and pineapples, with more of that temple incense ashiness and lacquered exotic woods. It's waxy all the way, with then some of that aromatic temple incense smoke still lingering, with a herbal and almost medicinal touch that persists. Yet at the time, the bright and candied fruitiness also amps up alongside the slight bitterness into the finish.

My Thoughts

Incredibly well developed, this almost comes through more opened up compared to the 1st Release at cask strength! It almost feels like with the Togouchi, its ageing climate seems to really serve to concentrate and compact the whisky, polishing its exterior and wounding up its core.

As it blossoms in the glass, it's incredibly composed and bold, almost of thick broad strokes of vibrant colour, incredibly captivated and delivered with great power! Those forest-y, herbal and candied qualities come through so captivatingly, with then at its core a very complete range of bright, yellow tropical fruits and also darker, stewed and dried dark fruits. There's still that signature lacquered exotic woods and temple incense that adds to its layers, although perhaps not quite as pronounced as with the Sakurao, serving here more as its prologue and epilogue. And of course that lovely waxiness in its texture is kept here, although very fascinatingly, more resinous here. That said, I do find the Sakurao to be just slightly more cohesive and integrated compared to the Togouchi, with the flavour palette alittle more comfy and cozy with each other, where the Togouchi seems alittle more distant.

Where the Sakurao feels more vibrant and broad, the Togouchi feels more concentrated and bold. The Sakurao serves as a great conversation opener, and the Togouchi for a more meditative experience!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot