Aaron Kovalcsik Follow Aaron on Instagram, or catch him at the one and only Aloha Whisky Bar! Read more of Aaron's reviews here.

The backstory...

A little bit of history, culture, and Shepard Fairey style art appropriation contributed to the artwork for a new single cask from Shizuoka Distillery bottled for the internet’s favorite whisky instagrammer. That celebrity is none other than Armando Cornejo Sandoval, a true character in a league of his own, who has already amassed almost 100k followers on instagram. He knew I often illustrated artwork for other whisky bottles before, so I was absolutely thrilled when the legend himself asked me to create a custom design for his second private cask. Immediately I got out a piece of paper and started whipping up ideas for him on the spot.

Actually, I just put it off and delayed thinking about it at all. His last whisky bottle label featured him dressed as a taco, and although that may give ways to great ideas like “Armando dressed as a burrito” or “Armando dressed as Huevos Rancheros” I let him know that I don’t draw people very well. Not being able to draw his likeness wouldn’t immediately eliminate the aforementioned ideas, but then I’d have to come up with creative ways to hide his face behind ingredients in popular Mexican dishes. Therefore, having no real solid ideas I decided to do what I do best: procrastinate! 

Almost a year later Armando informed me the distillery was ready to bottle his cask. Still reluctant to start putting pen to paper, I went on vacation and proceeded to stall for another month with non-statements like “work is going great” and “I’ve got a ton of ideas!” As soon as Armando let me know the bottles arrived, I shifted into a state of panic and set him a few ideas to choose from.

One of those ideas was to pay homage to the old Karuizawa distillery and the epic whisky that featured the now famous labels featuring Japanese Noh masks. These masks were typically used to portray people, demons, and otherworldly figures that were used by theater actors. Combined with Lucha Libre masks that celebrate the personalities of professional Mexican wrestlers, Armando and I thought this would be a perfect mash up.

Originally I was only going to design one version, but having a personal affinity for daruma dolls I couldn’t resist making a second option for Armando. For the final layout of the design I mimicked the layout of the old Karuizawa bottles making enough changes that it became reminiscent of one of those “spot the differences” puzzles. (Sorry, there is no prize for finding all 6 differences!) After reviewing both designs, Armando couldn’t decide on a favorite and just wanted to use both. 

Thankfully, he approved of the designs. I was really not looking forward to drawing my backup idea “Armando as Huevos Rancheros” because drawing avocados in a way that intentionally would hide his face was giving me anxiety. Now that I’ve rambled on long enough about the back story, it’s time I divulge what it actually tastes like.

Whisky Review: Shizuoka 2020, 3 Year Old, Karuizawa Still, MexicaNOH Single Cask Bottled For Armandrinksss

For the set and setting I chose Aloha Whisky just after opening time. This provides a chaos free atmosphere before all the regulars pile in. Yasu was the bartender that night and poured me three Shizuoka single casks. I chose two other single casks because I really wanted to get notes from other Karuizawa Pot Still single casks to compare Armando’s whisky against.

With the MexicaNoh honey-gold whisky finally in my glass, I immediately swirled it (and accidentally spilled some) with the intent to look for how viscous or leggy the whisky was. Thankfully no one saw me spill 1/3rd of my full shot pour all over the counter, and I definitely wasn’t going to put this mishap in my official review! Besides that beautiful honey-gold color, the whisky was very viscous. So viscous in fact that no matter how much I wiped the counter it seemed like I was just smearing the whisky farther and farther over the bar top. Regardless of the mishap I could start getting wafts of what was in the glass.

The aroma begins with a subtle menthol note, followed by oak spice, hints of licorice, vanilla bean, and a gentle, smoky peatiness. I could have sworn there was even a touch of mezcal in there! Most remarkably there was a “scratch n sniff sticker” or even a scented eraser style smell of apple pie. What I did notice from trying the other Kaurizawa still single casks was that they all carried that menthol note, but then diverted off into their own specific harmonious notes.

Usually when tasting whisky, I’ll nose the whisky, take a sip to normalize my palate, then take a second sip for the mouthfeel, and a third sip for the actual tasting notes. Now, I’m no whisky snob, so 20% of the time I just keep sipping until it's gone, and 80% of the time I just take it like a shot. However, when it comes to doing proper notes, I meticulously examine the whisky and try to look like I’m deep in meditative thought. The idea here is that maybe a photographer will snap a shot, thinking I look like a young Richard Paterson and put me on the next cover of Whisky Advocate. Quickly scanning the bar, I noticed there were no photographers, but I did notice that Yasu now knew about my chemical spill on the counter and was gauging my sobriety.

For my first tasting, I discovered a bold fiery start that transforms very quickly into a velvety, indulgent finish. Subsequent sips after my palate adjusted were just as intense with that initial heat, but then quickly faded into a creamy luxurious mouthfeel. The overall palate is a symphony of flavors, with rich oak notes and baked honeycrisp apples taking center stage. Cinnamon, baking spices, and nutmeg, harmonize with brown sugar and hints of vanilla. The finish is reminiscent of baked apple pie’s buttery crust with subtle peat coming through adding a smoky ham note layering into the complexity of the tasting experience. Now, I don’t recommend you go out and bake an apple pie and throw in some bacon, but after tasting this whisky, it’s not looking like such a bad idea. Sorry vegans.

The finish is a revisitation of notes from the palate that start off with fresh apples merging with brown sugar and cinnamon, evolving into a figgy sweetness that reminds one of warm fig newtons. The lingering sweetness of stewed apple and fig, intertwined with cinnamon, creates a comforting and indulgent experience - enhanced by that creamy mouthfeel. The subtle presence of smoke and salt adds a savory complexity, leaving a lasting impression on the palate.

It was at this point during the tasting that I had meditated so long on the flavor profile that I transcended into a deep meditative state and had intense visions, but that could have also just been the fumes from the other two 60% abv Shizuoka whiskies I still had to drink for comparison.

Now, what I learned after tasting this dram and the other two is that Armando’s MexicaNoh whisky is super enjoyable. If I were to narrow the description down, I’d say it was apple pie, vanilla and oak notes, and very subtle peat. Solidly a decent dram, and so easy to drink besides that little punch of heat on every sip.

Overall Impressions

Would I do this again? Hell no! I ran out of all my good ideas for Armando with this one design. If the next best idea is “Armando as a burrito” I’m thinking it's best if I step aside and give another designer a chance to do that for him. As for the whisky itself, I think I’ve discovered not only the perfect proof point for Shizuoka from the Karuizawa still, but also the perfect dram to keep drinking for the next 2-3 days. At least, that’s how long a typical bottle lasts for me.

All the best in your hunt for one of these bottles. Enjoy your life on this pale blue dot we call Earth. Take time to drink a solidly good dram like this one with your friends, slàinte mhath!

A Review By Aaron Kovalcsik

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