It sounds like a pretty attractive option to invest in an asset you could actually taste yourself. With the rising prices of whisky around the world, cask investment programmes are beginning to entice more and more enthusiasts. If you like Shizuoka’s whiskies, have the patience of about 3-4 years, you have a spare couple of thousand bucks lying around, why not sign up for an entire private cask of your own! You’ll get a closer look at the maturation process and for an extra fee you’ll periodically be able to pay for new make or aging samples to be shipped to you for tasting.

And given the rising reputation of Shizuoka, by the end of 4 or 5 years, the stuff would likely be worth way more than when you first purchased it.

When you bottle a private cask Shizuoka, your bottles will come to be identified by a separate label of their own with your preferred name or brand written on the label.

That said, just having an interest in obtaining a private cask is no guarantee you’ll get one. You have to reach out to the distillery and express your interest, and these days, Shizuoka’s private cask programme tends to be oversubscribed. Worth a shot nonetheless!

I recently went down to Samsu Huay Kuan for a Shizuoka tasting session, and got the opportunity to taste a range of new releases, including two private cask bottlings bottled by the ever passionate Mitch of M&E Drinks.

These two bottlings explore the K and S dichotomy. The first is made entirely from Pot Still K distillate, while the second is made entirely from Pot Still W’s distillate.

Everything else about both bottlings are more or less the same. They’re both made from non-peated malt. Both were distilled in December 2019 and bottled in January 2023, making them both close to 3 years of age. Both have also been aged in standard ex-Bourbon casks, and bottled at 60.7% ABV and 60.2% ABV respectively.

So we can think of them as more intense variants of the Pot Still K and Pot Still W expressions in a sense.

Let’s give them a taste.

Shizuoka Ex-Bourbon Private Cask, Pot Still K, bottled for M&E Drinks, 60.7% ABV – Review

Colour: Amber.

Nose: The initial nosing impression is decidedly bountiful and vibrant, yet leaning heavily towards the darker spectrum of flavours (dry oak, dried fruits). Dried fruits like raisins and dried plums share the stage with generous sweeps of honey, potent caramel, and an undercurrent of butterscotch. There's a faint hint of peanut oil contributing to the complex aroma. Fleeting impressions of melons, candied oranges, and an echo of toasted marshmallows emerge, but the scent is predominantly orchestrated by the symphony of dried fruits and darker tones.

Palate: Velvety texture, suggestive of oil yet with a velvety caress. The taste comes forth assertive, ridden with a good measure of spices, flavourful Manuka honey, and once again a rather dominant presence of butterscotch. The maltiness is conspicuous, harmonized by cereal, toasted almonds, and a hint of hazelnut praline. The distinct, familiar hint of brininess and minerality, a hallmark of the K variant, makes an appearance here. Unlike the nose, the flavours here aren't very vibrant or fruit-driven, but are instead focused on oakiness and darker, deeper elements.

Finish: Moderate in length. Leaves a lingering trace of minerality, with impressions of cooling mint, espresso, and oak dryness in the trailing wake.

My thoughts:

🌶🥜⚡️Rather intense and heavy!

This variant of Shizuoka is rather intense heavy theme, and creates an impression of being aged for longer than a mere three years. I believe even diluting this to a standard 50-55% ABV might not render it akin to the standard Pot Still K releases. It's heavy on oak, replete with nuttiness and a profound maltiness - appealing for those with a preference for greater intensity.

On a personal note, I'm partial towards whiskies that offer more in terms of brightness and a fresh, fruity character, which this specific variant seems to lack. Given a choice, and as a sipping whisky, I'd likely opt for the standard Pot Still K expression, with its lower ABV, as a usual go-to.

Shizuoka Ex-Bourbon Private Cask, Pot Still W, bottled for M&E Drinks, 60.7% ABV – Review

Colour: Amber.

Nose: Bright and fragrant, capturing the essence of stewed apples, underscored by notes of honey, baked pastries, all subtly wrapped in a light layer of malt.

Palate: Opens with a lovely oily and dense texture, with a richness of flavour that gradually unfolds. Generously splashed with rich caramel syrup, with a briny touch of coconut water, umami undertones of teriyaki sauce, toasted coconut flakes and a suggestion of toasted mochi. This complexity doesn't reveal itself immediately, but gradually unravels to become very rich and multidimensional. Over time, the flavour profile deepens, presenting elements reminiscent of barley sweets that have been slowly boiled to caramel perfection.

Finish: Long and lingering, with an aftertaste of pepper and honey. It leaves a lasting memory of minty lozenges with an undertone of herbs.

My thoughts:

🍫🍪 Rather decadent and moreish!

I love that it offers generous portions of maltiness, caramel, and a very lovely element of toasted mochi. The heavier maturation (and I say ‘heavier’ because it’s also only 3 years) seems to have softened the slight harshness present in the W distillate. The resultant whisky is rather moreish, teasing the taste buds and encouraging further exploration.

This is my personal favourite of the pair. It exhibits a lovely balance between complexity, flavourfulness and approachability that many single malts struggle to meet.

Overall thoughts

This exploration of Shizuoka Distillery's private cask whiskies has been rather illuminating. Both the expressions, despite being merely three years old, have demonstrated a surprisingly high degree level of maturation – more so than typical core expressions. It would have been interesting to explore the maturation process and the influence of different cask styles in the whisky-making process at Shizuoka in other ranges.

After tasting both expressions, it really seems to me that the casks used for their maturation have been quite active – possibly first-fill and highly charred, contributing a significant depth in a relatively short period of time. However, this rapid maturation might not always be the preference of all whisky enthusiasts. As is often the case with whisky tasting, personal preference plays a significant role.

Based on this experience, if given the choice, I’d love to explore selecting a refill cask for the whisky to mature in, which generally imparts a subtler flavour influence over a longer period, perhaps a maturation period of 8 to 10 years? I’m no expert, but I’d love to see that happen.

@CharsiuCharlie