Yamazakura 963

Japanese ''Smooth & Peaty'' Whisky 700mL

Sasanokawa is the oldest sake brewery in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region, with a history stretching back to 1765. Around 180 years later, in 1946, they branched out into whiskey, eventually launching the Cherry Whisky and Yamazakura brands. They're also famous for helping out Ichiro Akuto launch his Ichiro's Malt brand, as they held on to the casks from the defunct Hanyu Distillery that went under in 2004. Deep in the mountains of Fukushima lies Asaka, the site of their distillery that's been refreshed with new equipment and operating as the re-branded Asaka Distillery since November 2016.
Nose: Soft cereal malt with a hints of smoke and roasted nuts.  
Taste: Dry with a touch of honey sweeteness, spice and smokey malt developinginto a dry smoky peat finish.