Hakushu 1997 12 Year Old Whisky Live 10th Anniversary

Suntory Hakushu Hokuto 12 Year Old

Hokuto, a Pure Malt with an ABV of 40%, was produced by Suntory and was first released in 2004. Production was stopped around 2009/2010 and today Hokuto is difficult to find, even in Japan. My sample was provided by a fellow whisky enthusiast who lives in Japan and happened to find a bottle in a small liquor shop. The nose is very fruity with lots...

Score 84/100

Suntory Hakushu Kioke Shikomi 1981

Kioke Shikomi is a ‘Pure Malt’, meaning that it does not contain any grain whisky. Arguably, the malt whisky is all Hakushu – at least that is what is claimed by a number of Japanese whisky bloggers. Production seems to have stopped in 1999, and it has now become increasingly rare. An appropriate translation of ‘Kioke Shikomi’ is “matured in a...

Score 82/100

Suntory Hakushu 18 Year Old

Hakushu uses water from the Ojira and Jingu rivers which is considered among the purest in Japan and therefor bottled as such by Suntory (which owns Hakushu). This whisky is their 18 Year Old, with a slightly darker hue than their 10 Year Old. The nose plays in a different league than the 10 Year Old. More expressive on vanilla, fresh wood...

Score 82/100

Suntory Hakushu 12 Year Old

Color: light golden. It comes in those Green bottles that do not let the color mislead you as to the quality and maturity of the spirit (same as Laphraoig). I wonder if this is for the same reasons. Nose: The Nose is rather delicate and does not give any hints as what’s to happen next on the palate. I am getting some leafy notes (wet leaves in the...

Score 85/100