Kurayoshi 8 Year Old Pure Malt

Matsui Shuzo was founded in Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture, northwest of Kyoto and northeast of Hiroshima. It lies near the Japanese sea. Kurayoshi can be translated into ‘the city of water and green’. Their whisky, however, it not distilled at the distillery. While they do distill shochu and sake since 1910, the whisky is purchased in bulk in Scotland, mixed (hence the term Pure Malt, which is banned in Europe for some years now) and cut. Yes, this is 100% malted barley, but it is also 0% Japanese. Pity that this is possible.

The nose is nicely sweet on cuberdons, vanilla, muesli and fresh butter croissants. White pears and some apples, something floral without going over the top and some brown sugar. This is actually quite nice. Reminds me of Monkey Shoulder, in fact.

It could do with a little more body, but the taste is not bad at all. Honeysweet on… err… honey. Some apricots and stewed apples. Some cinnamon and nutmeg. My mind strays back to Speyside.

The finish is medium long and somewhat spicy, but luckily this Kurayoshi is not plaged by tannins, which was the case with the NAS-brothers.

While I am annoyed that this Japanese whisky is not really Japanese, I have to be honest: this is actually quite nice.