The highly sought after 21-year-old Japanese whisky blend from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, this is Batch 2 of the release.
Following the near-instant sellout of Batch #1, The Oak Barrel has secured an allocation of the second batch.
While the distillery/distilleries behind the release are kept secret, we know that this is blended from exclusively Japanese-distilled malt and grain whiskies which have been aged for at least 21 years.
There are 1,799 bottles in the batch.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company have bottled most distilleries in Scotland and are increasingly expanding to include whiskies from around the world. Their limited edition labels are designed by Emily Chappell and reference interesting elements (or in-jokes) about the distillery.
Boutique-y bottle their batches, which can be single cask or a number of casks, at the strength they deem the whisky is most enjoyable at.
From Boutique-y:
“Japanese whisky. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you’ve heard that it’s pretty bloomin’ marvellous. Maybe you’re excited that we’ve only gone and bottled our first whisky from Japan! Our Japanese Blended Whisky #1 has been hotly anticipated by Boutique-y fans and Boutique-y team members alike, and we reckon it was well worth the wait.”
The tasting notes hint towards dark fruits notes with raisins and plums – so we’re assuming a bit of sherry cask in the mix. A bit more barley and dense oak on the palate and finish.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark muscovado sugar and vanilla are quickly followed by touches of mulch and earth. Plenty of husky, refined malt form a core which dates, toasted raisins and syrupy plums arise from. The result? Dark, deep fruit notes among a milky latte underlay.
Palate: A wonderfully balanced mix of charred oak, subtle peppery spices and dried barley lead. Plum walnut cake, tiramisu and black fruits emerge, while roasted espresso bean and chestnut notes simmer sway beneath.
Finish: Uncompromising, dense oak, burnt toast and a recurring fresh maltiness maintain throughout the lengthy finish.