Hakushu Spanish Oak 2021 Limited Edition

A 2021 limited edition release of Hakushu matured exclusively in Spanish Oak casks. Released without an age statement and at the usual 48% Abv. Exclusively available in Japan and via a lottery, this bottle is exceptionally rare to see in Australia. The lottery required a Japanese address and was limited to only 300 bottles.

Hakushu

Originally founded in 1973, over 50 years after its sister distillery Yamazaki, Hakushu is arguably the most picturesque distillery in the world. Nestled in the forests of Japan’s alps in the Yamanashi prefecture, Hakushu is Suntory’s second malt whisky distillery with the local mountains providing the water for production. The location has seen a number of renovations and expansions throughout its history, with a second large scale distillery built in 1981. All production takes place in this second location with the original building being decommissioned in 2006. Hakushu has been a core component in all of Suntory’s blends since its initial founding and is an important piece of their flagship Hibiki brand. As the distillery is nearly 700 metres above sea level and 5 degrees colder than the temperatures seen at Yamazaki, the spirit is matured a lot slower and often incorporates a more oily and smoky style.

Both Yamazaki and Hakushu utilise Scottish import barley, with Hakushu typically using lightly peated barley. This slightly smokier style of whisky juxtaposes Yamazaki’s lighter, more sherry driven style and helps to bring balance and complexity to Suntory’s blends. The Hakushu distillery uses a variety of cask types including ex-umeshu barrels, Japanese Mizunara, American oak and even has an onsite cooperage to ensure the highest quality barrels. With the high demand for Japanese whisky Hakushu has seen exponential demand in both the limited edition and core release products. The core product 12 year old was discontinued in 2018 and only returned to shelves in 2021. Suntory’s yearly limited edition releases have been exceptionally sought after, with Hakushu malts being matured in a range of speciality casks such as Spanish Oak sherry casks. These releases are not often found outside of Japan and have become jewels of many collections.