The Hakushu Single Malt Whisky Distiller's Reserve

Hakushu means applause or ovation…literally clapping hands…and Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve will make you stand up and cheer.

Suntory… today the name virtually defines the beverage business in Japan. Founded in 1899 to import and distribute wine, they quickly branched out into their own products in 1907. In 1923, they stepped out again, this time into the nearly sacrilegious effort of distilling a single malt Whisky in Japan. But the dogmatic traditionalist of the spirit-loving West soon forgave Suntory’s heresy for the most pragmatic of reasons… they made great Whisky and pioneered the delicate and problematic use of Mizunara Oak in the process.

In the 90 years since then, Suntory has expanded through home grown brands and the acquisition of established business around the world. Perhaps most notable of which was their acquisition to American distiller Beam, Inc. in 2014, brining their worldwide sales to more than $10 billion per year. Not too bad. Their various holdings produce dozens of Whiskies, beers, liqueurs, and soft drinks that span the globe.

In Japanese, Hakushu means applause or ovation… literally clapping hands. Seems fitting for a honored distillery crafting fine, single malt goodness about as far from Scotland as you can get without seeing penguins. And They refer to Hakushu as “the verdant Japanese Whisky” because they all come from a distillery deep in a volcanic, temperate rain forest surrounded by green trees and foliage. Lovely.

Hakushu Distiller's Reserve Japanese Whisky is an NAS, but don’t let that throw you. This is really good stuff and a genuine master blend of their single-malt from various vintages. And the Chichioya (fathers) over at Suntory are FAR too protective of their collective reputations to let a sub-par also-ran slip past their watchful eye. To our taste buds, Hakushu Distiller's Reserve Japanese Whisky drinks like an average age of about 10 years of their award winning dram. Senpai!