This time, as usual every month, we will introduce whiskey purchased in June 2025.
Introducing the whiskeys purchased in May 2025:here』。
- 1st bottle: Shinanoya Secret Orkney 2005 2016 Hogshead
- 2nd bottle: Umaoi Distillery Amyaaaro
- 3rd bottle: Yamarest Ramune Gin
- 4th bottle: Ichiro's Malt & Grain Whiskey Plus 10th Anniversary Bottle
- 5th bottle: Ben Nevis 1998-2024 25 years
- 6th bottle: KFWS×Rudder Jura 1991 33 years
- 7th: North Star Manok More 2008 14 Year Oloroso Sherry Finish
- 8th: Rakushu Niigata Kameda 3 Year
- Closing Thoughts
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1st bottle: Shinanoya Secret Orkney 2005 2016 Hogshead
Released by Shinanoya, this bottle was distilled in Secret Orkney in 2005 and aged for 16 years.
It has a hogshead designation and is a bourbon barrel in color.
It's called Secret Orkney or Unnamed Orkney, but inside it's Highland Park.
The most noteworthy thing is the price.
I think it's almost impossible to buy a 16 year aged single cask cask strength for 11,000 yen in this day and age.
That's why it's so cheap.
I tasted it at the ``Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025'' held in June 2025, and I think it has a sweet taste that is typical of Highland Park, with notes of peat and heather honey.
It may be difficult to purchase from now on, but this price range is recommended as an introduction to bottlers, so please check out future releases from Shinanoya.
2nd bottle: Umaoi Distillery Amyaaaro
It's not whiskey, it's amaro, an herbal liqueur.
It has a sweet taste, but the herbs and spices give it a refreshing and spicy feel.
*It's hard to tell from the image, but the white stuff at the bottom of the bottle is lees.
What you should pay attention to is the amount of lees in which spices and other substances are precipitated.
It's amazing that so much is being used. .
This lees is shaken and stirred before drinking.
Can be enjoyed straight or mixed with soda or tonic.
Personally, I like to drink the liqueur straight after drinking whiskey, so I would recommend the straight version.
Many of the gin and liqueurs from Umaoi Distillery are delicious, so be sure to check them out.
3rd bottle: Yamarest Ramune Gin
I tasted it at "Whiskey & Spirits Festival 2025 in Yokohama" held in April 2025, and it was delicious, so I bought a 200ml bottle at that time, but when I heard that a 500ml bottle was on sale nationwide, I bought it.
I think this is the one that's been talked about, but it really does taste like ramune.
You can drink it straight, and I think it would be better to drink it with more soda, so I recommend you try it at a bar, event, or tasting at a liquor store.
4th bottle: Ichiro's Malt & Grain Whiskey Plus 10th Anniversary Bottle
This is the one I purchased when I participated in "Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025".
This is Ichiro's Malt & Grain, a cognac cask bottled by Whiskey Plus, ACORN's physical store in Ikebukuro, for its 10th anniversary.
I had it once at a bar, and it had a rich flavor of grapes, brown sugar, and banana.
If you say it tastes like a barrel, you'd be right, but I think you can also enjoy the complex flavor typical of a blended product.
It's been three years since I started buying and drinking whiskey, but I was able to purchase Ichiro's Malt & Grain Single Cask for the first time.
By the way, the malt version is not available for purchase yet. .
5th bottle: Ben Nevis 1998-2024 25 years
This is also “Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025".
This is Rubin's vase's PB Ben Nevis 1998-2024 aged for 25 years.
I also drank this once at a bar, and although it's 98, it was very fruity and had a 96-like feel, but it also had a long aftertaste with passion fruit, which was impressive and delicious.
I was told that I could buy something that I thought would be delicious, so I bought it.
There are other bottles that I ordered from "Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025", but they have not arrived in June, so I would like to introduce them separately in the introduction of the whiskey purchased in July 2025.
6th bottle: KFWS×Rudder Jura 1991 33 years
This is Jura from Kyoto Fine Wine and Spirits (Kyoto) and Rudder.
Distilled in 1991 and aged for 33 years.
I drank it at the Kyoto and Shinanoya tasting event held at Capadonic in Shinbashi in May.
Although the overall impression is light, I think there was a melon-like tropical flavor such as cotton candy and melon to a yellowish pine-type tropical flavor, as well as an impression of sourness and a bit of tannin.
Overall, it was a delicious Jura.
I was born in 1992, and if it was 1992 I would have definitely bought it. .
I was worried about what to do since it was 91, but I decided to buy a bottle from the 90's, especially since I don't know if it will be released in the early 90's.
And, although there are releases of 91 and 93 this year, there are almost no releases of 92, so I think from now on I'll treat the two to three years before and after as the vintage of my birth year.
7th: North Star Manok More 2008 14 Year Oloroso Sherry Finish
Distilled in 2008, aged for 14 years, and finished with Oloroso Sherry.
I don't drink it, but the staff at Shinanoya recommended it, so I bought it.
There were several bottles of North Star imported, and the store clerk apparently tried them and said it was the best of them.
I'm looking forward to the cookie and cream flavor.
8th: Rakushu Niigata Kameda 3 Year
This is a single cask cask strength from Niigata Kameda that commemorates the 3rd anniversary of a liquor store called Rakushu in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture.
Since my hometown is close to Niigata Kameda, I prefer Niigata Kameda Distillery, so I try to purchase single cask products as much as possible.
First of all, the price is 8,888 yen, which is an unbelievable price for a single cask of Japanese whisky.
I think the taste is vanilla, cookie, honey and orange, with a nutty lingering finish.
Personally, I like to heat it straight in my hands to a higher temperature, which gives it a stronger vanilla and cookie flavor.
I think adding water makes it more orange-like, so I think it would also be delicious in a highball.
Niigata Kameda's single cask, cask strength, and owner's cask releases are also available, but there are also cheaper releases that cost around 10,000 yen, like this one, so I think it would be interesting to try drinking or buying a bottle of it.
Closing Thoughts
I'm making a mistake by purchasing too many things. .
June is also a bonus month, so I guess it can't be helped. .
Well, ``Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025" and Jura are the cause. .
Lately, there have been a lot of good releases, or rather releases from the early 90's and 80's.
I'm happy that it's being released, but of course I have to buy it, and even if I were to drink it at a bar, it would be expensive. .
However, if you miss this event and the next one is released in a few years, it will be more expensive!?
They say that now is the youngest time to do anything, but isn't it the cheapest time now?
So, I will drink carefully and purchase long-aged bottles if possible.
Next month in July, orders for ``Whiskey Talk Fukuoka 2025'' will arrive, and there will also be regular purchases, so I think the volume will be quite large, but I will do my best to earn some money.
Please look forward to the July introduction.
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