This time, as usual every month, we will introduce the whiskey purchased in October 2025.
Introduction of whiskey purchased in September 2025 is "here』
1st bottle: Niigata Kameda Whiskey Collection Koriyama 2025 Edition
This is a bottle limited to the Whiskey Collection Koriyama 2025 event held in September 2025, and is from Niigata Kameda.
A bottle distilled in 2021, bottled in 2025, and aged for 3 years.
I did not participate in the event itself, but there was a general sale after the event, and I purchased it there.
The biggest feature is that it is heavily peated.
Up until now, there have been releases with peated vatting, but I felt that the weak peating was effective as a slight accent.
There have been no heavy peated releases, including the owner's cask, so I haven't opened it yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.
So far, the releases have been mainly non-peated bourbon barrels, so I'm looking forward to the release of sherry and various other barrels and their peated versions.
I'm from Niigata and it's close to my hometown, so Niigata Kameda is my favorite distillery, so I'll continue to buy from them as much as possible.
2nd bottle: ACORN Asaka 2020-2025 5 years
This is Asaka, released by ACORN.
Distilled in 2020, bottled in 2025, aged for 5 years in a 2nd fill bourbon barrel.
I tasted it at "Hachioji Whiskey Street 2025" held in September.
Although it had an alcohol attack, it had a fruity Asaka flavor with honey, pine, and passion fruit, so I decided to enter the lottery or apply for purchase.
If there are many applications, there will be a lottery, so I don't know if the lottery actually took place, but I was able to purchase it anyway, so let's just say it's okay.
I'm thinking of letting it sit for at least 2-3 years before drinking it, rather than opening it right away.
3rd bottle: Sogaini
I think the most popular whiskey in October 2025 is Sogaini.
Japanese whiskey, which can be purchased for around 2,000 yen per bottle, was not released by major companies such as Suntory, Nikka, or Kirin, but was released by Sakurao, which can be called a craft distillery.
As for the taste, I think it's mainly sweet, with a bit of grape and mint, and towards the end there's vanilla and nuts.
I think it's better to drink it with water rather than a highball.
Personally, I feel Togouchi-like in the scent and key points.
I like Togouchi, so I think it's delicious, but for my drinking style, I thought I'd be happier if I held off on buying three bottles of Sogaini and bought the single malt Togouchi, which costs about 6,000 yen.
In general, I think blended drinks that cost 2,000 yen are more popular than single malts that cost 6,000 yen each, and supermarkets like Aeon, which have a good selection of alcoholic beverages, carry them, so I think it will increase public awareness.
As the Japanese whiskey boom appears to be winding down, I think each company's survival strategies are starting to diverge.
Rather than raising the price of single malt or single cask and selling it for 20,000 or 30,000 a bottle to please enthusiasts, I think it would be a better strategy to release it to the general public like this.
I think Sakurao will open a new distillery soon, so I look forward to seeing it in the future.
4th bottle: Shinanoya Koval Pink Corn
I unusually bought bourbon.
I think it's probably been about a year.
This bottle was released by Shinanoya and was made for Milwaukee's Club in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, which is one of the best places to drink bourbon in the Kanto region.
I think pink corn is an unfamiliar word, but as the name suggests, it's a pink corn.
Although it has a chemical aftertaste that I personally feel with bourbon in general, it has a fruity feel similar to that of a high-quality bourbon.
I tried it before I bought it, and I was quite surprised at how strong the fruit flavor was.
Also, the price is 11,000 yen per bottle, which is cheap.
Koval may be counted as a loser in whiskey lucky bags, etc., but there are some good releases at fairly cheap prices, so it's worth checking out.
Closing Thoughts
Basically, as usual, each company has released modest releases, and I think the purchase price has also been modest accordingly.
There were some tough releases, such as Shinanoya's Old & Rare Dalmore, and Komaspi's Bargie. .
From around the middle of November next month, I think there will be various releases from various companies due to the year-end sales season, so I'm looking forward to it, but I would like to ask for a reasonable amount. .
I ordered some items in October and they arrived in November, and I have already purchased several items since November started, so please look forward to next month's posts.
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