This time, we will introduce some delicious whiskeys that we bought in February 2025 or drank at bars.
- 1st bottle: Whiskey Hoop Ben Lines 1995-2022 26 years
- 2nd: Zanzibar Mortlach 1998-2020 22 years Sherry Butt
- 3rd bottle: Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2025 Tsunuki 2020-2024
- 4th: Glen Cadam 1996 23 years Bar Calvador & Campbelltown Loch
- 5th: OMC Tam Dew 1998-2018 Refill Hogshead
- 6th bottle: Ken’s Choice Koval Bourbon Single Barrel
- 7th: Cheers Irish 2002-2023 21
- Impressions
1st bottle: Whiskey Hoop Ben Lines 1995-2022 26 years
In one word, it's tropical.
You can feel the cold fruits, apricots, and melon flavors that you would find in an old bottle, but you can also feel the dairy products like chocolate and butter in the aftertaste.
I think this is a bottle that anyone would find fruity and delicious.
I don't have much experience with Benrines itself, but the bottles I've drank so far didn't give me a very fruity impression, perhaps because they were distilled twice and a half, so I think this is a unique bottle.
2nd: Zanzibar Mortlach 1998-2020 22 years Sherry Butt
In one word, it's Mitty.
Meaty means it tastes like meat, but it really does taste like meat.
Since it's a sherry butt, it has a hint of honey and sherry, but the meatiness also gives it a hamburger-like nuance.
You can clearly feel the characteristics of Mortlach-Meaty, and I think it has an interesting and unique taste.
Each bottle costs 75,000 yen, but I'd buy it if I had the money.
3rd bottle: Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2025 Tsunuki 2020-2024
*Second yellow bottle from the left
This is “Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2025” event limited bottle, commonly known as the festival bottle.
Dried yeast is generally used in the fermentation process, which is the process of making whisky.
This bottle is interesting because it uses liquid yeast.
While liquid yeast has the advantage of having a richer flavor than dry yeast, it also has the disadvantage of being difficult to store and handle.
Personally, I think fermentation is the most important part of the whiskey manufacturing process.
We believe that the fermentation time (as long as possible) and the yeast used (ale yeast, not distillery yeast) are important.
Last yearChichibu Whiskey Festival 2024I realized its importance when I saw the festival bottle of Dornoch, but also in the festival bottle of ``Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2025” But I never knew it would make me realize how important it is. .
Although it has been aged for only 4 years, it has a tropical, guava-like acidity that rivals long-aged whisky.
『Admire the festival bottleI tasted it when I attended a seminar called ” and was shocked by how delicious it was.
It is said that Tsunuki using liquid yeast will be released in the future, so I would like to keep an eye on it.
I think many people think that the 60's and 70's whiskey is good, and of course I don't deny that, but I think that modern whiskey can reproduce or even surpass that, depending on the production method.
4th: Glen Cadam 1996 23 years Bar Calvador & Campbelltown Loch
This is not a bottle released around February 2025, but a bottle released in the past.
When I poured it, it was quite hard, giving me the impression of glue and a sherry barrel.
When I left it for about 10 minutes or swirled it around, it started to open up, giving me the creamy, oily impression typical of Glen Cadam.
Personally, I like Glencadam, but there was a condition that it was limited to bourbon barrels.
After drinking this bottle, it made me think that the sherry Glencadam might not be so bad.
5th: OMC Tam Dew 1998-2018 Refill Hogshead
This is not a bottle released around February 2025, but a bottle released in the past.
Tam Dew is Sherry, but this is Tam Dew made from bourbon barrels.
Bourbon Tam Dew itself is rare, but I think it will become even rarer if it is aged for over 20 years.
``KFWS Tam Dhu 1989 34 Years'', which I personally thought would be delicious in the second half of 2024, was also made in a bourbon barrel, and I asked for a bottle similar to this, and they provided one.
As expected, it had a nice dry feel to it, but still had a tropical impression.
Although it is difficult to purchase this, ``KFWS Tam Dew 1989 34'' is still available for purchase, so if you have the money, you should buy it.
6th bottle: Ken’s Choice Koval Bourbon Single Barrel
This is not a bottle released around February 2025, but a bottle released in the past.
It was a bottle with a strong grape-like fruit reminiscent of a high-quality bourbon.
High-quality bourbon can cost over 30,000 yen, but this one is cheap at around 10,000 yen.
I don't drink much Koval per se, but this was one that I wanted to pay close attention to.
7th: Cheers Irish 2002-2023 21
Although it is labeled as Irish, the contents are actually Bushmills.
It has mango, plum-like acidity, milkiness, and peppery spiciness.
If you leave it for a while, I think it will change from mango to an old-ish tropical fruit impression.
Impressions
We have featured 7 bottles, but only 4 bottles were released around February 2025.
『Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2025”, and I thought there would be some good releases from various companies in preparation for that, but I got the impression that there weren't many.
Still, I think there was a future release called Tsunuki that used liquid yeast.
I don't get the impression that there are many good releases from now until March, April, and May, but I'd like to go to bars regularly and look for delicious bottles and buy them if I can.
