Scotch Malt Whisky Society Hakushu 1981, 21 Years Old, 120.1

Tasted in Whisky Magazine Issue 36 by Michael Jackson and Dave Broom.

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Tasting Notes

Michael Jackson Nose Very dry, leafy and earthy. Palate Light but firm and smooth. Dry. Like leaves of cilantro or garden mint on a crème brûlée. Some vanilla, some oakiness. Finish Spicy but soothing. Comment A very enigmatic malt. Lighter in body but drier and more assertive in flavour than Yamazaki. A digestif.

Dave Broom Nose Toasty, oaky, extractive: spices, hot sawdust, nutmeg, apple skin butterscotch, pine. Palate The weight of the spirit manages to cope with the lashings of oak. Good weight and power. Red fruits, cherry, leafy. Finish Oaky. Comment A lot of oak on the nose, but has good balance.