Shizuoka United S 2023 Summer Edition

This brand new single malt whisky from the wonderful Shizuoka Distillery brings together the distillery’s two signature whisky styles, from the K and W releases, and blends them together, before first-fill bourbon barrel maturation, to create a fascinating single malt that delivers on the nose, palate and finish.

At the Shizuoka Distillery, they have two unique still types in operation, that allow them to create varying styles of whisky.

Still ‘W’, as it has become known, is a Forsyth’s still made in Scotland, but it is heated with a firewood kiln that creates a direct flame that reaches 800°C. Shizuoka say that they utilized the know-how of a Japanese pizza kiln maker in order to create this, which is not something you’ll hear very often in the whisky world. Still W produces a spirit with a burnt, fragrant taste, lots of power and a rich body.

The second still, known as still “K”, was sourced from the original Karuizawa Distillery. It is a Japanese-made pot still that requires the Master Distiller to make delicate adjustments by steam heating and it produces a spirit with a light, fruity aroma that is carefully polished through a long, thin lyne arm.

Both of these magnificent spirit types are brought together in this United S Summer Edition, and the results are simply magnificent. It brings gentle citrus and summer berries, that mingle with building oak, sweet toffee and building wood fire on the nose, before the palate arrives with rich notes of sticky dates, raisins and peat smoke, with just a hint of tropical fruits floating in the background. The finish begins with more citrus zest, alongside lavender honey, before making way for richer notes of dark chocolate and another whiff of wood fire and peat.

It’s a brilliantly balanced and poised single malt whisky from one of the fastest rising stars in Japanese whisky, and one that’s worth adding to any whisky collection. 

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