The Hakushu 12 (하쿠슈 12년)

(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)

The Hakushu 12...this was one of the whiskies I kicked myself for not trying at the Yamazaki distillery last year, along with its older sibling, the 18 and the now award-winning 25. I was curious about how good this actually was and how it compared to the regular Hakushu that I had already tried in during that same trip. As luck would have it, A korean whisky appreciation club recently held an online tasting event and not only did I get the chance to try the 12, but I also got the chance to compare it with the regular one too! Result!

Vitals:

ABV: 43%

Colour: Straw

Chill-filtered: Yes.

Nose: A light smoke, cut grass and green apples lead this whisky and when the smoke moves into the background, the apple note morphs into a more herbal apple-mint note. As the apple-mint peaks, sweet strawberries, white grapes and fresh blueberries develop behind it and slowly push to the front. After a while, a hazelnut note reminiscent of nutella appears. 18/25

Palate: Light and crisp with white grapes and a touch of mineral notes, possibly salt, at first. Then peppery wood spice follows but it's neither aggressive or strong and once this spice fades, earthy peat appears, bringing with it herbal peppermint and the faintest hint of burning grass smoke. 19/25

Finish: Gets smokier as it reaches its finish, but the smoke is never the dominant note. Instead there's a little bit of a herbal-spicy kick to it, almost like a drop of wasabi was put into the glass. Medium length overall. 17/25

Value*: Is this a 280,000 won whisky? I personally don't think so. If you really want it, go ahead and buy it, but honestly, just wait until production restarts in the future, take a trip to Japan and buy it there. 4/25

Conclusion:

Fruity with a light smoke. It's good, but I don't think it's worth the price it sells for these days. I think even the regular Hakushu DR is better than this, truth be told.

Basic Rating: 72%

Price Adjusted Rating*: 58%

Daily Drinker: No.

Possible pairing: Salted chocolate, or ice-cream

Where to find in Korea: Namdaemun (남대문), Jura Shop (주라숍).

한국어 시음평:

향: 꽃 향, 인동덩굴, 풋사과 → 배, 꿀, 버터, 토스트

* 꽃밭에서 아침을 먹는 것 같습니다^^

맛: 신 사과, 크랜베리 → 꿀, 바닐라, 팬케이크 → 마늘버터, 계피가 들어간 사과잼

*마치 계피가 섞인 사과잼을 듬뿍 올린 팬케이크가 생각나는 맛입니다. 부드럽고 마시기 쉽습니다.

끝맛: 바닐라, 카모마일, 허브. 꽃 향이 매우 진하고 피니시는 길지 않습니다.

결론: 마치 어느 여름날 아침, 사랑하는 사람과 함께 피크닉을 가서 달콤한 팬케이크를 나눠먹는 것 같습니다. 야마자키 12년이 유명세를 실감할 수 있는 맛이네요. 하지만 개인적으로는 좀 더 과일 향이 감도는 디스틸러스 리저브가 더 마음에 듭니다 :)

Buy / Mooch / Pass: Pass

Review by Glasgowhisky

2020/04/18