Wakatsuru Junenmyo Half Decade

Few outside of Japan have heard of this interesting five year old blended whisky from Toyama prefecture. I certainly hadn't before I was given the chance to try it during a trip to Osaka last year. It's actually quite new on the scene, with its first release being in 2019 and as it's age statement name suggests, it’s made from a blend of five year old or older whiskies. I’m not too sure if all of it is sourced from the Waketsuru distillery, but the malt whisky component of the blend most certainly is. It's hard to say on the grain competent as it's not uncommon for smaller Japanese distillers to import grain spirit from Scotland to blend into their malt. Nikka and Suntory have the production clout to make their own, but many smaller ones simply lack the ability to produce enough at the moment.

The Waketsuru distillery itself isn’t actually all that young, having been founded in the 1950s, but it’s only in recent years that they have upped their game and started to produce quality whisky. Before the release of this one, most of their whisky could probably be classed in the "highball" category (ie. only good for mixers). This, however, seems to be their first step into producing whisky that can be enjoyed however one wishes.

The malt component is also aged in mizunara casks, which adds a very interesting touch to the final product.

Vitals:

ABV: 40%

Colour: Pale straw.

Chill-filtered: No.

Nose: Incredibly unique. It starts off flowery, with hints of apples and pears, but quickly develops into a funky and almost yeasty note, similar to a fermented soybean soup like Korean doenjangguk or Japanese miso. I have heard that that is often a note people find in mizunara cask whiskies. Not my kind of thing though. 9/25

Palate: The funkiness from the nose quickly dissipates as the barrel spice takes over and it gets a little peppery. But the spice then gives way to some sweet notes reminiscent of peaches and nectarines. 18/25

Finish: A mild and moderate length finish that’s bursting with sweet stone fruits, yet light and refreshing. 20/25

Value*: Unable to find in Korea, but can be purchased in Japan. It run at about 3/4ths of the price of NAS offerings from Nikka and Suntory. N/A

Conclusion:

Overall, it’s a fairly light and easy going whisky. The nose is a tad off-putting to me, but if you can get past that then it’s easy to drink. I wouldn’t, however, go out of my way to buy it as there are better Japanese whiskies out there. With that being said, this is just an early release from Wakatsuru. If they improve on this over the next couple of years then I do think that this distillery is most definitely one to look out for in the future while we all wait for a return of the Nikka and Suntory age statement releases.

Basic Rating(N+P+F): 62.3%

Price Adjusted Rating(N+P+F+V)*: N/A

Daily Drinker: If you live in Japan, sure why not? In Korea though? Not a chance.

Possible pairing: Uhh... I'm honestly not sure what would match up with the "interesting" nose on this one.

Where to find in Korea: Impossible.

TLDR Version:

N: Spring flowers, apples, pears, bread yeast, fermented soybeans.

P: Wood, peppercorns, peaches and nectarines.

F: Medium, with lots of stone fruits, light and refreshing .

V: Not really worth it at the moment. But hopeful for the future.

Buy / Mooch / Pass: Pass for now, but at least try at a bar while on a trip Japan if you want something different.

Review by Glasgowhisky

2020/01/28