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Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish

$95
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8

Whisky Review: Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish

We review Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish, a world whisky consisting of at least 51% American rye that was finished in Japan in Mizunara oak casks.
  • Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash, is an award-winning whiskey journalist, expert, and judge

Tasting Notes:

About:
A world whisky consisting of at least 51% American rye was finished in Japan in Mizunara oak casks. It is bottled at 42% ABV and priced at $95.
Appearance:
The color in the glass for this whisky reflects a satisfactory warm amber glow, supported by thick legs and excellent viscosity.
Nose:
The aromatics of this are very unique. There are those American rye characteristics you’d expect, but the influence of the Mizunara oak finish cannot be denied. Things picked up on the nose include notes of baked bread, black pepper, sea salt, ginger candy, a whiff of anise, dark cherries, and oak.
Palate:
Okay, admittedly, upon first taste, the flavor profile on this caught this reviewer off guard and put a bit of a smile on his face. It goes in many different directions—the rye spice is subdued, and there’s a hint of sweetness here, almost in a cinnamon-bubble gum kind of way. There are essences of baked bread, vanilla panna cotta, cherries, oak, sea salt, and a backbone of oak.
Finish:
The finish clocks in sweet and cinnamon, with a short hold before a fast fadeout.
Comments:
Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish is an odd bird of a whisky. Usually, when American whiskey finds its way into Mizunara oak, it is being finished under the watch of an American distillery. Instead, this whisky saw a finishing time in Japan before returning to the United States. Whatever the case, it is yummy and a bit different in a sea of whisk(e)y choices.
Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish review
We review Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish, a world whisky consisting of at least 51% American rye that was finished in Japan in Mizunara oak casks. (image via Hatozaki)

Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whisky from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.

Kaikyō Distillery, located on the coast of the Seto inland sea in Hyogo, Japan, is known for its Hatozaki Whisky. This whisky is named for the Hatozaki Lighthouse, built in 1657, sitting on the bay of coastline near the distillery. The distillery is helmed by fourth-generation Master Distiller & Blender Kimio Yonezawa, who brings blending heritage from a long line of shochu distillers since 1911.

In 2017, he began producing Hatozaki whisky to honor the centennial of his family’s distillery.

The Hatozaki portfolio includes two permanent expressions, Hatozaki Finest Whisky and Hatozaki Small Batch Whisky, and a line of Limited Edition expressions, including the Hatozaki “Omakase” whiskies – hand-selected by Yonezawa-san to create unique cask finishes that have included Mizunara, Sakura and other Japanese oak influence.

What’s in the bottle

The whisky being reviewed here, Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish, is the latest addition to the Omakase line-up. This is an odd one to categorize in that it is a blend consisting of at least 51% American rye that was initially aged in the United States in new charred oak barrels. It was then transported to Japan, where it was finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks at the Hatozaki Distillery for an undisclosed period.

For the sake of argument, we will call this a world whisky.

“I am honored to introduce the newest blend in our Omakase Collection to the US market,” said Yonezawa-san when it was released. “I was excited to experiment with the flavors of rye, a popular category with American whisky drinkers, and see how they would respond to native Japanese oak influence. We are thrilled with the final blend and confident it will be a surprising and rewarding choice for the seeker of exciting new whiskies to try.”

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A 3,000-bottle allocation of this has been made available only in the US for a suggested retail price of $95.00 (42% ABV, 750ml).

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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