A new week and a new theme: Japan! I am no expert on Japanese Whisky, so I turn to a handy guide to make sure I can grasp the different distilleries and traditions. I was thrilled that Stefan van Eycken released a new edition of his Whisky Rising in 2023. The first edition has been out of print and quite expensive for a while, so seeing him release a new one with tons of updated information was fantastic. I do not know a better guide to the contemporary industry, and it is now my first reference when looking up information. While he had nothing to do with the bottle reviewed below, Stefan was the one who put Eigashima on my whisky radar about five years ago. Though their Akashi label is not as widely known as some Japanese Distilleries, and I think people recognize them more for their affordable blended whiskies, the malt they distill in-house can be fantastic.

Whisky: Akashi White Oak 5 Year Cask 5158

Country/Region: Japan

ABV: 50%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 5 Years

Nose: Pickled plums, licorice, shiso leaf, leather, hints of rubbery sulfur, berry juice with more time.

Palate: Medium-bodied, fruit, chocolate, leather funk, slightly vegetal, baking spices, more earth toward the end with leather, glue, and rubber.

Finish: Medium-length with cocoa, earth, and leather.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Post-Apocalyptic Haribo Gummy Monster

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was musty and fruity, as if popping the lid on a clay jar full of pickled plums. Hints of licorice and moss paired nicely with the musty fruits as peppery shiso leaf and blueberry juice arrived. Leather, rubber, and sulfur gave the aroma a dirty and earthy character with a bit of a spirited bite. Medium-bodied with a bounty of fruits, chocolate, and leather funk on the palate. Fruit juice and sweet vegetal notes arrived with cinnamon, pepper, licorice, and white chocolate. More earth and moss developed on the mid-palate with a touch of spirited prickle, while dark chocolate, leather, glue, and a touch of rubbery funk lingered at the end. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with cocoa, earth, and leather.

It has been a while since I have had a chance to try anything from Eigashima! In fact, it looks like the last bottles I reviewed were pre-Covid, which feels like it was another lifetime ago. The Japanese distillery has been going at whisky for nearly four decades but only distills whisky during part of the year (roughly March to November). As a result, their stocks have always been somewhat limited and rarely mature past the decade mark before release. This might change in the future, as according to Stefan van Eycken's latest edition of Whisky Rising, the distillery produces four times the whisky it did a decade ago. Many consumers, especially in the US, are likely more familiar with the sourced malts and blends the distillery releases. I think this is unfortunate as those products pale compared to the actual malt produced at Eigashima.

Overall, this was a dirty affair, though I enjoyed the interplay of earth, rubber, chocolate, and sweeter spices and fruits. I suspect anyone with a sensitivity to sulfur should steer clear of this one; even if I found the note well-integrated, if you do not enjoy those notes, this whisky will not work for you.

Image Credit: Japan Whisky.com