Asaka Aoi Edition-Single Malt Single Cask Japanese Whisky 51% ABV.

Distilled 27/06/2017; Bottled 13/07/2020 and matured for 3 years in a first fill Bourbon barrel, cask no #17172. Bottle outrun-343 bottles. This bottling is non chill filtered and presented in its natural colour.

Released in June 2020,the dekanta Aoi Edition was only the second single malt release, and the first single cask, to come from Asaka distillery.

This release was named “Aoi”, which is the Japanese word for blue, so chosen because of the symbolic significance the colour holds in both Japanese and US culture.

Dekanta – Japanese fine and rare whisky retailer.

This whisky was tasted as part of the Dekanta whisky tweet tasting with Steve/@TheWhiskyWire on the 30th of June 2021.

Appearance

This whisky is a shade darker than white wine in colour, it has quite a thick swirl line, and it creates an all over film on the glass initially that develops into syrupy thick legs.

Nose

Initially Eucalyptus and forest floor aromas start the nose. Then linseed oil, old style glazing putty and cigar leaves come along with bitter lemon, nutmeg and a tree bark type of aroma.

With more time in the glass green apple skin and faint red berries develop, with pontefract cakes that bring a more liquorice feel. Slowly strawberry laces sweets and black tea arrive.

Towards the end of development parma violets bring a floral flourish, the nose on this whisky develops very nicely to be honest.

It takes time, but it does arrive 👍 #DekantaWhisky

— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) June 30, 2021

Palate

It kicks off with a super mouthfeel, heading towards syrupy thick to be honest, and a sweet/spicy mixture initially.

Seared pineapple slices, green apples, and dried apricots bring a lovely fruit medley. Ginger, black peppercorns, espresso, black treacle, and grapefruit/pomelo add a spiciness with a slightly zesty twist, it makes for a wonderful combo, and out of nowhere a super sweet strawberry jam note raced through too, it left as quickly as it arrived, that brought a smile to my face.

Honey and grains bring the palate to a close, i’m thinking flapjack and cheesecake base.

Finish

It’s always controlled by the spice for me, but I did get a strawberry jam flavour shoot through. #DekantaWhisky

— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) June 30, 2021

My thoughts

I have been lucky enough to own a couple of Japanese single malts in the past, and have had a sample of a very good aged Japanese whisky, i enjoyed them all. This bottling however is a single malt and single cask, a first for me with Japanese whisky, i was obviously very excited to try it, and wondered if it was going to be as good as the Japanese whiskies i had tried previously

Well it turned out that it is. The aromas and flavours are different to those i’d experienced with my other Japanese whiskies, which i really liked, iv’e now tried a wider range of flavours from Japanese whiskies.

A couple of things i’d like to highlight are the super syrupy mouthfeel i got, and it’s only 3 years old, and secondly how well this whisky develops with time. I could very easily sit with a glass of it for over an hour nosing and tasting the changes as it develops. I’d also say that iv’e not had a whisky before that develops the way this one does, i really did enjoy it, and i’m very thankful for the opportunity to experience it, it’s lovely stuff.

Would i buy a bottle?

At £195 it is sadly out of my price range, but if i did have the money i would buy a bottle, in my opinion it’s a very good and competent whisky, it’s got it’s own place, and it’s one i would like to know better.

Thanks to – @dekantawhisky, @PhilScott101 and @TheWhiskyWire for allowing me to be part of the tasting, and for the use of his Dekanta whisky image.