Akashi 4 Year Old White Wine Cask Single Malt

What it is

A four year old single malt from Eigashima in Hyogo, matured in casks that previously held white wine, bottled at 50%. Part of the distillery's cask series, where the same spirit is released through a rotating set of wood types.

Where it comes from

Eigashima received one of Japan's first whisky licences in 1919, four years before Yamazaki was built, though its first single malt didn't appear until 2007. The malted barley is imported, which is normal across the industry and doesn't affect compliance, since the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association standard concerns where the whisky is distilled, matured and bottled, plus Japanese water.

Eigashima also bottles blends built on whisky it didn't distil, so compliance can't be assumed from the brand. No producer statement for this specific release has turned up, so treat it as unconfirmed.

How it's made

The distillery sits on the Seto Inland Sea at Akashi and makes whisky for only a short window each year, with sake and shochu occupying the rest of the calendar. The malt is lightly peated. White wine casks are an unusual choice: they carry much less residual sugar and tannin than red wine or sherry wood, so they add acidity and a floral, slightly waxy character rather than colour and weight. On a four year old malt that leaves the distillate fairly exposed.

What to expect

Bright and acidic, with citrus, green apple and white flowers, then a savoury, faintly waxy note and the distillery's thread of smoke on the finish. At 50% it's punchy and young, and it doesn't hide either.

How it compares

Against the 6 year old white wine cask release, that one has two more years to soften it. Against the red wine cask version, the red wood gives fruit and colour where this gives acidity and lift. Against the bourbon cask releases, those are the sweeter and more conventional entry to the range.