Prices
Prices and stock come from each retailer's website. Check with the store before you buy.
More from this distillery: All Suntory whiskies and prices
About
What it is
A limited edition Hakushu released in 2024 at 43% with no age statement, one of a pair alongside a Yamazaki version. The releases marked Yamazaki's centenary in 2023, which is also the centenary of Japanese whisky making, and Hakushu's own 50th anniversary the same year.
Where it comes from
Suntory confirms that Hakushu single malt meets the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association labelling standard and that all exported Suntory whisky is 100% distilled, matured and bottled in Japan. No imported component.
How it's made
Hakushu sits at around 700 metres in the Southern Japanese Alps, founded in 1973 by second generation master blender Keizo Saji on a site chosen for its granite-filtered mountain water and cool forest air. The distillery uses both lightly and heavily peated malt. This release leans on bourbon barrels rather than the American, Spanish and mizunara mix the core range draws on, which pushes vanilla and sweetness forward while leaving the distillery's smoke intact. The bottle illustration shows the distillery in green, referencing the forest around it.
What to expect
Creamy and bright, with roasted green tea, vanilla and orchard fruit, then a mild sweet smokiness building through the finish. It's recognisably Hakushu, which the Bittersweet Edition arguably wasn't, and the bourbon wood makes it rounder than the 12.
How it compares
Against Hakushu Japanese Forest Bittersweet Edition, that one is Spanish oak throughout and reads far more sherried. This is the more typical Hakushu of the two. Against Hakushu 12, the Story release is softer and more vanilla-driven where the 12 is crisper. Against the Yamazaki Story of the Distillery 2024, released at the same time, tasters have split fairly evenly between them, which suggests Suntory gave both distilleries a fair showing.
