Prices
Prices and stock come from each retailer's website. Check with the store before you buy.
About
What it is
A blended whisky from Minami Alps Wine and Beverage in Yamanashi, bottled at 40% and made to a mash bill of roughly 86% corn and 14% barley. Matured three years in ex-bourbon barrels. Tenjaku means skylark.
Where it comes from
The producer states that the grains are grown locally and the whisky is produced in Japan. What we haven't found is a statement putting it against the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association labelling standard, which is the specific test that matters.
That gap is common for export-focused Japanese brands and isn't evidence of anything improper. It does mean the provenance rests on marketing copy rather than on a published compliance position, which is a weaker foundation than what Suntory, Nikka or Kirin offer. If it matters to you, ask the retailer to point at a producer page.
How it's made
Water comes from the Misaka mountains in the Mount Fuji basin, drawn from 250 metres down, the same aquifer the region's sake brewers use. The spirit is double distilled in copper pot stills, which is unusual for a corn-heavy mash bill, since most producers would run that through a column still. Heavily seasoned ex-bourbon barrels do the maturation. At three years old it's at the legal minimum.
What to expect
Mild and light. Citrus, pear and vanilla to start, then banana and corn sweetness, with a raw edge and slight oaky bitterness on a short finish. It's young and it tastes it. Fine in a highball, thin on its own.
How it compares
Against Mars Iwai, which runs a similar corn-led mash bill through ex-bourbon wood, the two are direct competitors and Iwai has the better reputation. Against Suntory Toki at a similar price, Toki has published provenance and more going on. Against Fuyu, another export-focused brand with a thin paper trail, you're facing the same information gap.
