Tokyo Tastings: Ichiro's Malt Ace of Spades and Kawasaki 1981

Another day in Tokyo, another random bar stumbled upon. This time it's Zoetrope, a bar specialising in Japanese whisky and silent films! Another only in Tokyo experience. I was rushing to the airport to catch my flight so quickly scoured the menu and found 2 gems, an Ichiro's Malt Ace of Spades and Ichiro's Malt Kawasaki 1981. There were many other interesting whiskies to try on the menu so definitely will be back!

So this is the famous Ace of Spades worth a ridiculous US$10K according to this article. These Ichiro card series bottlings are getting increasingly rare and collectors are all over them like bees to honey. Think I'm pretty fortunate to have tried it because I probably had the last drop from the bottle.
There were 2 releases for this series and this was the 1st one I believe with an outturn of 122 bottles.

THE REVIEW

 

Comments: A very classy whisky. A wonderful citrus and earthy nose. The palate is sherried candy and becomes chocolatey with a long lingering spicy finish. Great balance with the oak and sherry! Not sure though if I could ever justify paying the price tag on this whisky right now.

Kawasaki just like Karuizawa is another closed distillery in Japan. The only difference is that Kawasaki is a single grain whisky (90% corn / 10% barley). Let's see what Ichiro-san's magic can do for the whisky.

THE REVIEW

 

Comments: Wow! Strong vanilla with layers of orange and dark chocolate permeate the tastebuds. Remarkably smooth for the alcohol strength and does not bite at all. Feels like a cross over of some of the great bourbons and rums that I've tried. Solid stuff! (P.S: Realised after that this whisky was a Malt Maniacs 2010 Gold Medal winner).

Whisky and Steak - Part 2 (Old Pulteney 21 Year & New Zealand's 1987 24 Year)

The third dram we tried that night was the Old Pulteney 21 year which I have been longing to try since it won the Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's 2012 edition.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Refreshing lemon zest and pears on the nose. The palate is oily with hints of chocolate, vanilla and a dash of smoke in the end. What a beautifully balanced whisky and worthy addition to any whisky cabinet.

Another interesting dram for the night...a 24 year whisky from New Zealand's only and closed Willowbank distillery. This one commemorates the year of the 1st Rugby World Cup, which was of course won by the All Blacks. Only 1000 bottles of this whisky are in existence. A rare treat indeed.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Refreshing spring grassy mouth followed by a spicy toffee and citrus finish with woody vanilla undertones. Nice tipple and great effort from the Kiwis.

Whisky and Steak - Part 1 (Balvenie 16 Yr Triple Cask & 15 Yr Single Barrel Sherry Cask)

Last minute steak dinner pulled together at Y's house with some good friends. Had some really good wine to pair with the food but of course had to end the night with some whisky. We had a very random selection of 2 Balvenies, a 24 year New Zealand (yes New Zealand) whisky and the award winning 21 year Old Pulteney.

Let's start with the Balvenies which are recent additions to the range. The first is a 16 year Triple cask available exclusively for travel retail and the second is the newly released 15 year Single Barrel Sherry Cask that is replacing the Oak cask series (reviewed here)

THE REVIEW

 

Balvenie 16 yr Triple Cask: A bit light on the palate and somewhat disappointing. The usual vanilla and honey notes are there but lacks the usual full bodied flavour of a Balvenie. Maybe the 40% abv has something to do with it? For the price point there are other better Balvenies to be had.

Balvenie 15 yr Single Barrel Sherry Cask: A worthy successor to the Oak cask Single Barrel and great if you like sherried whisky. Apricots, raisins dominate with a hint of nuttiness and the finish is long and smooth.