Choya Sake – 75 cl

Choya Sake is a traditional Japanese wine made from local rice from Nara Prefecture, Koji yeast and mineral water. This combination creates an excellent drink that surprises with its aroma and especially its taste.

Rice, underwent a very slow fermentation at a low temperature, thanks to which the sake acquired a rich aroma. We recommend serving slightly chilled or very warm at a temperature of 7 to 50 °C.

It goes perfectly with traditional Japanese cuisine such as sashimi, sushi, teppanyaki, sukiyaki and teriyaki.

Color: clear with golden-yellow reflections
Aroma: flowers, cooked rice, herbs, pastries
Taste: spices, apples, cherries, flowers, apricots
Finish: medium-long, bitter-sweet, fruit, wood

Cosmo from Mars Maltage is a blended malt that includes whisky from Shinshu in Japan. A big hit when released at the 2015 Tokyo International Bar Show, this is a permanent addition to the fledgling distillery's range.

NOSE : Vanilla and walnuts with layers of fruit: cherry and raspberry, pear and apple.

PALATE: Citrus oil leads, followed by fleshy oranges, chocolate and oaky spices.

FINISH: Fresh plums and red grapes with chocolate lingering.

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A famous old brand of Japanese whisky. Nikka Super is made with a high proportion of malt whiskies from Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

The flavour profile is classically Japanese in style with herbal, spicy notes along with sweet citrus fruits and a subtle maltiness. 

World Whiskies Awards: Best Japanese Blended No Age 2013 Best Japanese Blended No Age 2015

Taste: Soft and juicy with lemongrass, honey, ripe citrus and spicy oak flavours.

Nose: Dried herbs, incense, roasted spices, sweet citrus and melon.

Colour: Deep reddish bronze.

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Eigashima Distillery (known as White Oak Distillery in Japan), located in Akashi near Kobe, Japan, is both the country’s oldest and smallest whisky distillery. Founded in 1888, the tiny distillery runs on a seven person operation! Akashi is a coastal town residing on the edge of Osaka Bay. Due to Akashi’s unique climate with extremely hot summers and cool winters, as much as 7%-8% of Eigashima’s maturing whisky may be lost to evaporation each year (opposed to the 2% commonly seen in Scotland). While this lowers still the overall production yield, it also acts as a catalyst for the maturation process, as the temperature swings encourage interaction between the whisky and the wood. As a result, Akashi White Oak Japanese Whisky has a malty, citrusy aroma with scents of black cherry, toffee and oak. This whisky is made with a variety of wheat, barley and rye with hints of subtle peat. Notes of vanilla and pine nuts dominate the palate, and lead to a long, malty finish. Excellent introduction to the Japanese whisky category, those looking for a segway into Scotch, or an every day drinking dram.

Tasting Note:

Nose: Buttered hot cross buns, chocolate peanuts, lemongrass and a light hint of spicy rye grain.

Palate: Cherry bakewells and walnut loaf. Sweet cereals with a dusting of nutmeg and black pepper.

Finish: Medium length. Quite sweet with dried apricot and a touch of oatcake.

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A vibrant addition to the Nikka range, Nikka Days is a bright and vivacious blend of malt and grain whiskies from both Nikka's Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. Its medium body hosts an array of floral and zesty flavours which mingle effortlessly with an underlying vanilla-toffee depth and a light, distant touch of breezy peat smoke.

A fresh and delicate whisky, Days makes a delicious sipping dram or sits beautifully in a refreshing highball.

NOSE: Apples, pears and strawberry liquorice. Perfumed notes of daiginjo sake and white melon. Grainy flavours develop, with freshly crushed barley and malting floor sweetness floating out of the glass. White chocolate and a sprinkling of lemon zest sit at the back.

PALATE: Creamy and soft, with grapes and apples on top of toffee and candied lemon. Delicate white chocolate notes are joined by darker liquorice hints and a tiny touch of barrel char smokiness. Right at the back is a bowl of apples, freshly peeled and sliced.

FINISH: Lemon zest and buttery biscuits. Barley sugar sweetness to leave grain and spice.

COMMENT: Delicate and fragrant at first, with more weight hiding behind. A great all-rounder with enough complexity to sip and enough oomph to shine in a mixed drink.

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Sandwiched between Japan’s soaring Southern Alps and the towering Central Alps and at just over 2,600 feet, Mars Shinshu is Japan’s highest whisky distillery. The Hombo family has been distilling shochu for more than a century and added whisky to their repertoire in 1949. Back then, the distillery was located in Kagoshima Prefecture on the southernmost island of Kyushu. In 1984, the Hombo clan moved the distillery to the idyllic alpine setting of Miyada village in southern Nagano Prefecture. They chose this site for its cool temperatures, which slow maturation, and the plentiful and soft granite-filtered, snowmelt-fed aquifers. This malt-driven spirit is truly a reflection of contemporary Japanese whisky. A blend of various ex-spirit barrels, combined with hints of peat, this spirit is wonderfully balanced and packed with ripe flavors of cherry, honey, toffee, and spice.

Appearance / Color: Dark caramel

Nose / Aroma / Smell :Grapes, Sherry, peat 

Palate: Peppery, cherry, toffee, honey, ginger spice

Finish: Long, crisp, rounded

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.