Saké Misen Ginjyö – 72 cl

A flavorsome dry Ginjo sake, made using the top-quality brewer’s rice Hattan Nishiki which is polished down to one third of its original weight and water from Hiroshima Prefecture.

Tasting Notes: Fresh and floral on the nose with hints of white flowers and apricot.

On the palate it is mellow and fruity with hints of apple and pear, the finish is light with hints of cereals, a touch of acidity and bitterness.

Food Pairing: Perfect for seafood and can be served either hot or cold.

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

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Nikka from the Barrel is big-boned and bursting with character. Not averse to a drop of water, either. A real star, winning top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2010. Japanese whisky producer Nikka was founded in 1934 and has become Japan's second largest distiller, producing a large range of single malts and blended whiskies between its two distilleries - Yoichi and Miyagikyo.

NOSE: Spicy and peppery, but there’s a richness behind it, with spicy oak and soft orange fruitiness, and soft vanilla notes from the bourbon cask.

PALATE: Grainy sweetness and candied orange peel, quite rich, accompanied by rich cinnamon and clove.

FINISH: Great balance, this really needs a little water to allow the flavours to unfurl.

COMMENT: Characterful stuff, this whisky has plenty of personality, and shows a delightful balance between the spicy pepperiness and rich citrus fruit.

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Color: golden yellow
Aroma: fine fruity and floral notes accompanied by a delicate lime and grapefruit note
Taste: soft and supple body with notes of white peaches, grapes, coconut, limes and spices.
Finish: long and complex

The Ichidai Ai-misen Daiginjo sake from the Chugoku-Jozo brewery, founded in 1918, has a degree of polish of over 60 percent. It has been manufactured in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture since 1963.
Sake is a Japanese rice wine made from polished rice, water and yeast, but is more similar to beer in production. Unlike beer, however, the fermentation of sugar to alcohol sometimes takes place at the same time as the fermentation of starch to sugar. Sake contains 15 to 20 percent alcohol.

The Kikusui distillery is located in Kuroshio, Köchi Prefecture, Japan. It takes advantage of the climate favorable to the cultivation of sugar cane to cultivate its own raw material for the production of its rums.

Ryoma rum is produced from pure sugar cane juice and crafted using traditional Japanese methods. It is characterized by its fermentation, carried out using yeasts specially bred to ferment sake!
Ryoma's atypical style also comes from very fine sugar cane, typical of Japan.

Distilled in a pot still, this rum is then aged in white oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Marked by floral notes, the nose offers notes of white flowers, star anise and nougat.
• Mouth: Full of roundness and delicacy, the palate reveals aromas of vanilla, coconut and ginger.
• Finish: Fresh, the finish is distinguished by delicate citrus notes before notes of bitter molasses and chocolate come to close the tasting.

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.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.