SP20 Hatozaki Malt Whisky - Umeshu Cask Finish - Aged 12 Years
A 100% malt whisky from the Kaikyō Distillery, this expression is a meticulous small-batch blend of single malts, each aged a minimum of 12 years in American oak casks before being married together and finished for an additional six months in bespoke barrels that previously held Akashi-Tai's Umeshu — a traditional Japanese plum liqueur. Unpeated, rich, and fruity, it opens with cereal and iodine notes on the nose, joined by fresh pear and apricot. The palate is complex and honeyed, with malt loaf, floral honey, and creamy vanilla layering over lychee, dried apricot, and peaches in cream, while the umeshu cask lends a distinctive sweetness throughout. It finishes long, with a lingering, jammy sweetness of yellow plum. Launched in 2022, this is widely considered the most distinctly "Japanese"-tasting expression in the Hatozaki lineup, thanks to the umeshu's signature soft, fruit-forward character. Non-chill filtered and naturally colored, bottled at 46% ABV.
ABOUT THE UMESHU & THE NAME
The umeshu used to finish this whisky is made by macerating hand-selected Hyogo Prefecture plums in Ginjo sake for six months, then aging the liqueur in enameled vats for two years before it's transferred to the whisky's finishing barrels — a level of care that gives this expression its distinctive identity. Like the rest of the range, Hatozaki takes its name from the Hatozaki Lighthouse in Akashi Harbour, the oldest lighthouse in Japan.
STYLE: MALT WHISKY, UMESHU CASK FINISH
AGE: 12 YEARS (AMERICAN OAK), PLUS 6-MONTH UMESHU CASK FINISH
MASTER DISTILLER: KIMIO YONEZAWA
SPECIAL NOTES: LAUNCHED 2022; CONSIDERED THE MOST DISTINCTLY JAPANESE-TASTING EXPRESSION IN THE CORE HATOZAKI LINEUP
