SP17 Hatozaki Whisky Finest Whisky

Crafted by the Kaikyo Distillery in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture — home to the Yonezawa family's spirits-making legacy dating back to 1917 — Hatozaki Finest is a premium blend matured across three distinct cask types: ex-bourbon American oak, ex-sherry Spanish oak, and Japan's native Mizunara oak. The result is a light, non-chill-filtered whisky with a very pale, natural color and a minimum malt whisky content of 40%. The nose is soft and inviting, with cereal sweetness, honey, and citrus giving way to fragrant lemongrass and floral top notes. On the palate, gentle sweetness meets a touch of oiliness and the faintest whisper of smoke, layered with lime zest and almond. It finishes medium in length, warm, with lingering grain character — an easy, versatile pour built for highballs as much as sipping neat. Bottled at 40% ABV, Hatozaki Finest took home Silver at the 2024 International Spirits Challenge and Gold at the 2023 London Craft Spirits Awards
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ABOUT THE NAME
The whisky takes its name from the Hatozaki Lighthouse, the oldest stone lighthouse in Japan, which has guided ships into the port of Akashi since 1620. The distillery itself, Kaikyo, is named after the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge that stands in front of the facility — a nod to the maritime heritage woven throughout the brand's story and imagery.

STYLE: BLENDED JAPANESE WHISKY
AGE: UP TO 12 YEARS
CASK TYPES: EX-BOURBON, EX-SHERRY, MIZUNARA OAK
PRODUCER: THE KAIKYO DISTILLERY, AKASHI CITY, HYOGO PREFECTURE
AWARDS: SILVER, INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2024; GOLD, LONDON CRAFT SPIRITS AWARDS 2023
SPECIAL NOTES: NAMED FOR THE HATOZAKI LIGHTHOUSE, GUIDING SHIPS INTO AKASHI PORT SINCE 1620