HAKUSHU 12 YEAR OLD 70CL/43% (OLD JAPANESE EDITION)

This whisky hails from the Japanese distillery of Hakushu set in a forest and was once twice the size with an east and west distillery on the site.

Nose: Toasted barley, seed & nut loaf, chopped almonds and a little bit of barrel char. Hints of milk chocolate and dried grass bring sweetness.

Palate: Much more fruit on the palate, but it's by no means a sweet whisky. Still rich, herbaceous and grassy, with a waft of smoke along the way.

Finish: Quite short, though enjoyable with orange peel and a touch of minerals.