The Kurayoshi 8 Year Old Malt Whisky

Founded in 1910, Matsui Shuzo is located in the Tottori Prefecture, Northwest of Kyoto and Northeast of Hiroshima, on the shore of the Sea of Japan.  Appropriately named “Kurayoshi”, which translates into, “City of Water & Green”, over 14% of the prefecture is a Natural Park, packed with lush vegetation, rugged coastlines, rivers, and lakes.

To be clear, Matsui Shuzo is known in Japan as both a sake brewery and shochu distillery.  While the juice in Kurayoshi is 100% malted barley, the spirits themselves have been sourced from distilleries around Scotland before making their journey to Japan, where they are blended with Japanese-distilled malted barley then aged (3-18 years). The whisky is then proofed down with the famously soft ground waters of Tottori Prefecture.   

Ripe and complex in flavor after having been aged for a minimum of 8 years in ex-Bourbon barrels, this malt has aromas of sweet fruit and hues of pale gold and orange.  The palate stands out with fragrances of candied nuts. The mouth-feel is very soft and the finish medium-long.