The Southside Whisky Club 
Hakushu 12yo | 43.0% | Japan
70
65
37
Meet DeetsMeet #37 | 13/04/13 | Hosted by Phil
It was time for a Japanese whisky night, with 6 bottles to get through (one we'd tasted before).. we got our heads down and achieved our goals, sampling some interesting delights from far afield.
It was time for a Japanese whisky night, with 6 bottles to get through (one we'd tasted before).. we got our heads down and achieved our goals, sampling some interesting delights from far afield.
Other bottles sampled:
#67 Yoichi 10yo | SSWC review 37a
#68 Nikka Coffey Grain | SSWC review 37b
#69 Karuizawa Asama | SSWC review 37c
#71 Yamazaki 18yo | SSWC review 37e
#67 Yoichi 10yo | SSWC review 37a
#68 Nikka Coffey Grain | SSWC review 37b
#69 Karuizawa Asama | SSWC review 37c
#71 Yamazaki 18yo | SSWC review 37e
Japanese Whisky Club Bottles #33a - #33e were all tasted as part of a Japanese whisky night, where we tasted 6 bottles (one was a control, the previously-tried Nikka 'From The Barrel'). The image to the right shows the distilleries we tasted bottles from, as well as when they came into existence and who owns them (with 'S' denoting a now-silent still).
Smells
This Hakushu was grassy and fresh on the nose, with rose and peach scents adding to the outdoorsy-ness, and was described as "really floral" - lemon took the edge of a little bit, but strawberry chup-a-chups brought the fruity sweetness right back.
Tastes
Once popped in the mouth, this was instantly delicate (like a flower in a cyclone) and it was generally agreed water would totally overpower it (like the resulting storm surge), and it was nicely described as "the opposite of wasabi". Flower things (?), lilies and "skipping through a lavender meadow" brightened up the imagery - and perhaps cemented the delicacy and subtlety of this bottling.
Hakushu is one of the most picturesque distilleries in Japan...
Finish & Comments
Somehow we didn't get round to discussing a length, but I get the sense it wasn't that dramatic a finish: "a boring party bag", with some contrast of sweet and fizzy cherry cola bottles.
Cost~£52 (70cl)
Useful LinksNonjatta: Hakushu | http://nonjatta.blogspot.co.uk/2007/04/hakush
RatingWe've always scored out of 10 in our group (see number in red box, below), with scores regularly given across that spectrum. The value out of 100 below is adjusted to the scale most commonly used for whisky reviews, to allow for better comparison.
73 / 100
6.2 |  |
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Detailed scores (out of 10)
Ali: Null Fran: 6.5 Hamish: Null Jamie: Null Laura: Null Liz: Null Martin: Null Phil: 5.8 Shelley: Null |
Tasting Game Points (out of 0)
No scores available.
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[ for other thoughts on whisky and more in-depth activities of the group, check out whisky on meiotic ]