Hanyu Ichiro 1991 Eight of Hearts Bottled 2008 Oloroso Finish

Hanyu Ichiro's Malt Seven of Spades

This is one of the very last expressions in Ichiro Akuto’s “Card Series”. It was distilled in 1990 and matured in a hogshead before being finished in a cognac cask (cask #525). It was released in 2012. The nose is light and surprisingly sweet, possibly due to the cognac cask finish? Notes of vanilla are followed by lemons, fudge and crème brûlée....

Score 86/100

Hanyu Ichiro's Malt 23 Year Old

Hanyu Distillery was located in a town of the same name, 70 kilometres north of Tokyo. The original company was founded from a family business originally established in 1626 by the Akuto family, sake makers in the town of Chichibu. In 1941 Isouji Akuto, representing the 19th generation of the Akuto family, built a factory in Hanyu to produce...

Score 87/100

Hanyu 1988 21 Year Old Noh Cask #9306

The Japanese Hanyu distillery is no longer operational. In the 1980’s they had some financial problems and the distillery was closed in 2000. Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the distillery founder, bought 400 casks of Hanyu whisky that are now being sold, most of them in the Ichiro’s Malts series in which every bottle is named after a playing card...

Score 90/100

Hanyu Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a vatted malt consisting of single malt from various Japanese distilleries and blended by Ichiro Akuto. It appears that there was one release of about 6,000 bottles. The nose is malty and quite nutty, very soft and light overall. There is vanilla and a hint of banana, everything very well blended together. The palate is medium-bodied...

Score 85/100