Japan’s Hatozaki Produces American-Style Rye
There is more to Japanese Whisky than just Nikka and Suntory, such as Hatozaki. Now available in the US is the Hatozaki Omakase Rye Third Edition Mizunara Cask Finish for a suggested retail price of $95 (750ml), the new limited-edition expression showcases the profound aging and finishing techniques of Kimio Yonezawa, 4th generation Master Distiller & Blender. This whisky is an American-inspired rye, not a Japanese malt, crafted in small batches of no more than 10 casks. The blend, consisting of at least 51% rye, is aged in new charred oak and then finished in traditional Mizunara casks.
Produced at the Kaikyō Distillery on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, the Hatozaki Omakase collection was born of Yonezawa-sans vision to create elegant and genuine whiskies that reflect the character of his family distillerys unique terroir and maritime influences. Honoring the age-old Japanese concept of Omakase, known as chefs choice in Japanese dining, the Omakase collection mirrors the idea of trusting the makers intuition allowing for delightful experimentation of flavors and new exploration.
“I am honored to introduce the newest blend in our Omakase Collection to the US market,” says Yonezawa-san. “I was excited to experiment with the flavors of rye, a popular category with American whisky drinkers, and see how they would respond to native Japanese oak influence. We are thrilled with the final blend and confident it will be a surprising and rewarding choice for the seeker of exciting new whiskies to try.”
In that spirit, Kimio Yonezawa presents an innovative new blend consisting of rye whisky, that is aged in new charred oak and then finished in Japanese Mizunara casks, the rare Japanese white oak sourced from the Hokkaido and Tohoku forests. This expression will be limited to less than 3,000 bottles, each numbered and sold exclusively in the US market.
The new product joins Hatozakis core range including: Hatozaki Finest Whisky ($45.99 ,750ml. bottle, 40% ABV) a blend of premium malt whiskies aged for up to 12 years in imported bourbon casks, imported sherry casks and native Sakura casks, the Japanese cherry wood; and Hatozaki Small Batch Whisky ($65.99, 750ml., 46% ABV), a vatting of 100% malt whiskies aged in imported bourbon casks, imported sherry casks, and native Mizunara oak barrels, yielding a rich profile of sweet cereals and malty dried fruit, with a light touch of smoke and honey on the finish.
