Shinobu Distillery 10 Year Old Mizunara Oak Finish Pure Malt Whisky, Japan

A superior blend of malt Whiskies finished in rare Mizunara oak.

On the North side of Japan near Niigata, the Shonibu Distillery sits just about 300 yards from the Sea of Japan. Entrepreneur Ken Usami has been brewing Niigata Beer in this idyllic location for more than twenty years. And he was the first person to be licensed to distill Whisky in the entire prefecture in 2017. Ever since, he has been sourcing premium Spirits and finishing them in rare, Mizunara oak. These early efforts have been paying off with robust sales and a dozen awards across his product range.

Shinobu 10 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky has spent most of it’s time aging in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks. Then it was finished in those delightfully expensive Mizunara oak wonder-barrels. It is a blend of 100% malt Spirits, masterfully balanced profile. But Whisky lovers will notice the influence of the Mizunara right away — with dense, wood-forward notes.

Smartass Corner: 
Mizunara oak is native to remote, rocky areas of Japan and Mongolia. The trees must be two hundred years old before harvesting for barrel-making. Importantly, the wood is open grained, delivering TONS of earthy wood flavors. But the barrels are short-lived, cannot be re-used, and have to be replaced frequently.