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Spirits
1.125Ltr
Bottle: $98.40
This product was made with excellent design, amazing taste, and complexity. The cats show the true japenese culture...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $100.31 $105.59
This special edition cask strength release is solid. Has hints of youthfulness, while showing some aged quality as...
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Spirits
750ml - Case of 4
Bottle: $133.38
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $49.66 $52.27
This small-batch whisky has a mild, almost neutral aroma and silky, spiced palate. Each sip opens with cinnamon and...
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WE
90
WKY
90
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Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $149.94 $169.94
Named after a 16th century daimyo in feudal Japan, the mizunara oak influence on the nose is distinctive, with aromas...
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WKY
91
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Spirits
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $34.20
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $124.73
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $125.66
Rich red plums with some blackberries, cocoa and dried leaves. A juicy, generous red with a full body with a nice...
JS
92
Case only
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $109.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.16
A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives,...
JS
98
VM
94

Carmenere Japanese Whiskey Mencia Mencia

The deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.

The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.

Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.

While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.