17-Year-Old Single-Grain Japanese Whisky at a Comparative Steal – Japanese Whisky News
Incredible Rarity and Singular Style: A Collector’s Must-Have
2003 A Secret Distillery In Japan “The ImpEx Collection” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #2128 Single Grain (100% Barley) Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($299.99)
“… it’s one of the rarest whiskies out there, and it’s a no-brainer for any lover of grain spirits.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer
Fresh on the heels of our wildly successful offer of the Mars Shinshu 2021 Limited Edition Single Malt, we’ve got a sublime, singular offering that takes collectible Japanese whisky to another level altogether. This spectacular K&L Exclusive Cask is shrouded in mystery, but the quality of the juice is as clear as day. We can’t say who made it, but we know there’s an undisputed master of Japanese distillation behind it. A truly remarkable rarity, it’s made from a 100% barley mash bill, which is almost never seen in Japan these days, and the 17 years it spent in oak have rounded out the style to something unlike anything we’ve ever come across before. Spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley succinctly declares, “This might be the most exciting Japanese whisky offering we’ve had in decent quantity in years.” His co-conspirator David Othenin-Girard likewise calls it “a bizarre yet wonderful and welcome addition to the pantheon of legendary K&L Exclusive whiskies.” Deep and complex yet vividly fresh and vibrant, the profile shows off its raw materials with utter clarity while taking its stunning oak profile very seriously. Even as many similarly age-stated renditions from the titans of Japanese whisky are going for a four-digit king’s ransom (when you can even find them), this secret dram presents a comparatively astounding value and should be snapped up by any and all serious collectors of the world’s finest and rarest spirits.
K&L Notes: This highly unusual offering from the wonderful team at ImpEx represents one of the finest examples of Japanese whisky we’ve ever come across. Distilled entirely in Japan from 100% barley, it’s labelled “Koji” Whisky, implying that asparilligus was used to aid in enzymatic breakdown of the grains prior to distillations. The key factor that distinguishes this special whisky from many of the other “single grain” whiskies from Japan, which are often distilled from rice and do not qualify under Japanese law as whisky, is that it is produced exclusively from barley. After 17 years in oak, the character and complexity are undeniable. While the distillery cannot be named, there’s no doubt that it was distilled by one of the masters of Japanese distillation. We were extremely skeptical, but after just one taste it was clear that this whisky would go down as one of the country’s most delicious, unusual, and indeed rarest offerings to date. One of only two casks that were produced for the ImpEx Collection. Only 205 bottles came from barrel #28, which were botttled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 14, 2021
We’ve come a long way since K&L bought our first barrels of Japanese whisky in 2013. Those two barrels were from the famous Karuizawa distillery and have become absolute legends, some of the most sought-after whiskies we’ve ever sold. Since then we’ve not managed to sell another Japanese whisky made from barley at all! Many of the rice-based, sochu-style whiskies have come and gone, often young and very far outside the standards set by the Single Malt category. When I stumbled across this seemingly too-good-to-be-true whisky, I was more than skeptical. With absolutely no information about production, we can only speculate about where this whisky might actually come from. While that’s hard for some to accept, there’s simply no way to deny the incredible quality of this unusual product. One of only two 100% barley whiskies in the lot, the other of which was sent in its entirety to Texas. Other ImpEx whiskies you might see in California are NOT 100% barley. The bottles are listed as Single Grain, because it’s not clear if the barley was malted or not. All we do know is that it’s a single cask distilled from only barley and aged for 17 years in a new oak barrels.
Let’s taste it. The color is calming amber. The nose is an absolute endless escape into powerful savory and fruity aromas—spice box, old varnished wood, persimmon, graphite, roasted chestnuts, cherry compote, 70% Ecuadorian cacao, burnt orange peel, and toffee. Honestly, if you handed this to me and told me it was bourbon from the ’60s, I wouldn’t bat an eye. On the palate, there’s great texture and tons of really juice fruit, framed powerfully by the incense-like wood flavors. The spice pulls up, and we don’t really perceive the low proof in terms of texture. A few drops of water aren’t necessary as they tend to bring out more wood at first, but with more aeration the thing becomes extremely composed again adding lift to the palate and tempering the spice. I still think I like it better right out of the bottle, and like one might imagine, this bottle loves air—just keeps getting better in the glass. It’s a bummer we don’t know what this is, because I desperately want more. It fits in the most perfect niche in between single malt and bourbon. A bizarre yet wonderful and welcome addition to the pantheon of legendary K&L Exclusive whiskies.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 14, 2021
This might be the most exciting Japanese whisky offering we’ve had in decent quantity in years. Poured blind, this whisky would be a standout in anyone’s collection regardless of the story and ImpEx’s reputation. Now consider that it’s one of the rarest whiskies out there, and it’s a no-brainer for any lover of grain spirits. The unusual production process, while interesting, isn’t really all that necessary to focus on. The point is that it’s 100% barley distillate aged in oak for 17 years. That puts it right up there with Suntory’s premium 18-year offerings, which regularly fetch four-digit price tags on the open market. The color of the whisky is surprisingly dark, a freshly sawn mahogany. The aromatics are extremely lively, jumping out of the glass with a plethora of stone fruits, sweet blossom, and a bushel of barley. Perhaps it’s the koji process, but the grain feels fresh and cooked at the same time, like smelling a field of ready-to-harvest barley after a rain and a rich broth that’s been on the stove for hours. The palate is rich and complex. It reprises the nose, but adds cedar, sandalwood, and other exotic spices. Finish lasts forever. It’s a special whisky, no doubt.
Email: wine@klwines.com
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