KAIYō The Signature Mizunara Oak Whisky Review & Tasting Notes

 

There’s been a recent craze for finishing whiskeys in Mizunara casks. Mizunara is a native Japanese wood that does a fantastic job of retaining moisture. However, it is a challenging wood to work with:

 

“The oak does not grow straight, it has a high moisture content, and it’s much more porous than other varieties, he says. These issues make the casks prone to leaking. Its name, after all, translates to ‘water oak.’” - Hirotsugu Hayasaka, former head cooper at Nikka

 

Mizunara cask development was due to European and American oak shortages during World War II. The Japanese looked to their forests to create the required containers. The Japanese coopers returned to European and American oak once the supply chain issues were remedied. However, the memory of how well the whisky aged in Mizunara wood remained.

 

In more modern times, the Mizunara trees are a protected species. First, the tree must be about 200 years old to be suitable for carving staves. Secondly, the yield of usable wood is meager compared to its European and American counterparts. Thirdly, you can’t harvest a live Mizunara tree; it must be naturally felled.¹

 

KAIYō Whisky is a blending house located in Osaka, Japan. Its  Master Blender is Jeffrey Karlovitch. KAIYō Whisky buys its spirits, bends, and ages them in bespoke barrels from the Ariake Sangyo Cooperage in Kyoto.

 

Those barrels don’t just sit in some warehouse; they’re aged at sea for about three months in shipping containers. They refer to this process as ocean maturation.

 

While aging on ocean-faring vessels is nothing new, some consider it nothing more than a marketing schtick. In contrast, others believe rolling the waves and troughs of the open sea forces the whisky to interact more with the wood. I’ve appreciated the ocean-air quality that comes with whiskies interacting with this environment. I have no idea if a shipping container would allow for that absorption, but it is something I’ll look for with this review.

 

Today I’m exploring KAIYō The Signature. This is the brand’s flagship offering. It isn’t branded as Japanese Whisky. Per KAIYō’s website, the reason is that it considers its whisky “connected to the world as a whole.” To me, that means it doesn’t meet the standards of Japanese Whisky. That’s purely a guess on my end, and it really doesn’t matter because, at the end of the day, I only care about how the whisky tastes.

 

KAIYō The Signature is non-chill filtered, packaged at 43% ABV (86°), and made from malted barley. According to its website, there are no rice-based whiskies in its portfolio. It lacks an age statement, but before its sailing adventure, it aged about three years in oak and another six years afterward. It runs about $59.99 for a 750ml bottle.

 

Now that you know about Mizunara oak and the background of KAIYō The Signature, let’s #DrinkCurious and explore how this whisky smells and tastes. I must, however, thank KAIYō Whisky for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this whisky into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. Inside, it presented as a golden liquid, forming a bold rim and wide, watery tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass to my nose, I smelled pineapple, lemon peel, malted barley, nutmeg, and vanilla. When I drew the air through my lips, I found more maltiness.

 

Palate: The texture was like melted butter. The front of my palate encountered apples, honey, and grilled pineapples. Flavors of black cherries, malted barley, and vanilla bean were at mid-palate. The back consisted of smoky oak, nutmeg, and ginger spice.

 

Finish: The finish was slightly peppery with smoky oak tannins. Actually, it wasn’t all that subtle. Its muted start began to build for a minute before it hit its crescendo. Once it fell off, a taste of vanilla bean and fresh ginger root remained for about the same duration.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I’m unsure what to make of KAIYō The Signature. It isn’t Scotch-like. While I don’t have an extensive background in Japanese whiskies, it didn’t resemble anything I’ve tasted in that genre. Maybe KAIYō Whisky is right; it is just a part of the world?

 

I must admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with my first few sips, but it grew on me as I continued to dive deep. The longer it rested in my glass, the more interesting it became. If you’re looking to have a quick drink at a bar, KAIYō The Signature isn’t going to work for you. It requires time, and if you’ve got some to invest, you will likely enjoy this whisky. It is worth picking up at sixty bucks, and as such, it takes my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.

 

 

¹Brad Japhe, Bloomberg Businessweek, April 27, 2022