Kaiyo The Kuri Japanese Whisky

Classification: Japanese Whisky
Distillery:  Kaiyo Distillery
Mashbill: Blended Malt
Age: 7 years in Kuri (chestnut) barrels then 90 days at sea as all of Kaiyo’s whiskies do
Proof: 92

Kaiyo The Kuri is one of those whiskies that makes you wonder if the distillers sat around saying, “What’s the most obscure wood we can age this in, just to keep whisky nerds guessing?” Enter Kuri wood—rare, exotic, and probably something your neighbor will pretend to know about at the next tasting.

On the nose, it’s all creamy fruit and floral charm—orange zest, pear, lavender—like walking through a farmers’ market with a scented candle stand conveniently nearby. A dash of peppery spice shows up just to keep it from getting too precious.

On the palate, things get decadent: vanilla, citrus, shortbread, cream, kiwi, persimmon, honey, clove, ginger. Basically, if you threw an upscale dessert cart into a blender, this is what you’d get—but in a good way.

The finish is long, lush, and fruity, with raspberry and sandalwood waving politely as they linger on.

Bottom line: it’s delicate, complex, velvety, and probably more refined than you deserve on a Tuesday night. Whether you’re a connoisseur or just someone looking to impress your friends with, “Oh, this was aged in Kuri wood, didn’t you know?”—this bottle’s got your back.