Background
Here we have a Japanese rum distilled from Kokuto sugar at Shinozaki Distillery in Asakura, Fukoka. This is cask #3762, one of four casks selected by K&L Wines. All four of these rums were aged in virgin American oak for nine years (just shy of ten, apparently), and this particular cask was bottled at 64.4%.
Tasting
On the nose, I get soy sauce, Shanxi mature vinegar, bran flakes, wood smoke, sawdust, motor oil, light roast coffee, old books, and wet leaves. My wife says the aroma reminds her of a time she used a soldering iron in her dad’s garage.
The palate is sweeter and less tart than I expected. Soy sauce and black vinegar return, but I also get baked apples, maple syrup, cured meats, and a prominent Hershey’s chocolate note (milk chocolate with butyric acid). The oak is heavy and rich, dangerously close to being overbearing.
Verdict
I wasn’t sure what to expect on this one, but I like it! The savory-sweet profile is interesting and enjoyable, but the oak is pretty overwhelming and it can be a slog to get through the whole glass. My first tasting had me fretting about how I would obtain a full bottle, but finishing the remainder of my sample helped to subdue my FOMO. Overall, I think it’s good but not something to panic over missing out on. (6/10)