Review: Fuji Single Malt Japanese Whisky

Japan’s Fuji, well known for its single grain whisky collection, has made a rather natural expansion of late, moving into malted barley — a style for which Japan (and Scotland, of course) is much better known. The 100% Japanese malt whiskey is produced at Gotemba Distillery where it is distilled using a variety of still styles — “Scottish copper pot stills, Canadian-style multi-column distillation, and American bourbon techniques” — before being aged in “a range of casks, including American white oak and French oak red wine barrels” and proofed with meltwater from the slopes of Mt. Fuji.

No age statement is offered.

Let’s give this one a spin.

Fuji Single Malt Japanese Whisky Review

With this single malt, Fuji’s master blender Jota Tanaka showcases a clear mastery of the style and a very smart use of various vessels for aging. The nose is fresh and lightly fruity, showcasing gentle apple and pear elements alongside sweetened cereal, some toasted coconut shreds, and a lingering herbaceousness. Never overwhelming, the herbal note threads the needle between expressed mint and tobacco, with latent potpourri notes lingering.

The palate acquits itself similarly, sweet up top with a burst of fruit that speaks to apple and banana before layering in some pepper and baking spice. Here the sweetness is moderated, showing off cracker-crisp granary elements, some red pepper, and a touch of toasted sesame. There’s ample caramel and vanilla to enrich the later stages of the palate with more effusive dessertiness, ultimately evoking pastry cream on the finish and a reprise of fruit, here slightly citrusy.

Effectively identical to a youthful but well-crafted Speyside single malt, it’s a showcase of Japanese craftsmanship (if the price is exceptionally high for a NAS offering).

92 proof.

A- / $100

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