Tenkyo release pays tribute to founder
Japanese distillery Tenkyo has released a whisky made with Scottish new make spirits, which have been aged and blended in Japan.
Kaze Founder’s Reserve Legacy pays tribute to Shunsuke Koike, the late founder of Tenkyo Distillery, established in 2018 in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
The whisky originates from trials undertaken by Koike, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 28, before the distillery’s construction.
Kaze, meaning ‘wind’ in Japanese, is the result of an experiment of ageing Scotland-made new make spirits in 189 select casks in Aizu.
The blend includes malt and grain spirits distilled in three Scottish whisky distilleries, matured using a solera system with 58 different cask types.
Due to its origin, maturation, blending, and bottling, the blended whisky cannot be classified as either Scotch or Japanese whisky.
The inaugural Legacy release offers aromas of raisins, figs, white chocolate, brown sugar, gentle spices, and a touch of smokiness on the nose. The palate reveals additional notes of toffee, nuts, almonds, and apricots, accompanied by a hint of bitterness and a cigar-like finish.
Kaze Founder’s Reserve Legacy is offered at 46.9% ABV in 700ml bottles, paying tribute to Mt Bandai, a 1,430-metre-high (4,690 ft) peak in Aizu.
The limited release was launched on July 6 on the Japanese market for JPY¥8,250 (US$56).
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