Sakurao Discovery Sauternes Cask Finish: A Sweet Temptation in a Bottle

What happens when you take a Japanese whisky that’s already predominantly sweet in character and give it a finish in dessert wine casks? You’ll find the answer the moment you pop open a bottle of Sakurao Sauternes Cask Finish, just as we did for this review.

The Sakurao Distillery has been crafting whisky on the shores of Hiroshima Bay for several years now. A few expressions from this Japanese distillery have already reached our little country, the latest being a single malt in the Discovery Series.

Taihei Yamamoto, master distiller at Sakurao Distillery, has given the house style a unique finish for the first time in this series.

The spirit for this whisky started out with a double distillation. That distillate went into ex-bourbon casks to mature. It yielded a smooth and gentle whisky, but the expression wasn’t finished there.

Yamamoto decided to explore what Sauternes wine casks would do to a Japanese single malt. After an 18-month finish in these barrels, the first release in the Sakurao Discovery Series was born. But what effect do dessert wine casks have on an already predominantly sweet Japanese single malt whisky?

Sakurao Whisky typically comes in a predominantly black package. The Sauternes Cask Finish is no exception, though the box does have a subtle twist. Rather than solid black, it features an etched-like pattern.

It gives the box a stone-like look, topped with the label that also adorns the bottle. The result is a whisky that feels premium, straight from the Land of the Rising Sun.

The bottle carries a clean label with everything you need to know about the expression, from the ABV to the name. The only thing you might miss is a limited-edition bottle number.

As always with Sakurao, there’s a screw cap on top. It may feel a touch less luxurious, but trust us: the whisky’s flavor doesn’t suffer one bit.

This Japanese whisky is a symphony of sweetness in a bottle. It opens on the nose with notes of overripe apricot and a rich waft of warm honey. In between, you’ll find vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of coconut.

Give it a little time and sugared orange, peach, and bright orchard fruit start to shine through. It’s approachable and seductive, making it hard to resist that first sip.

The nose almost makes you forget this whisky is bottled at 50 percent ABV. Tasted neat, it bursts with sweet, fruity flavors in an explosion on the palate.

Creamy custard with banana trades places with pear, apple, and apricot. Thanks to the higher strength, the whisky tingles on the tongue, bringing a touch of white pepper and a hint of ginger along the way.

Let it sit on your tongue and a whisper of strawberry emerges, evoking those Fireball chewing gums from back in the day. It never turns hot, sweetness remains firmly in charge.

A splash of water dials back the pepper quickly, while the whisky’s fruitiness only grows. The sweet balance is rounded out with honey and baking spice tones of cinnamon and a touch of clove.

Into the finish of the Sakurao Sauternes Cask Finish single malt, the fruit tones linger while the spices slowly fade. The finish is solid, with the whisky’s balance remaining neatly intact until the final hint of sweetness slips away.

With its Sauternes cask finish, this Japanese distillery has given its whisky a sweet twist that suits the water of life beautifully. It’s approachable yet offers satisfying depth. Smoke lovers may want to look elsewhere, but everyone else is in for a real treat.

+ Wonderfully sweet flavor

+ Approachable, yet layered

+ Flexible thanks to cask strength

- Extremely limited availability