Shizuoka United S First Edition Single Malt Whisky Review: 'Surprisingly Soft on the Palate'.

Just like Scotch, Japanese whisky comes in all shapes and sizes. This also applies to Shizuoka whisky. The distillery houses several unique stills for whisky production. Whether these stills result in a magical concoction, is something you'll discover in this Shizuoka United S Single Malt Whisky Review.

Nestled in the mountains east of the Japanese city of Shizuoka, near the foot of Mount Fuji, lies the Shizuoka distillery. The Japanese distillery, located approximately three and a half hours away from Tokyo, utilizes various local ingredients to make its whisky. This process is performed in a vibrant mix of stills that collaborate beautifully.

One of the stills at the Shizuoka Distillery is an old boiler from the Karuizawa Distillery, which had to close its doors in 2011. Taiko Nakamura purchased and restored this boiler at an auction. The distillery's second still is a custom-made copper Forsyth pot still that operates on gas.

The third still, imported from Scotland, is a wood-fired still. It is heated using specially treated wood from the forest you pass en route to the distillery.

Fun fact: The wood-fired still of the Shizuoka distillery originated from Scotland but is directly heated by wood. To make this work, the distillery utilized the knowledge of a pizza oven manufacturer.

If you stumble upon a bottle with the letter 'K' on it, you're holding a spirit from the older Karuizawa Still (the 'K' still). Bottles marked with a ‘W’ indicate that the spirit was distilled in the special wood-fired pot still (the 'W' still) of the distillery.

Thirdly, there are several whiskies labeled with the letter ‘S’. These bottles are the fruits of a beautiful marriage; they originate from both of the Japanese whisky maker's other stills.

The spirit for the Shizuoka United S single malt whisky is made with Japanese barley, Scottish peated and unpeated malt, and a dash of Scottish beer malt. The spirit was initially distilled in the W and K stills before undergoing another round of distillation in the third still.

It is the spiritual successor of the Contact S, the whisky where the two stills first collaborated to create a Shizuoka whisky.

The whisky was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels and wine barrels. Ultimately, the whisky was bottled without an age statement at 50.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).

The Shizuoka whisky is bottled in a clean, no-frills bottle. The neck is medium-length, slightly reminiscent of the top of a pot still. The cap is a plastic screw cap, bearing the logo of the whisky.

The single malt also features a neutral label, dominated by an 'S', with a fish on one side and a bird on the other. This 'S' symbolizes various things.

It signifies that this is a successor to the Contact S whisky, but it also represents Shizuoka, Spirits, Single malt and Sphere. In the top right corner of the label, the 'S' stands out once again, this time accompanied by the word 'United' above it and 'First Edition' below.

With the word 'United', the distillery refers to the collaboration between the two stills. After all, both stills produced their own type of spirit. These spirits were ultimately combined into a single entity and aged into a single malt whisky.

The Japanese whisky boasts an appealing golden hue and an aroma of fruits like yellow apples and other orchard fruits. Beneath that lies a scent reminiscent of citrus soda, vanilla, a tiny hint of fresh mint leaves and a touch of white pepper.

After a while, a subtle whiff of peat smoke emerges, infused with hints of oak. It's a scent deep enough to warrant taking the time to unravel, yet not so complex that novices can't enjoy it.

Upon your first sip, a creamy mouthfeel is noticeable. The Japanese whisky is surprisingly smooth on the tongue. The initial flavors that arise are of malt, ginger and spicy notes.

It's almost as if you're drinking a craft beer. Soon, subtle notes of oak, honey and citrus join in, followed by an earthy taste, peat, and a somewhat meaty umami flavor. These last flavors linger for a while in the short aftertaste, along with the earthy notes and the oak.

With Shizuoka United S First Edition, the Japanese distillery has created a single malt that is both accessible and brimming with character. The whisky is gentle in flavor, yet intriguing and mellow. This combination makes it an impressive expression for newcomers in the whisky realm. The sense of depth gives seasoned sipper something to ponder over while the single malt unfolds on their palate.

+ Lovely depth

+ Deliciously soft on the palate

- The finish is surprisingly short

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