Hanyu Tasting
For some special tastings or when there is a nice set with a specific theme, we for once like to publish a whisky tasting report. This is what happened here, coincidentally matching the theme with the recent review of the Japanese Hideaway Bar in Düsseldorf. This time, 6 very exciting whiskies were tasted, exciting on the one hand simply because of their origin, which can be found in the closed Japanese distillery Hanyu. On the other hand, the bottlings themselves are special, as they include 2 malts from the legendary Card Series (the entire series has already gone in auction for >€1.600,000), as well as one aged in red oak hogsheads.
Despite its legendary status, Hanyu has actually distilled malt whisky for a very short time, although the history of its owners goes back a fascinatingly long way. More than 19 generations have been involved with alcohol, having been in the brewing and alcohol business since the 17th century, and in the middle of World War II they were granted permission to open a whisky distillery. Initially, as was the norm at the time, only grain whisky was produced for blended whisky, foreign whisky distillates were also imported for blending and the "Golden Horse" whisky, which was well-known in Japan for decades, was the flagship. It was not until 1980 that the decision was made to import 2 pot stills for single malt production and from then on, this - for some people only true supreme - category of whisky also found a home in the city of the same name, Hanyu. But 2000 was already the end, fatefully short, only a few years before the big whisky hype and then especially Japanese whisky hype started. The halls and the entire location were demolished, but the son of the last producer, Ichiro Akito, was able to secure the equipment and restarted production in 2008 for the now world-famous "Ichiro's Malt" and Chichibu, one of my top 5 distilleries worldwide as far as whisky is concerned. He was also able to secure over 400 casks when Hanyu's production was demolished and discontinued, some of which were later distributed by himself. Often they were also sold to third parties, where they now have an extreme collector's and rarity factor, as you can see from the current lowest fixed prices in shops below...
The whole Card Series in all its glory
Hanyu 20yo 2nd Bottling
Bottled 2009
57,5% / 633 Bottles / Value: ca. 5700€
Nose:
Elegant shoe polish and long polished leather, orange zest and fine tropical notes behind it, papaya and mango chips, plus a great, subtle roasted note, sometimes merging into incense sticks, manuka honey, milk chocolate, coconut flakes
Taste:
Papaya, grated coconut and coconut cream, tropical honey, toasted oak, licorice, cardamom, strong, full-bodied, coats the whole mouth, polished leather, mango chips, dark honey, in between some tropical flowers, overall also nice malt, which is, however, wonderfully clothed by the sweet and tropical notes, toffee, white tea
Finish:
White tea, some eucalyptus, flowers, honey, malt, oak, long, strong here too, but clothed in sweet silk
Comment:
Quite a nice Hanyu with a nice tropical aroma, but slightly alcoholic on the finish and lacking a touch of complexity.
90 Points
Hanyu The Game Cask 360
2000-2012
57,5% / 309 Bottles / Value: ca. 4950€
Nose:
Initially pure cinnamon liqueur and Christmas stollen, but expands the aromas nicely after 20-30 minutes in the glass, yeast dough, dried fruit, grated coconut, banana, soft suede, demerara sugar, nutmeg and cardamom
Taste:
Beautiful distinctive malt note at the start, demerara sugar, manuka honey, cinnamon, banana chips, baked apple, light raisins, grated coconut, lychee, pears overflowing with honey, vanilla, white peach, very smooth polished oak
Finish:
Malt and oak again beautifully present, crisp, to bite into, baked apple and banana liqueur, soft leather, long, very long
Comment:
Unbelievable what a 12-year-old Hanyu from 2000 can do, Chichibu logically comes close, maybe 2-3 Scots, but nobody else gets such good whiskies so young in the bottle. Round, powerful, complex, tropical.
92 Points
Hanyu Card Series The Joker
Multi-Vintage 1985-2000 (Bottled 2014)
57,7% / 3690 Bottles / Value: ca. 5750€
Nose:
Wonderfully sweet and aromatic, banana split and dried fruit, apricot and peach, camphor, light raisins, beautiful umami notes, hearty and salivating before you even have it in your mouth, menthol, toffee and very smooth polished leather
Taste:
Apricot, peach, sweet Amarena cherries, camphor, saffron, some cardamom and light raisins, full of honey, eucalyptus, nougat, fine toasted oak and some soft leather, very elegant polished woods too, banana split, some baked apple, quince, vanilla, papaya
Finish:
Quince, mirabelle plums, peach, raisins, honey, eucalyptus, fine oak, long, powerful
Comment:
Very polished high-proof Hanyu, no off-notes, nice heartiness, but everything finely rounded.
91 Points
Hanyu Chibidaru Cask 346
2000-2012
58,2% / 160 Bottles / Value: ca. 3000€
Nose:
Almond paste, marzipan, banana syrup, a little shoe polish, but very subtle and fades with time, apricot, lychee, vanilla, coconut, chamomile tea and a little saffron
Taste:
Nice hoppiness, very close to Chichibu, certainly also thanks to the quarter casks, this particular Chichibu IPA beer note, malt, palatable and hearty, yet beautifully sweet, brown sugar, overripe bananas, demerara sugar, light raisins, marzipan, coconut puree, some candied ginger, mint tea
Finish:
Fresh peppermint, Earl Grey tea, malt, light raisins, honey and banana, medium length
Comment:
Already close to modern Chichibu, but in a positive sense, slightly shorter finish than other top Hanyus, therefore 1-2 points less than it could have with a little more longevity.
91 Points
Hanyu Chibidaru Cask 349
2000-2012
58,4% / 167 Bottles / Value: ca. 2500€
Nose:
Really nice intense candied ginger, the green spiciness coated in nice, brown, thick sugar, with apricot jelly, a little cinnamon, mescatel, white pepper, dark honey, milk chocolate
Taste:
Great, as in the nose exactly, candied ginger, natural, spicy but not burning, more in a culinary way, green peppers, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, dark honey, milk chocolate, coconut fat, saffron, some allspice, banana syrup, the malt note is nice and crisp, but also packed in a lot of sweetness again
Finish:
Grated coconut, malt, cinnamon, oak, medium long
Comment:
Again, close to modern Chichibu, which also means that the finish can't quite keep up with old school Hanyus in terms of length. Nevertheless, a great, complex world of notes with beautiful ginger.
91 Points
Hanyu Card Series Five of Spades
2000-2008
60,5% / 632 Bottles / Value: ca. 9400€
Nose:
Shoe polish, slightly dirty with cereals, but also beautiful Hanyu-like notes, dried fruit, banana, apricot, toffee, malt, nougat, coconut, slightly tart leather
Taste:
Lots of caramel, crisp malt, some coconut and the leather softer than in the nose, intense sweetness, but also a certain fruit freshness, red apple, young pears, mirabelle plums and apricot, alcohol quite well integrated, aniseed, honey
Finish:
Aniseed, fennel tea, Earl Grey, apricot, pear, apple, medium length
Comment:
The nose initially suggests 1-2 off-notes and is a little dirty, but there's nothing to be found on the palate concerning those notes, very nicely balanced, rather modern Hanyu.
89 Points
