...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, November 4, 2022

Things I Really Drink: The Tottori Blended Whisky

Yes, I did indeed give some of these "Japanese" blends a go. Not because they're "Japanese", but because they're sorta like World Whisky. There's probably Scotch, Irish, Canadian and/or American whisky involved, and maybe a dash of something from the land of Amaterasu (though probably just water).

Today's the whisky will be Matsui's The Tottori blend.

Something something 1910. I'm sorry, I don't have the energy for these shenanigans. The distillery was built in 2017, and the blends hit the shelves in 2015. How about the whisky?

Brand: Tottori
Ownership: Matsui-Shuzo
Distilleries: ???
Country: ?????
Type: blend
Age: minimum three years old
Maturation: "White Oak"
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

NOTES

Vanilla, roses, and buttercream frosting appear first in the nose, followed later by granola and something very sugary. Wow, the palate is sweet. Lots of berry candy up front, a little bit of grassiness in the back. After 30 minutes it turns into cardboard and lavender flowers. It finishes with sugar, artificial berry flavoring, woody bitterness and blood/iron.

At its best as a highball, the whisky merges well with citrus bitters.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Pros:
  • 43%abv rather than 40%
  • Pretty nose
  • Stands up to club soda decently
Cons:
  • The palate collapses as it gets aired out
  • The finish
  • Found this bottle to be too much work to get through. Dumped the last quarter.
I'd take the Hatozaki blend over this, especially considering their similar price points.

Availability - Slightly scarcer than the Hatozaki
Pricing - $40-$55 in the USA
Rating - 75