Shizuoka Pot Still W Japanese Barley 1st Edition

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 55.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This First Edition combines exclusively Japanese barley malt with distillation on the directly wood-fired Wash Still W. The spirits used were made from unpeated malt and matured for around four years solely in ex-bourbon barrels. This places the origin of the barley and the character of this distillation line at the heart of the whisky; spirits from other wash stills are not included in the composition.

Released in late May 2023, this bottling is both a single malt and a Single Wash Still Whisky. With the latter designation, Shizuoka emphasises that all the spirits used came from the same wash still. An allocation of 2,500 bottles was intended for the Japanese market. To preserve the delicate, light barley character alongside the full-bodied signature of wood-fired distillation, only whiskies matured in ex-bourbon casks were deliberately married.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, vanilla and creamy sweetness combine with a roasted aroma reminiscent of choux pastry.
• Palate: The palate reveals cream puffs, crème brûlée and the sweetness of barley.
• Finish: In the finish, vanilla and estery nuances meet pleasant roasted notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

GAIAFLOW operates Shizuoka Distillery, which began producing whisky in 2016. The distillery processes barley from different origins separately to explore the raw material’s influence on the whisky. Alongside the wood-fired wash still W, it also operates the steam-heated distillation line K. It has used Japanese barley since production began and supports its cultivation by working with farmers in Shizuoka Prefecture. However, no barley from the prefecture itself was used for this edition.

The W stands for Woodfired. The fuel is softwood from thinning the surrounding forests, split by hand by local forestry workers. In doing so, GAIAFLOW draws on a distillation technique more than 200 years old. The wood fire reaches temperatures of around 800 °C and gives the spirits produced on this equipment body, power and a pronounced roasted character.

Facts: