Saburomaru IV The Emperor - 2020/2024 - Cask Strength Heavily Highland Peated

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 60% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The cask-strength release of Saburomaru IV The Emperor places the dry, direct smoke of Highland inland peat at its core. The whisky was distilled in 2020 from Heavily Highland Peated Malt at 50 ppm and bottled in 2024 at 60%. The edition comprises 1,900 bottles.

Powerful smoke, ash and gentle acidity contrast with fruity, sweet and malty impressions. Pineapple, apricot and banana meet menthol, Tianjin sweet chestnut, a subtle bacon note and pronounced bourbon-cask wood. On the palate, rich sweetness and an oily texture combine with the bottling’s powerful character.

With “The Emperor”, the label references the fourth card of the tarot’s Major Arcana. Its paper-cut artwork was created by Yukie Kano, an artist from Himi in Toyama Prefecture.

The whisky comes in a 0.7-litre bottle and is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose opens powerfully with smoke, accompanied by gentle acidity and ash. Behind this are pineapple, bourbon-cask wood, Tianjin sweet chestnut, a subtle bacon note, menthol, a very faint medicinal and anaesthetic nuance, apricot and a little banana.
• Palate: The whisky is powerful and smooth on the palate. Rich sweetness and an oily texture combine with a sweetness reminiscent of Kanro candy, Tianjin sweet chestnut, pronounced cask wood and a subtle bacon note.
• Finish: The finish is intensely warming and exceptionally long. Smoke with ash, warmth and wood lingers on the tongue.

Distillery/Bottler:

This bottling comes from the Saburomaru Distillery in Tonami, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, and was released by Wakatsuru Shuzo Co., Ltd. Following The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess and The Empress, The Emperor is the fifth release in the numbered single-malt series.

For its 2020 production, the distillery worked with both Highland inland peat and maritime-influenced Islay peat; The Emperor is based on the heavily peated Highland malt. Wooden washbacks, also introduced in 2020, enable varied fermentation involving the distillery’s own lactic acid bacteria. This gives the spirit a combination of fruity and malty notes, while the inland peat contributes direct, powerful smoke reminiscent of a dry wood fire.

Facts: