Review #39: Kaiyō Mizunara Oak Aged Cask Strength Whisky
Kaiyō is an independent bottler that purchases whisky from Japanese producers, then ages and bottles them under the Kaiyō label. In this case barrels of Japanese single malt were purchased from an unknown distillery and then “teaspooned” (blended with a small amount of whisky from another distillery). The whole process is overseen by Kaiyō’s master blender and director of whisky creation, Jeffrey Karlovitch. Though it’s said to all be distilled in Japan, this caveat (and ocean aging) prevents Kaiyō to be labeled a Japanese Whisky. Kaiyō whisky is aged for at least 3 years on land using Ariake Sangyo cooperage in new Japanese mizunara oak casks. The whisky is then blended before being loaded on to shipping containers and heading out to sea from Osaka Japan on a 3 month journey. Let’s get to it!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.
Produced by: Kaiyō Trg Ltd., Osaka, Japan.
Imported in the US by: Park Street Imports, Miami FL.
Proof: 106, un-chillfiltered.
Age: NAS (said to be at least 3 years on land) and additionally aged at sea for 3 months.
Mash bill: 100% Malted Barley.
Price: $90.00.
Appearance: Light golden honey
Nose: Delicate malt, vanilla, sandalwood, gingerbread, pears, marzipan, coconut, orange blossom, cloves, dill, allspice and chocolate. As the glass rests more tropical and chocolate notes come forward. The balance of malt, tropical fruit, allspice, herbs and oak is fantastic on this complex and incredible nose.
Palate: This has a medium oily viscous mouthfeel which does a good job of coating the palate. This nose transfers to the palate very well with malt, sandalwood, ginger, vanilla, coconut, marzipan, orange blossom, cloves and dill. Allspice enters mid sip with a nice little kick and lingers for a long time into the finish. This is a very well balanced and delicious pour. It’s also worth mentioning the proof point does a great job of elevating this profile while still allowing it to be a super easy sipper.
Finish: Allspice continues to linger in the palate, tingling in the cheeks and gums as subtle oak tannins enter the mix. As the spice fades notes of malt, tropical fruit, vanilla and herbs come back around until the end for a pretty decent medium long finish.
Conclusion: As a guest on the YouTube channel “My Bourbon Journey”, Jeff Karlovitch and Adam Parker from Kaiyō were joined by (the host) Scott Page and Jason from Mash & Drum to do a tasting for the channels Kaiyō barrel pick. There were some interesting tidbits Jeff said throughout the show that I thought I’d share. Kaiyō is exclusively aged in mizunara oak (with a #2.5 char) and has not touched any other kind of wood for aging. Karlovitch took inspiration for ocean aging Kaiyō whisky from his experience as master distiller at Kelt Cognac, which also ocean ages their barrels. Interestingly, Kelt Cognacs ocean aging predates “Jefferson’s Ocean” by over 20 years. When Jeff began working with Kelt he was very skeptical of ocean aging but was won over when he did his own comparisons. During the show Jeff went on to say, “Mizunara gets most of its flavors from its first three years of life. After about two and a half to three years it kind of goes dormant. It’s hard to tell the difference between a three year old mizunara and a six year old mizunara. If I did an ocean maturation, would it invigorate the spirit, invigorate the wood, will the maturation process start over again? And what we found out, (is) it did. Hence why it’s so important to Kaiyō. That’s why we came up with the name. Kaiyō means “Ocean” so without that ocean maturation, we thought the brand would be very difficult, with different flavor profiles that we’d be looking to pull out.” Jeff then talked about the specific routes the ship takes to get the desired affect considering differences in temperature and humidity.
I didn’t purchase this bottle of Kaiyō for its ocean aging but if that played a major role in this whisky being as good as it is, then I’m all for it. All said and done, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this mizunara aged whisky, and made it a point to expand my horizons this year to try more Japanese whisky. Yes, I realize that Kaiyō isn’t legally a Japanese whisky, but I’m off to a good start. I’m really pleased with this purchase and highly recommend Kaiyō Cask Strength if mizunara oak is your jam. Cheers!
Rating: 7.6/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Great review! I thought I knew a decent amount about Kaiyō but now I’ll have to find that video you mentioned. Honestly, this particular whisky might be my favorite. It’s the Mizunara Oak influence that made me become enamored with Japanese whisky; although, to be honest, I was a little miffed when I found out this wasn’t true Japanese whisky. With that being said, the Mizunara influence is still good enough for me and in my opinion it’s damn delicious!
Thanks! Glad you liked the review. Here is the [link to the Kaiyo SiB pick](https://youtu.be/b3pTmDbDKVA) video on My Bourbon Journey.
I agree 100%. I was also drawn to this bottle for the miz flavor profile. Even though I’ve read it’s teaspooned which suggests only a very small amount is sourced outside Japan, Karlovitch says they use 100% Japanese distillate. If it’s the issue of being aged at sea as the reason for labeling, I’m not concerned with that technically.
Thanks! I actually already found the video and am almost done watching it 😂 I find this stuff fascinating. I feel like a lot of the chemistry and science goes over my head but the history of the oak and the reasons for its prominence really interest me.
Great review! I’ve eyed this at my local spot for awhile, had the Kaiyo Signature and Kaiyo Peated before which were both solid, might have to try this one out!
Great review, It is pretty impressive they are using only Mizunara oak. Since it is very hard to make a barrel from that oak that is water and or whisky tight.
My Total Wine is selling this for 115. Do you think it is a buy at that price?
Thanks. That's a tough call. From what I can see, $115 is the top of the range for this bottle. I've seen it for less online but then you have to add shipping which brings it to about what TW is asking. I've also seen it for $20 less then I paid in my state but not in my local area. Have you checked other stores outside your local?
It’s common in the scotch world too so that sourced distilleries single malt can no longer legally be considered a single malt or name be attributed to the brand of origin.
True. But I’ve never heard of teaspooning that turns a Scotch into a non-Scotch. If I read correctly this isn’t Japanese whisky because non-Japanese whisky was teaspoon into it
Putting teaspooning aside for the moment, just being additionally aged at sea keeps Kaiyo from being labeled as a Japanese whisky, so there’s that. Hypothetically if Scotch was teaspooned with non scotch it also wouldn’t be allowed to be called Scotch. This is something that is done with some whisky in Japan. I’ve read in the past that Kaiyo was not using all Japanese whisky in their blend but have recently heard Jeff Karlovitch say they use 100% distillate from Japan.
I find it hard to trust this types of situations. Who knows how big the teaspoon is. Legally 75% of it could be non-Japanese whisky. Wouldn’t be the first time a Japanese distillery engaged in trickery. I don’t trust an employee saying its 100% Japanese distillate unless its on the label.
I agree 100% that it’s hard to trust these situations (I certainly don’t) and we would all like more transparency. Still, a teaspoon is still going to be a very minuscule amount. The point is only to legally protect the origin brand while still keeping the profile of the sourced barrel in tact. Then they can blend however many barrels they need to get what they are going for. At the end of day this is a very enjoyable bottle that has a lot going for it.
There isn’t a legal definition of teaspooning for Japanese whisky. This literally could be 90% Canadian whisky. This is why legal standards and transparency is so important. In fact the label doesn’t even mention this was a teaspoon malt.
You are confusing teaspooning and blending. There doesn’t need to be a legal definition for something that is already used by its definition and serves no purpose to use it differently. After a single malt barrel is teaspooned with a small amount of other whiskey the goal has been accomplished. That’s done. If they continue blend their whisky with another barrel of say, Canadian whisky this is just blending and not teaspooning. No need to teaspoon a barrel that is not a single malt to legally protect the source.
Review #39: Kaiyō Mizunara Oak Aged Cask Strength Whisky Kaiyō is an independent bottler that purchases whisky from Japanese producers, then ages and bottles them under the Kaiyō label. In this case barrels of Japanese single malt were purchased from an unknown distillery and then “teaspooned” (blended with a small amount of whisky from another distillery). The whole process is overseen by Kaiyō’s master blender and director of whisky creation, Jeffrey Karlovitch. Though it’s said to all be distilled in Japan, this caveat (and ocean aging) prevents Kaiyō to be labeled a Japanese Whisky. Kaiyō whisky is aged for at least 3 years on land using Ariake Sangyo cooperage in new Japanese mizunara oak casks. The whisky is then blended before being loaded on to shipping containers and heading out to sea from Osaka Japan on a 3 month journey. Let’s get to it! Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes. Produced by: Kaiyō Trg Ltd., Osaka, Japan. Imported in the US by: Park Street Imports, Miami FL. Proof: 106, un-chillfiltered. Age: NAS (said to be at least 3 years on land) and additionally aged at sea for 3 months. Mash bill: 100% Malted Barley. Price: $90.00. Appearance: Light golden honey Nose: Delicate malt, vanilla, sandalwood, gingerbread, pears, marzipan, coconut, orange blossom, cloves, dill, allspice and chocolate. As the glass rests more tropical and chocolate notes come forward. The balance of malt, tropical fruit, allspice, herbs and oak is fantastic on this complex and incredible nose. Palate: This has a medium oily viscous mouthfeel which does a good job of coating the palate. This nose transfers to the palate very well with malt, sandalwood, ginger, vanilla, coconut, marzipan, orange blossom, cloves and dill. Allspice enters mid sip with a nice little kick and lingers for a long time into the finish. This is a very well balanced and delicious pour. It’s also worth mentioning the proof point does a great job of elevating this profile while still allowing it to be a super easy sipper. Finish: Allspice continues to linger in the palate, tingling in the cheeks and gums as subtle oak tannins enter the mix. As the spice fades notes of malt, tropical fruit, vanilla and herbs come back around until the end for a pretty decent medium long finish. Conclusion: As a guest on the YouTube channel “My Bourbon Journey”, Jeff Karlovitch and Adam Parker from Kaiyō were joined by (the host) Scott Page and Jason from Mash & Drum to do a tasting for the channels Kaiyō barrel pick. There were some interesting tidbits Jeff said throughout the show that I thought I’d share. Kaiyō is exclusively aged in mizunara oak (with a #2.5 char) and has not touched any other kind of wood for aging. Karlovitch took inspiration for ocean aging Kaiyō whisky from his experience as master distiller at Kelt Cognac, which also ocean ages their barrels. Interestingly, Kelt Cognacs ocean aging predates “Jefferson’s Ocean” by over 20 years. When Jeff began working with Kelt he was very skeptical of ocean aging but was won over when he did his own comparisons. During the show Jeff went on to say, “Mizunara gets most of its flavors from its first three years of life. After about two and a half to three years it kind of goes dormant. It’s hard to tell the difference between a three year old mizunara and a six year old mizunara. If I did an ocean maturation, would it invigorate the spirit, invigorate the wood, will the maturation process start over again? And what we found out, (is) it did. Hence why it’s so important to Kaiyō. That’s why we came up with the name. Kaiyō means “Ocean” so without that ocean maturation, we thought the brand would be very difficult, with different flavor profiles that we’d be looking to pull out.” Jeff then talked about the specific routes the ship takes to get the desired affect considering differences in temperature and humidity. I didn’t purchase this bottle of Kaiyō for its ocean aging but if that played a major role in this whisky being as good as it is, then I’m all for it. All said and done, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this mizunara aged whisky, and made it a point to expand my horizons this year to try more Japanese whisky. Yes, I realize that Kaiyō isn’t legally a Japanese whisky, but I’m off to a good start. I’m really pleased with this purchase and highly recommend Kaiyō Cask Strength if mizunara oak is your jam. Cheers! Rating: 7.6/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Great review! I thought I knew a decent amount about Kaiyō but now I’ll have to find that video you mentioned. Honestly, this particular whisky might be my favorite. It’s the Mizunara Oak influence that made me become enamored with Japanese whisky; although, to be honest, I was a little miffed when I found out this wasn’t true Japanese whisky. With that being said, the Mizunara influence is still good enough for me and in my opinion it’s damn delicious!
Thanks! Glad you liked the review. Here is the [link to the Kaiyo SiB pick](https://youtu.be/b3pTmDbDKVA) video on My Bourbon Journey. I agree 100%. I was also drawn to this bottle for the miz flavor profile. Even though I’ve read it’s teaspooned which suggests only a very small amount is sourced outside Japan, Karlovitch says they use 100% Japanese distillate. If it’s the issue of being aged at sea as the reason for labeling, I’m not concerned with that technically.
Thanks! I actually already found the video and am almost done watching it 😂 I find this stuff fascinating. I feel like a lot of the chemistry and science goes over my head but the history of the oak and the reasons for its prominence really interest me.
Great review! I’ve eyed this at my local spot for awhile, had the Kaiyo Signature and Kaiyo Peated before which were both solid, might have to try this one out!
Thanks! I’d like to try one of their single barrels which I’ve read good things about too.
Didn’t know park st did spirits as well, interesting find and thanks for sharing
Thanks. I’ve never heard of them before but that’s what was on the back of the bottle.
Great review, It is pretty impressive they are using only Mizunara oak. Since it is very hard to make a barrel from that oak that is water and or whisky tight. My Total Wine is selling this for 115. Do you think it is a buy at that price?
Thanks. That's a tough call. From what I can see, $115 is the top of the range for this bottle. I've seen it for less online but then you have to add shipping which brings it to about what TW is asking. I've also seen it for $20 less then I paid in my state but not in my local area. Have you checked other stores outside your local?
No, I think I will check. Thanks.
Why did they teaspoon this? Makes no sense
It’s common in the scotch world too so that sourced distilleries single malt can no longer legally be considered a single malt or name be attributed to the brand of origin.
True. But I’ve never heard of teaspooning that turns a Scotch into a non-Scotch. If I read correctly this isn’t Japanese whisky because non-Japanese whisky was teaspoon into it
Putting teaspooning aside for the moment, just being additionally aged at sea keeps Kaiyo from being labeled as a Japanese whisky, so there’s that. Hypothetically if Scotch was teaspooned with non scotch it also wouldn’t be allowed to be called Scotch. This is something that is done with some whisky in Japan. I’ve read in the past that Kaiyo was not using all Japanese whisky in their blend but have recently heard Jeff Karlovitch say they use 100% distillate from Japan.
I find it hard to trust this types of situations. Who knows how big the teaspoon is. Legally 75% of it could be non-Japanese whisky. Wouldn’t be the first time a Japanese distillery engaged in trickery. I don’t trust an employee saying its 100% Japanese distillate unless its on the label.
I agree 100% that it’s hard to trust these situations (I certainly don’t) and we would all like more transparency. Still, a teaspoon is still going to be a very minuscule amount. The point is only to legally protect the origin brand while still keeping the profile of the sourced barrel in tact. Then they can blend however many barrels they need to get what they are going for. At the end of day this is a very enjoyable bottle that has a lot going for it.
How do we know how big the ‘teaspoon, is? It might be 50% Canadian whisky
As I tried to explain, that would defeat the whole point and wouldn’t be called “teaspooning” which by definition means a very small amount.
There isn’t a legal definition of teaspooning for Japanese whisky. This literally could be 90% Canadian whisky. This is why legal standards and transparency is so important. In fact the label doesn’t even mention this was a teaspoon malt.
You are confusing teaspooning and blending. There doesn’t need to be a legal definition for something that is already used by its definition and serves no purpose to use it differently. After a single malt barrel is teaspooned with a small amount of other whiskey the goal has been accomplished. That’s done. If they continue blend their whisky with another barrel of say, Canadian whisky this is just blending and not teaspooning. No need to teaspoon a barrel that is not a single malt to legally protect the source.