Review #454 - Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese Whisky
Hatozaki whisky - this is a relatively young brand, one based around the Kaikyo distillery in Akashi, Hyogo, Japan. Like a lot of Japanese whiskies, the details around this spirit and its origin are a bit murky; while Kaikyo does distill gin and whisky, several of their releases are older than the distillery itself, meaning that they have sourced at least some of the whisky. As with other sourced Japanese whiskies, due to the lax labeling regulations, it isn't clear whether or not this 'Japanese' whisky was actually distilled in Japan in the first place.
Either way, we do know a few things about this bottle. It's labeled as 'small batch whisky,' as opposed to single malt or any other designation, so we could be dealing with a blend. This was matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon casks, ex-sherry casks, and the famous Mizunara oak casks; even after that aging, the color of the spirit is amazingly light - in a glass, it could almost be mistaken for water.
There's no age given on the label, but Hatozaki do tell us a couple of other things: in addition to the preferable bottling strength of 46% ABV, this whisky is not artificially colored (no surprise there), and it isn't chill filtered, either.
Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese Whisky
Japan - Blend
Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and Mizunara oak casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 10 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80% (blind tasting), and 70% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Light and spirity, showing some youth: bright orchard fruit, icing sugar, grassy, malty grains. There's a soft floral note (rose petals?), along with white grape, pears, lemon, and sake; vanilla, white wine, and lavender round out the profile. At times, it almost smells like new make.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; it's a bit sharp and spicy or peppery. Hay adds a grassy side, while soft malty grain and light fruit bring sweetness - white grape, pear drop candies, hints of lime. Honey and icing sugar brings more light sweetness, and there's almost no oak influence. Overall, very light and delicate, with no particularly dominant flavors.
Finish: Spirity, with delicate flavors of lime, white sugar, white pepper, and apple. There's just a suggestion of smoke here, but overall, the flavors are very mild; at times, white wine, pear, and lemon-lime soda could be found. It's a medium-short finish.
Final Note: There aren't any major flaws with this whisky; we just felt it to be a bit too soft, even borderline bland at times. We don't know how old this whisky is, but regardless of age, the maturation process was extremely soft, leaving delicate flavors and quite a bit of spirity character remaining.
Even at the elevated strength of 46% ABV, this still didn't offer much in the way of complexity or heft. Japanese whisky is often known for being more delicate than other single malts or blends, but this Small Batch from Hatozaki took that to another level entirely.
Value here isn't great in our opinion - Japanese whisky is known for being expensive, even though it's a very opaque market. This bottle isn't the worst offender in terms of price, but it has gotten more expensive in our area over the last 6 to 12 months.
Our Average Rating: 4.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.91
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
