Stewed gooseberry, scallions, chopped chives, fine-ground pepper, rolled oats, and sweet oak combine to create a sweet and herbal dram. Full-bodied on the palate, this boasts stewed fruits, brown sugar, cooked apple, and delicious baked desserts. Drawn from a specially selected new oak cask, this Fukano is the most interesting of the brand’s 2019 releases. (487 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Date, raisin, forest honey, star anise, black cherry, graham cracker, and wood spices on the nose. Although it’s a first-fill sherry cask, this has a fine balance of sherry influence without letting the cask dominate the aromas. A good mouthful of dark fruit, toffee sweetness, plum, and mild spices, but after the initial tasty burst of sherry fruit, it doesn’t discernibly develop further complexity. (1,124 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Toffee, caramelized apple, plum, black currant, baking spice, peppercorn, and ginger on the nose. The manzanilla and red wine casks result in a delicious whisky, overflowing with black currant, bramble, and black cherry flavors, plus clove and pepper spices that settle quickly, then raisin, mixed peel, and fruit tea flavors emerge. The spices flare up after swallowing, joining umami notes, licorice, and black fruits on the lengthy finish. Fukano fans will love it! (2,550 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

A delightful fruity specimen, with lime, Asian pear, grapefruit, tangerine, mango, melon, taffy, and a hint of white pepper. More tropical fruit notes to enjoy on the tongue: papaya, dried melon strips, passion fruit, melon, and fruit syrups all floating along on a slick of gooey caramel. Continuity of the fruit-bomb theme continues into a finish of fleshy stone fruits infused with a sprinkle of gentle spices. (3,850 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Ice cream cone, vanilla, and white chocolate, with a twist of orange peel. The new and refill American and European oak casks give this a soft, milky comforting nose. The medium-weight palate includes light fudge, vanilla, and green fruits with spices on the fringes and a glowing orange core developing over time. A sweet, creamy finish with a hint of spice. This will win you over with its effortless charm. (1,800 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Supple nose of lychee, ripening peaches, candy hearts, watermelon, allspice, and white pepper. A light, slightly syrupy texture with an underbelly of watermelon and raspberry, this year’s release unwraps peach, nectarine, rhubarb, and custard candy, fruit Life Savers, stewed fruits, red berries, and light citrus. It’s surprising just how much flavor is packed into this rice whisky. Finish is dry—the watermelon is gone. (4,411 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

Japanese rice whiskies enjoy a cult following for their delicate flavors. This Fukano stands out with its ethereal fruity delights, the result of meticulous vigilance to preserve the spirit’s subtle nature. It brings a supple nose of lychee, ripe peaches, Smarties, watermelon, allspice, and white pepper. A light, slightly syrupy texture is underscored by watermelon and raspberry as it unwraps peach, nectarines, rhubarb, and custard candy, fruit Life Savers, stewed fruits, red berries, and light citrus. Fukano promises to broaden our whisky horizons. Number 20 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

This collaboration with Women Who Whiskey celebrates the career of Chizuru Fukano. Refreshing fruity esters of peach, lemon, lime, taffy, marshmallow, and spring florals on the nose, plus light vanilla, fresh-brewed coffee, and a smudge of dry spice. Juicy apple and pear flavors, tart citrus, lime zest, sweet bubble gum, peppery and herbal notes, and finally, creamy vanilla followed by a mouth-wateringly juicy finish with further wood spices. (3,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

Disgorged from a 440-liter new oak cask, this is like a spiced blueberry muffin. The aromas evolve before your very nose; spicy punch, dried conifer cone, dark toffee, cola candy, strawberry laces, baked plum, banana skin, and ground pepper. A light palate, mouth-drawing at times, with pastry, butter croissant, and dried raspberry, developing richer fruits and sweetness, with toffee, black fruits, chewed leather, and base notes of pepper. (420 bottles)—

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Composed of whisky matured in refill American oak, first-fill American oak, and a single wine cask, this light golden dram has mandarin, zested lime, peeled lychee, summer flowers, incense, cracked black pepper, and dried grasses on the nose. With a sweet hit of vanilla, red fruit candy, spices, baked orange, and oat cookies, it feels stronger than its ABV. Busy spices under the tongue, vanilla cream, and hints of orange on a lengthy finish. (2,117 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Brown rice, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, spiced rhubarb, white pepper, and clove make this an intriguing and appetizing olfactory experience. The palate is fruitier, with dark citrus, stewed apple, star fruit, taffy candy, and orange Jell-O, drifting to light pepperiness and aniseed. A drying aftertaste homes in on orange peel, with some late spice contributions. Complex flavor combinations make this a great exploratory whisky for seasoned enthusiasts. (440 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

A mercurial nose like many rice whiskies: pear, honeydew, chopped ginger, lemongrass, green herbal notes, wild garlic, white pepper, mineral elements, and seashells. Drawn from a combination of refill sherry, refill new oak, and one red wine cask, the aromas are matched by a dense palate of honey, herbal notes, melon, poached pear, ginger spice, lemongrass, pepper, vanilla, and lemon peel, with a tingly, spicy aftertaste. Definitely worth experiencing. (3,824 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Herbal with roasted sage leaves, coriander seed, savory meat juices, and a twinge of tarragon, though there are fruity qualities like fresh peach and clementine. Creamy orange fondant, clove, peach, and nectarine sweetness, honey, and caramel with a gentle spicy edge makes for a quite charming whisky. It reaches a plateau relatively quickly, with just hints of citrus fruit and light spices to finish. (5,443 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Peppercorns and aromatic spices ride over baked orange, toffee, and lemon peel. The spices are buzzing, like you’ve face-planted on a hornets’ nest, and it’s a blast: dry-roasted spice rubs, cumin, coriander seed, and some bitter blackened spice notes. In comparison, the palate feels like an anticlimax; mild and light, with lemon, honey, a Peppermint Pattie’s center, vanilla, fudge, and zested orange, with the spices reduced to a background hum. (7,077 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Aromas of grapefruit, orange peel, and burnt sugar crackling atop crème brûlée, with ground almond and tarragon. The texture is mouth drawing and astringent, like it’s warping the dimensions of your mouth for its own ends. Dark chocolate and bitter plum transition into cocoa powder and plum pudding with traces of oak. Persistent heat, with herbal notes and chili spice on the finish. Leave the water aside. (456 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)