Jota Tanaka, Kirin’s chief blender, utilizes all the versatility of the complex production at Fuji Gotemba Distillery to create this truly superb non-chill filtered whisky. The dark vanilla, toffee brittle, macadamia nuts, heady incense, and singed oak have instant appeal. Sweet popcorn smothered in milk chocolate rotates through cherry, damson, and red apple, settling on a palate of toffee apple spiked with pepper and licorice. Tingling spices on a drying finish. £41

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2017)

Fuji-Gotemba Distillery’s talent for grain whisky is evident here, with a nose of waxy green leaves, whole peppercorn, and fleeting glimpses of lemon peel, lime zest, and white peach amid the airy, floral top notes. It has a serene, calming quality to it. Spicy pepper, orange peel, mouth-coating vanilla, creamy toffee, and crunchy apple, with a clean finish, like orange flesh laid out on hot stones. JPY 5,000

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

A little joy from Mount Fuji: soy sauce, five-spice powder, grilled pineapple, halved passion fruit, and the umami sensation of slightly salty umeboshi. It’s dense and mouth-coating, with maple syrup, cinnamon, and a steady build of rye spices, particularly nutmeg and clove, before closing off with dark baked orange. The spices are short lasting, but the pleasurably deep boiled orange candy sweetness persists for minutes. (JPY 22,000; Not available in the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

The elegant nose on this blend of grain whiskies produced by Mount Fuji Distillery has aromas of ground hazelnut, black tea, chestnut flour, mild baking spices, ripe orchard fruits, citrus zest, and elderflower. The palate is packed with orchard fruit, orange, pepper, and chicory, with bitter bark, pepper, and wood spices showing more grain whisky character, and ends with nutty notes and a short finish of cinnamon and oak.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

A clean and light-scented whisky blended by Jota Tanaka from whiskies produced in Japan and Scotland, the nose has caramel, lemon, lime, orange, apricot, vanilla, and spiced chai. It’s sweet, juicy, and smooth to sip, with citrus, malt, creamy caramel, chocolate, rye spices, cinnamon bread, cereal bars, and cocoa powder. The finish is dry, with cinnamon breakfast cereal and burnt sugar notes.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)