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    Home » Asian Whiskey

    Published Feb 21, 2020 · Updated Apr 18, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky Review

    Jump to Reviews

    The entire lineup of Kaiyo Japanese Whisky is aged in Mizunara Oak casks and aged at sea. This gives each expression a rich wood & marine flavor profile.

    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky lineup on a counter.this …

    Asian whisky brands are becoming increasingly popular, Nikka whisky and Kavalan whiskey being two examples. Hence, new brands are looking for ways to stand out in the crowd.

    For Kaiyo whisky, that means aging their entire lineup in Mizunara Oak casks. These are expensive casks to produce, since the tree has to be at least 200 years old has not curved in shape.

    There are other hindrances as well, but the benefit are that this type of cask imparts a strong sweet and spicy woodiness to the whisky. When allowed to age, the strong wood influence is mellowed somewhat, imparting its luxurious quality to the whisky.

    Jump To: hide
    Aging whisky at sea
    Kaiyo Whisky flavor profile
    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky Review
    Kaiyo Whisky - The Signature
    Kaiyo Whisky - The Cask Strength
    Kaiyo Whisky - The Single 7yr
    Kaiyo Whisky - The Peated
    Related Tasting Notes

    Aging whisky at sea

    Kaiyo means "ocean" in Japanese. There's a reason they've added that name...

    Another element to Kaiyo Japanese whisky is that it's taken aboard ships to age at sea for about three months. The jostling from the waves, along with air pressure and temperature variations, insure that each drop of whisky comes into contact with the Mizunara Oak.

    You can believe that this Japanese whisky lineup shines, as all the positive awards and ratings they've received will attest.

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    Kaiyo Whisky flavor profile

    In general, the Mizunara Oak lends notes of tropical fruits and sandalwood to the whisky. Other distilleries use Mizunara Oak to finish their whisky, like Chevas Regal.

    Add in some other types of preparations and finishes (peat or Madiera, anyone?), and now you've got a whole other spectrum of flavors to play with.

    The chart below displays the broad range of flavors you can find from Kaiyo's lineup.

    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky flavor profile chart.
    Kaiyo Whisky flavor profiles

    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky Review

    At Gordon's DTX, presented by Jay Cole, February 12, 2020

    Kaiyo Whisky - The Signature

    43%ABV
    NAS (8-10yrs), 100% malted barley
    Type: Japanese

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: strong sawdust, mango, pineapple underneath, ocean breezes
    • Taste: thick body, sandalwood and orchard fruit, vanilla
    • Finish: baking spices rise up
    • Comments: thick and fruity

    Kaiyo Whisky - The Cask Strength

    53%ABV
    100% malted barley
    Type: Japanese

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: sandalwood, red berries, grilled pineapple, salty air
    • Taste: thick body, red currants, cedar, cloves, caramel hard candy
    • Finish: lingers on the wood notes
    • Comments: doesn’t drink like cask strength...approachable
    Kaiyo Japanese Whisky Signature Cask Strength bottles on a counter.

    Kaiyo Whisky - The Single 7yr

    48%ABV
    100% malted barley
    Type: Japanese

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: freshly sawed pine, bananas, popcorn
    • Taste: medium body, all wood, grilled pineapple
    • Finish: sawed pines notes come back and hang on with honey syrup
    • Comments: strong, sweet flavors, the wood notes add depth

    Kaiyo Whisky - The Peated

    46%ABV
    100% peated malted barley from Islay, 35ppm
    Type: Japanese

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: peat under cedar, bbq sauce
    • Taste: medium body, light ocean peat smoke dominates, sawdust underneath with ripe pears
    • Finish: cold campfire ash hangs on
    • Comments: the peat dominates all else, but the other flavors do peek out
    Collage of Kaiyo Japanese Whisky Single Peated bottles

    All these expressions from Kaiyo Whisky have a lot going for them, and it's hard to choose which one is the best. Why don't you grab a bottle and be the judge!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Whiskey can be found all over the world, and it has such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics to choose from. Here's where you can find a whiskey or bourbon I've reviewed from Asia. Cheers!

    • Asian Whiskey

    More Asian Whisky Tasting Notes

    • Collage of bourbon, whisky, and rye whiskey bottles on a counter.
      Selecting Single Barrel Picks for Limited Edition Bottles
    • Drams for Fams samples on mat.
      Drams for Fams Whisky Tasting with Nikka & Kavalan
    • Collage of Kavalan whisky seminar lineup sleeves on a table.
      Kavalan Taiwanese Whisky Seminar with Ian Chang
    • Kavalan & Nikka whisky tasting lineup in boxes & bottles on a counter.
      Kavalan & Nikka Asian Whisky Tasting

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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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