Shizuoka 4 Year Old 2019 Blackadder Raw Cask Pot Still K Single Wine Cask #1129 Japanese Single Malt Whisky (2023) 70cl

1 of 217 bottles produced from a single wine cask.

Blackadder are a family owned independent whisky bottler established in 1995 by Robin Tucek who now runs the business with his son, Michael, and daughter, Hannah. Initially a whisky bottler, they have since developed their range to include other spirits, including rum and gin. They are most notable for not filtering the whisky where some of the bottles may have cask sediment left over which for a lot of whisky drinkers, is mega attractive. Certainly is for us. After all, wood is just carbohydrate anyway. 

TASTING NOTES

Nose : A complex and seductive bouquet unfolds on the nose. Aromas of tropical fruits, such as pineapple and mango, mingle with sweet notes of vanilla and caramel. A hint of spices, including cinnamon and cloves, along with a subtle oak spice, lends the aroma additional depth.

Palate : On the palate, the Shizuoka Single Malt is full-bodied and intense. The fruity notes persist and are accompanied by a rich sweetness. Aromas of honey, caramel, and a subtle oak spice harmonize perfectly. The high alcohol content intensifies the aromas and provides a warming, smooth texture.

Finish : The finish is long and complex, with a beautiful aftertaste of fruity and spicy notes. The oak and vanilla notes linger pleasantly on the palate and leave a lasting impression.

About Shizuoka

Shizuoka Distillery is generating a lot of excitement among Japanese whisky enthusiasts. Founded in 2016 by Taiko Nakamura, the distillery has rebuilt the mill and wash still from the closed Karuizawa Distillery. Situated approximately halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya, it is high in the mountains on the banks of the Nakakouchi River. The distillery is equipped with a 1-ton mash tun and different types of washbacks made from Oregon pine and Japanese cedar—a nod to sake fermentation. It has two wash stills: one 3,500-liter from the former Karuizawa Distillery and a new direct wood-fired 5,000-liter (referred to as pot still K and W respectively). While Glenfarclas Distillery and others retain direct-fired stills, this is reportedly the only whisky distillery in the world solely burning timber to heat a wash still during distillation. Scottish coppersmiths Forsyths fabricated both the wood-fired wash still and the spirit still, while there is also a hybrid Holstein still on-site. With this setup, Shizuoka is making distillate from 100% Japanese-grown barley, an unusual step, as the majority of whisky distilled in Japan is made from imported barley.

About Blackadder

Blackadder’s philosophy is very simple – they believe that the Cask is King. Sixty to seventy percent of the flavors in a whisky are taken up slowly from the cask as the spirit lies maturing in the warehouse. The action of changing temperature draws the spirit in and out of the cask.
A family operation started and piloted by whisky legend Robin Tucek, they sell to a few limited countries around the world, primarily Tiawan, Japan, the USA and Sweden.

Blackadder was established in 1995 by Robin Tucek who runs the family business with his daughter Hannah and son Michael. Blackadder International gets its name from fugitive 17th-century preacher, John Blackadder. He is famous for preaching against the evils of alcohol.

Hannah Tucek states that the Blackadder International company will always be family-run. Each of the three owner-operators brings something unique to the table. Michael Tucek used to be a chef. He uses his familiarity with a wide range of aromas and flavours to write all tasting notes. Michael feels that “our sense of smell is the most direct sense to our brain and also our most complex. It’s proven that once you go over three aroma compounds mixed together, everything is subjective and becomes very personal. Every aroma can evoke a different memory in each of us and we build up our aroma library as we grow. By not being afraid to say what we sense and share it, we can all learn something from each other.” Like Michael, Hannah grew up around whisky and has come to appreciate whisky at its pure state. Her father and brother joke that she is the one that’s really in charge.

Every cask is unique, with its own fingerprint. This is why they bottle most of their whiskies from single casks. They don’t believe in chilling or otherwise heavily filtering their whiskies, and they never, repeat never, add caramel colouring or flavouring to their spirits. They have always believed the personalities of their whiskies are colourful enough. Their raw cask is famous for the barrel char in each bottle.

64% ABV

70cl