A 9-year-old blended whisky from Chugoku Jozo's interesting Togouchi range. The producers create their expressions with whisky from both Scotland and Canada, and age it in a railway tunnel in Japan.
Togouchi 9 year old is a blended whisky produced by Chugoku Jozo in the Hiroshima region. Its rather intense nose dispersing aromas of yellow fruits and sweet spices is found in the mouth with the appearance of fruity flavors of citrus. In the end, peat and smoke come together with fruity and spicy notes. The Master Blender of the House offers a more "malty" version with nearly 40% malted barley that reveals a body and a more assertive character than its little brother Kiwami.
Togouchi whiskies are specific in that they are only aged, blended, diluted in Japan and highlight the work of blending for the future productions of the Sakurao distillery. The aging of whisky casks imported from Scotland and Canada takes place in a unique site: a tunnel 361m long and dug in 1970 offering ideal conditions for maturation (constant temperature of 14°C and humidity of 80%). Part of their Japanese character is transmitted by the terroir through the spring water used for the reduction of the alcoholic volume which is drawn from the heart of the preserved mountains of the Sandankyo natural park.
Appearance / Color: Medium amber.
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Apricot, plum, ginger with notes of cinnamon.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Citrus zest develops first — lemon and oranges — followed by just a hint of caramel and peat smoke.
Finish: Medium length with a dry, barrel-aged Gin spice flavor.
40% ABV / 80 Proof