Dewar’s Japanese Smooth Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Whisky
Mizunara is a funny thing. It’s expensive, takes forever to age (and when it does it’s knotted and twisted), and leaks like a sieve. It also imparts unmistakeable flavors: perfume, particularly sandalwood, white pepper, shiso leaves, and a creamy oak. Until the past few years, mizunara oak was used only in Japanese whiskies, and even then was rare due to cost and availability. Now, it’s popping up everywhere.
The most interesting thing, though, is the variation in how whisky brands - particularly non-Japanese ones - are using these precious barrels. Or maybe the most interesting thing is how different the pricing is. Let’s look at each, shall we? In reverse order, of course.
Mizunara is, as mentioned, exceedingly expensive. The trees themselves are mostly harvested from Japan’s north (Hokkaido especially) and are protected, meaning only a certain volume can be cut per year. The trees take up to 200 years to fully mature, a long cycle even for oak (for comparison, American white oak, the backbone of bourbon, takes about 80 years to mature). A mature mizunara tree is anything but straight, making the cooper’s job of raising a barrel significantly more difficult and, by extension, making that skill that much rarer. Finally, the wood has a loose grain compared to American, French, or Mongolian oak, meaning more evaporation and leakage of both water and alcohol.
All of these factors add up to a barrel that can be between 4-10 times as expensive as a “regular” American white oak barrel, let alone a used one most of the world’s whisky ages in. That’s how Rabbit Hole, for example, could charge an MSRP of $1,295 for their Founder’s Collection Mizunara release in 2021 - exclusivity plus expensive ingredients equals pricey whiskey (yes, that one’s with an “e”).
Then we get into how the wood is used. Few distillers or producers use mizunara for an entire aging, mostly because of the leakage. In my experience, it also imparts considerably more flavor to the whisky in a shorter period of time, meaning a finishing is plenty to get the effect.
So how in the hell did Dewar’s produce a mizunara-finished Scotch that’s both boldly flavored from the cask and at a ridiculously low price of $29? I honestly don’t know. Even considering the size of the Dewar’s empire, cost is cost, and this wood is expensive. I’ll have to figure out more. Most mizunara-finished whiskies are at minimum $50+, with some creeping into the hundreds.
Oh, and did I mention? They did a truly solid job of it. The mizunara is strong, yes, but doesn’t totally obscure the sweeter malt undertones of a classic Dewar’s blend. The sandalwood and pepper are the stars for sure, but the liquid was dumped just before they became overwhelming. The result is a great example of what mizunara flavor can be. Perhaps its a bit unbalanced, but if you want to know this exotic wood’s influence, you can’t go wrong with a $29 bottle.
Dewar’s Japanese Smooth Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Whisky: Specs
Classification: Scotch Single Malt Whisky
Origin: Dewar’s
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: 8 Years Old
Location: Scotland
Dewar’s Japanese Smooth Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Whisky Price: $29
Dewar’s Japanese Smooth Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Whisky Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Light apple juice with a hay tinge. Disappearing rims, random drops and syrupy legs.
Nose: Classic, soft Dewar’s nose, creamy and malty. Perfumy with a little pepper and a sandalwood or patchouli scent. Light salinity, orchard wood freshly cut.
Palate: Ooh - there’s the mizunara and it’s strong. Tons of perfume, oak astringency, coffee grounds and unsweetened chocolate. Very unusual profile. Mouthfeel is silky and light, just a hint of oak, with coconut and black pepper. Coating and oily.
Finish: Medium-length, turns quite chocolatey like a dark chocolate bar and incense ash. Creamy and just as coating as the mouthfeel.
Overall: An intriguing pour and pairing. The mizunara is at times overwhelming, yet the solid Dewar’s (and Aberfeldy) base is strong enough to hang in there until the finish ebbs a bit. Not balanced, but definitely a way to experience that wood profile in a very clear way.
Final Rating: 6.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
