Kurayoshi 12 Year Old Pure Malt

Apr 8

Talking about the Kurayoshi 8 Year Old, I touched on the water, the impact of Mt. Daisen, and their imported malt and grain.

With the Kurayoshi 12-Year-Old, for the first time in writing these notes, I wasn’t sure what to talk about. Kurayoshi and the Matsui Shuzo Distillery are so new that reviews, news, and just plain facts are few and far between. Most if not all I know about the brand was covered in the 8-year-old. So, what to talk about here…

How about the 12-year age statement? Certainly for Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y lovers, a 12-year age statement (let’s just say 12YAS for now) is probably the most common one out there. In American whiskey, the 12YAS is temporarily less common, but many brands use it as a mark of quality (see Knob Creek 12 Year, Elijah Craig having then losing its 12YAS, etc.) Japanese whisky largely follows the Scottish mould with 12, 17/18, and 25-year age statements across the board.

But why 12? If you search “why is whisky aged 12 years” or some variation thereof, you’ll get lots of answers ranging from “it’s the best age” to “for Scotch, it’s the right amount of time in a barrel”, 12 being a significant number to Western culture, then to less scientific and just plain weird answers.

What’s the real answer? Truthfully…there is none. Not a single answer, at least.

I know, a bit deflating, but that’s the real truth.

The closest answer - completely based on my opinion - is probably the importance of 12 to Western culture. 12 months, 12 hours twice a day, even 12 Apostles (remember that whisky truly took hold after it was made in monasteries - the religious connection can’t be forgotten, even centuries later). Especially when you consider where whisky blew up (highly religious countries of Scotland and Ireland), the connection to “12” becomes ever more significant.

Of course, this is pure conjecture. There could be no connection. Scottish distillers could simply have decided for one reason or many that 12 years was the right age. Past that, it became progressively and prohibitively more expensive to hold whisky stock in the warehouses, there was less to distribute due to Angel’s Share, the liquid became too oaky…any and all of these were considerations at some point I’m sure.

There’s no particular importance to the number 12 in Japanese culture - it’s almost surely a holdover/import from their Scottish whisky heritage. Given that the northern half of Japan - particularly areas where Nikka and Suntory have their distilleries - mimic a Scottish climate range, it’s not hard to see the through-line.

Look, I enjoy diving deep into whisky history as much as anyone, and I still have much to learn. Sometimes, the answer really is that there is no answer, or it simply is. Why 12? Because it works. I can’t argue with the results - this is great, as is the Hibiki 12 and others at that age. This is one where I’m going to accept it as an axiom, keep trying other products, and maybe revisit the topic when I’ve learned more - till then, cheers to the 12YAS.

Kurayoshi 12 Year Old: Specs

Classification: Japanese Whisky

Origin: Matsui Shuzo Distillery

Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley (Scottish Import)

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 12 Years Old

Location: Tottori Prefecture, Japan

Kurayoshi 12-Year-Old Price: $108

Official Website

Kurayoshi 12-Year-Old Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Pale gold. Medium rims bleed large droplets.

Nose: Honey sweetness. Granny smith apples and bright white wine.

Palate: Tingly - still sweet, but more apple tartness comes through. Orchard fruits with the barest of red stone fruits and char in the background. Roasted nuts appear on the finish. Mouthfeel is drying, coating, with a medium body.

Finish: Pleasantly hot, medium-length with some light smoke.

Overall: Well-balanced and complex. The apple note keeps the sweetness in check with a tasty tartness while being delicate enough to let the smoke come through. A great whisky.

Final Rating: 7.8

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, 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)