As a major source of international whiskies, Impex Beverages coordinated several booths at Whiskies of the World San Francisco this year as the US distributor of Kilchoman, M&H, and more. Since we didn't taste 100% of the vast selection they brought to this event (we didn't even have time to try The GlenAllachie, Port Askaig, or MacNair's), we're combining two of their booths here as we show you the rest of what we did sample.
ImpEx Collection 40 Year 1980
The distributor's own flagship is The ImpEx Collection, a series of specially selected casks from a wide variety of distilleries. This one is a blended 40-year-old sherry butt, the oldest pour at the event this year. The nose is very clean and neutral, yielding nothing more than a mild sense of sea breeze. It has a medium mouthfeel, thicker than most of the whiskies we tried with a creamy texture that's almost syrupy in nature. The palate has a little spice to it, and I felt the long finish had a sensation almost like pop rocks, though my companions felt even that nature couldn't be detected. Overall, it wasn't a very impressive dram for us, feeling very watered down throughout the experience.
Ohishi Sakura Cask
The first of two Ohishi bottles we tried, this whisky is finished in Sakura casks after
maturing in brandy and sherry casks. The nose is quite unique, with notes of asian pear
and the floral influence of cherry blossom. The palate is very smooth with a medium-heavy
mouthfeel, bringing a nice viscosity on the tongue. It tastes of mild fruits like pear
and green apple, with just a tiny bit of tartness peeking out underneath. The finish is
medium-short and very clean, with just a little heat coming through. Delightful!
Ohishi 10 Year Brandy Cask
Bearing a rare age statement in Japanese whiskies these days, this expression uses ex-brandy casks for maturation. The nose on this one doesn't have a lot of character, just a little moist, humid sensation almost like a sea breeze but without the saltiness. This whisky has a very light mouthfeel on the palate, and the tight blend of flavors makes it difficult to pick out any specific notes. I get a sense of the aftertaste of airheads, not the sweetness itself but that sensation you get after eating taffy. The finish is short and doesn't bring much character of its own.
The San-In
This whisky is blended by Kurayoshi Distillery in Japan, though it notably doesn't claim to be distilled there. The nose has a sour floral note, leading into a palate with a very light mouthfeel, easy to sip. A mix of flavors swirl around the mouth, with bitterness and spice tinged with sweetness. The finish is very brief, but clean.
The Tottori
Named for the Japanese prefecture where Kurayoshi Distillery is located, this is another blend of unknown provenance aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Ethanol leads the nose with a light spice underneath. The medium mouthfeel is very smooth, with sweet vanilla and caramel notes really emphasizing the bourbon finish but with none of a bourbon's characteristic bite. The finish is medium length with notes of baking spice, rounding out the experience nicely.
Penderyn Legend
One of Penderyn's Dragon series offerings, Legend is a Welsh single malt matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in madeira casks. The nose is immaculate, with notes of citrus blossom and ocean breeze mixing with the ethanol vapors. It has a full and creamy mouthfeel that really coats the entire mouth while still being very light at the same time. The palate evokes thoughts of vanilla pudding before yielding to baking spice and cardamom on the finish.
Joining their flagship Gold range in 2018, Rich Oak is another single malt from Wales. Like all Penderyn whiskies, it's aged in bourbon casks before adding its own unique twists by finishing in ex-wine casks from Europe. The nose has wonderful notes of maple syrup and butterscotch alongside fudge brownies or even blondies. The palate has a neutral, light mouthfeel at first, before a soft, controlled oakiness emerges alongside a tinge of vanilla. The finish is where this pour really blossoms, bringing forth solid amounts of peat and a bit of spice at the end.
With so many intriguing pours across this set of bottles, it's hard to pick a single favorite of the bunch. In fact, I'm not sure I can narrow it down beyond a top three. I continue to be impressed by the offerings from Penderyn, and both the Legend and Rich Oak are whiskies I'd come back to. I also felt the Ohishi Sakura Cask was wholly unique in a way that I'd revisit again many times, given the opportunity. What a great selection ImpEx Beverages brought for us this year!