Hatozaki Omakase Small Batch 15 Year Old Mizunara Cask Finish Japanese Malt Whisky 750m

Hatozaki Omakase Small Batch 15 Year Old Mizunara Cask Finish Japanese Malt Whisky 750ml

In Japanese dining, omakase means to trust the chef completely — to surrender the menu and let the master decide. That same philosophy drives Hatozaki's most exclusive collection, where Master Distiller and Blender Kimio Yonezawa is given total creative freedom to surprise, delight, and push the boundaries of Japanese whisky making. The 15 Year Old is the fourth edition in the Omakase Series, and by far its most ambitious chapter yet — the oldest age-stated release in Hatozaki's history.

Produced at the Kaikyō Distillery on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, this expression begins with a careful selection of hand-picked malt whiskies aged for 12 years in new charred oak barrels. The spirit is then transferred to rare Mizunara casks — sourced from the ancient Hokkaido forests of northern Japan — for a final three-year finishing period. Mizunara oak is among the rarest and most coveted finishing woods in the world, prized for its ability to impart distinctive notes of sandalwood, incense, coconut, and oriental spice that no other cask can replicate. Less than 3,000 numbered bottles were produced, sold exclusively in the US market.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Malty and nutty — toasted almonds, sandalwood, caramel-laced spiced apple, vanilla-scented pear, and aromatic florals with gentle hints of Mizunara incense
• Palate: Vibrant and fruit-forward — ripe orchard fruits, golden syrup, toasted oak spice, silky caramel, and a subtle dry nuttiness with a whisper of smoke
• Finish: Long and silky — dark chocolate, late-arriving lemon zest, coconut, and a lingering warm spice from the Mizunara oak