Masahiro 12 year old Pure Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask Japanese Whisky (700ml, 43%)
$199.00
From the subtropical island of Okinawa comes this beautifully rich and complex 12-year-old Pure Malt whisky from the historic Masahiro Distillery. Crafted from 100% malted barley, the whisky is matured for at least 11 years in American oak ex-bourbon hogsheads before being finished for a further 12 months in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks. Okinawa’s warm, humid climate encourages an intense interaction between whisky and oak, helping create a wonderfully mature, fruit-forward character.
The nose is rich with ripe citrus, dried apricot, plum, honey and nuts. On the palate, juicy fruit develops into candied fruit and malt sweetness, joined by almonds and toasted bread. The Oloroso influence becomes increasingly apparent as the whisky develops, leading into a long, warming finish of oak, hazelnut, walnut and cashew.
Rich, elegant and beautifully balanced, Masahiro 12 Year Old is a fascinating expression of Okinawan whisky maturation and an excellent choice for lovers of fruit-forward, sherry-influenced malts. Its quality has also been recognised internationally, including Gold at the 2022 World Whiskies Awards and Gold at the 2023 International Spirits Challenge.
Quantity
Tasting Notes
- Colour:
- Nose: Ripe citrus aroma, followed with sweet notes of dried apricot, jammy plum, nuts, and honey.
- Palate: Juicy fruits scent come straight on the palate, and gradually turns into mellow candied fruits, malt syrup, almonds, and toasty bread.
- Finish: Oak flavor lingering on the mouth. Hazelnut, walnut, cashew, and nutty flavors giving a wonderful finish to the lovely whisky.
Awards
- 🥇 Gold — International Spirits Challenge 2023
- 🥈 Silver, 93 points — International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2023
- 🥇 Gold — World Whiskies Awards 2022, Blended Malt 12 Years & Under
- 🥇 Gold — The Drinks Business & The Spirits Business Spring Tasting 2022
About the Distillery
Masahiro Distillery is one of Okinawa’s oldest and most established spirits producers, with a history stretching back to 1883, when Shobun Higa began producing traditional Okinawan awamori in Shuri, the former capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The distillery remains family-run and has built more than 140 years of expertise in fermentation, distillation and maturation. Today it operates in Itoman, in southern Okinawa, producing awamori alongside gin, rum and whisky.
Whisky production represents a fascinating evolution of this long distilling heritage. Masahiro began distilling malt whisky in 2022, while its Kujira Ryukyu Whisky range draws on the distillery’s expertise with rice spirits. Okinawa’s subtropical island climate — warm, humid and influenced by the surrounding ocean — creates particularly active maturation conditions and contributes to a distinctive house character often associated with tropical fruit, gentle spice, oak and herbal notes. It makes Masahiro a very different proposition from the better-known whisky distilleries of mainland Japan.
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