The Hakushu Story of the Distillery 2025 Edition is the second limited annual release in Suntory's Story of the Distillery series. A peated single malt with no age statement, it is a vatting of smoky Hakushu malts matured in American white oak bourbon barrels, bottled at 43% ABV.
Hakushu is Suntory's forest distillery, set high in the woods at the foot of Mount Kaikomagatake in Japan's Southern Alps, and its whisky is known for fresh, green, gently smoky character. Where the 2024 edition used a Spanish oak sherry finish, the 2025 edition focuses on bourbon wood, bringing forward a lighter, softer fruit-and-confection sweetness to balance the distillery's crisp peat.
It marries Hakushu's alpine freshness and soft campfire smoke with velvety, vanilla-driven sweetness from the bourbon oak.
Presented in a gift box illustrating the distillery's mountain forest setting, it is a collectable piece for Japanese whisky lovers.
Enjoy it neat, or as a highball with chilled sparkling water.
Japanese whisky has earned a worldwide reputation for balance and precision, and limited releases from its historic distilleries are among the most sought-after bottles for collectors.
Hakushu sits around 700 metres above sea level, surrounded by forest, and the cool mountain air and soft granite-filtered water shape its famously fresh character. In Japan the distillery's whisky is often enjoyed as a highball with a sprig of mint, a serve that lifts its green, herbal notes, though the Story of the Distillery editions also reward slow sipping neat.
Tasting Notes
-
Nose: Alpine freshness and soft campfire smoke.
-
Palate: Velvety vanilla sweetness, light fruit and confection.
-
Finish: Crisp, gentle peat.
Specifications
-
Producer: Suntory (Hakushu distillery)
-
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky, peated
-
Expression / Batch: Story of the Distillery, 2025 Edition
-
Proof / ABV: 86 proof (43% ABV)
-
Cask / Finish: American white oak bourbon barrels
-
Region: Yamanashi, Japan
-
Size: 700ml
How to Enjoy It
Serve it neat or as a highball. It pairs with sushi, grilled fish or green apple.
Frequently Asked Questions
What casks were used?
American white oak bourbon barrels.
Is it peated?
Yes, it is a vatting of smoky Hakushu malts.
What proof is it?
It is bottled at 43% ABV.
Explore more in our Whiskey collection.
