Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has expanded its Octave portfolio with its first-ever Mizunara oak cask finish, using rare Japanese wood to finish a triple-distilled Auchentoshan single malt. The whisky arrived at the company’s Huntly headquarters in Aberdeenshire in March, after the cask was exported directly from Japan.
The launch represents the company’s first exploration of Mizunara oak, a wood prized for producing elegant and complex whisky finishes. Mizunara is renowned as one of the most challenging oak species to work with. Its porous nature makes it difficult to handle, yet it is also celebrated for the distinctive character it lends to maturing spirit.
The Auchentoshan single malt was distilled in October 2011. It matured for 14 years before spending four months in the Mizunara octave. The whisky is bottled at 52.1% ABV.
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Ian Logan, Senior Spirits Manager at Duncan Taylor, explained the thinking behind the project. “The ongoing success of our Octave range gave us the opportunity to push the boundaries and experiment with new cask finishes,” he said.
He added that the choice of spirit proved crucial. “Auchentoshan’s lighter, triple-distilled spirit, allowed the Mizunara oak to fully express its natural character and the results far exceeded our expectations.”
Before octavation, the whisky showed notes of vanilla yoghurt, honey, ginger, gentle citrus and soft spice. After its time in the cask, these developed into creamy rice pudding, golden syrup, mandarin, cedarwood and a lingering ginger warmth. These are the official notes from the brand.
To mark the release, Duncan Taylor worked with Japanese photographer Kato Shu (FRPS). He captured the bottle alongside a Mizunara oak in an ancient forest at the foothills of Mount Fuji, where some trees are more than 300 years old.
“The transformation has been remarkable and we’re delighted with the outcome,” Logan said. “This is just the beginning of our exploration with Mizunara.”
The finish has yielded just 76 bottles. It is available exclusively through The Spirits Embassy, priced at £125. Further experimental finishes and new wood types are already in development for release later this year.