Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has further expanded its award-winning Octave portfolio, with the introduction of its first-ever Mizunara oak cask finish.
The launch marks another milestone in the company's continued innovation within this range.
Directly sourced from Japan, the rare Mizunara oak cask was chosen to finish a triple-distilled Auchentoshan single malt over an initial four-month maturation period. The result is a distinctive Octave whisky that showcases the unique influence of this highly prized Japanese oak.
Ian Logan, Senior Spirits Manager at Duncan Taylor, said: "The ongoing success of our Octave range gave us the opportunity to push the boundaries and experiment with new cask finishes. Auchentoshan's lighter, triple-distilled spirit, allowed the Mizunara oak to fully express its natural character and the results far exceeded our expectations."
The Mizunara cask arrived at Duncan Taylor's headquarters in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in March after being exported directly from Japan. Although Mizunara is renowned for being one of the most challenging oak species to work with due to its porous nature, it is equally celebrated for producing exceptionally elegant and complex whisky finishes.
Distilled in October 2011, the Auchentoshan matured for 14 years before spending four months in the Mizunara octave. Bottled at 52.1% ABV, the whisky has developed a rich and distinctive flavour profile.
Before octavation, the whisky displayed notes of vanilla yoghurt, honey, ginger, gentle citrus and soft spice. Following its time in the Mizunara octave, those flavours evolved into creamy rice pudding, golden syrup, mandarin, cedarwood and a lingering ginger warmth.
Logan added: "We started experimenting for this project and the Auchentoshan quickly stood out as the ideal match for the style of the cask. The transformation has been remarkable and we're delighted with the outcome. This is just the beginning of our exploration with Mizunara and we're excited to see what other spirit styles work equally well with this exceptional wood."
To mark the release, Duncan Taylor collaborated with Japanese photographer Kato Shu (FRPS) to capture the bottle alongside a Mizunara oak in an ancient forest at the foothills of Mount Fuji. While much of Japan's native woodland has changed since the Edo period, this remarkable landscape remains home to towering Mizunara oaks, some more than 300 years old, which continue to thrive against the odds.
The Octave Mizunara finish has yielded just 76 bottles, making it an exceptionally limited release. It will be available exclusively through The Spirits Embassy, priced at £125.
There is more to come from Duncan Taylor's innovative Octave range, not just with Mizunara casks but also further experimental finishes and new wood types are already in development and will be released later in the year.
https://thespiritsembassy.com/products/the-octave-auchentoshan-14-year-old-mizunara-cask-finish