Akkeshi Distillery Boshu Single Malt Japanese Whisky

Akkeshi Distillery Boshu Single Malt Japanese Whisky is a peated single malt from eastern Hokkaido.

Grain in ear, the solar term this whisky takes its name from, falls in early June, when barley heads fill out. That is a fitting reference for a distillery which has put its own barley at the centre of the project: the team oversees growing and harvest on Hokkaido land near the site, and supplements it with imported malt when the peating level calls for it. The town itself is a fishing and oyster port on the Pacific edge of the island, wrapped in fog through summer and frozen hard in winter, and that swing works on casks in the warehouse. A portion of the stock goes into Mizunara, cut from Hokkaido oak.

Peat smoke arrives first, dry and faintly medicinal, then malt, lemon and a wisp of sea air. Drink it neat in a small glass, no colder than the room. A splash of water opens the malt sweetness, and it holds together well over one large cube.