Akkeshi Distillery Sarorunkamuy 2020

Akkeshi Distillery Sarorunkamuy is a 200ml single malt named for the red-crowned crane of the Akkeshi marshes.

The Ainu called the red-crowned crane sarurunkamuy, and the bird winters in the wetlands behind the distillery, so the choice of name says a good deal about how this operation sees itself. Local first, in other words. The site lies on the eastern Pacific coast of Hokkaido, hemmed in by marshland, bay and fog, and that has been leaned into from the first year of production in 2016: barley from the island, peat cut nearby, Mizunara casks coopered from Hokkaido oak. Early bottlings came out in small format while the spirit was still young, and this is one of them.

Peat and brine up front, then malt, dried citrus and a faintly herbal finish. Neat, room temperature, small pour. Water is not needed here. If you want something longer, keep it simple with cold soda and a lot of ice.