Kaiyo is sourced originally from Japan's famous Nikka Whisky, where it is "teaspooned", a process in which a small amount of whisky from another distillery is added to a large batch to prevent it from being called single malt and thus directly competing in the market. Kaiyo takes the young spirit and further ages, generally in Japanese Mizunara oak barrels, partially at sea to provide a varied climate (which causes the wood fibers to tighten and loosen repeatedly) and constant jostling, increasing the wood influence on the final product. For much of their main lineup, the story basically ends there. For this special release, it is re-casked in French Oak barrels for a total of 10 years of aging, adding yet another layer of spice and wood influence. Both Mizunara and French oak are famous for their intensity of spice, with Mizunara lending a high-note, incense kind of character while French oak covers the lower range, with clove, nutmeg, and a more tannic punch. Together they create one of the most spiced Kaiyo expressions yet, a banquet for lovers of woodsiness, without the overpowering vanilla hit that often comes with heavy American oak influence. Bottled at 46% abv
