Review #166: Sato Shiki 41yr Single Grain Whisky

COUNTRY: Japan

MASH BILL: 88% Koshihikari rice, 12% malted barley

PROOF: 80

AGE: 41 years

COST: MSRP is $900 for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample from Prime Barrel)

I recently participated in a Japanese whisky tasting put on by The Prime Barrel featuring some high age Sato Shiki whiskies, with this 41 year single grain whisky being the crown jewel. I reviewed their 21 year single grain whisky in Review #165. I provided a lot of the background to Sato Shiki and their distillation process. Everything stated for the 21 year is applicable to the 41 year whisky. The only difference is that the ratio casks (American white oak vs Spanish oak vs Limousine oak) changes slightly. But overall, these two whiskys are the same, just one is aged 20 years longer. So go check out Review #165 if you are interested in all the details behind Sato Shiki 41 year single grain whisky.

Now, the 21 year single grain whisky was surprisingly clean. I was expecting a lot more depth and complexity for 21 year aged whisky, but that preconceived notion is created from my foremost familiarity with bourbon and American whiskey where 8 year old whiskey is already showing ample amounts of barrel character and deep, dark notes. But that’s simply not the Japanese style typically. However, at 41 years old, there’s no way this can avoid having some more barrel character! Right? Let’s find out!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Auburn color (1.5), fat, syrupy looking legs.

NOSE: This has a sticky sweet nose with robust vanilla cream filled caramels, milk chocolate, sweet oak, slightly over toasted marshmallow, and licorice. There’s a slight earthy, roasted malt character as well, but largely just a candy sweetness to this with a subtle bitter spice from the licorice note.

PALATE: What a change from the 21 year variant! This is teaming with deep, dark sweet notes. Warm caramel sauce over vanilla bean ice cream, toasted raisin bread lathered with red fruit jam, a light earthy spice that makes me think of a mix of licorice, dark chocolate, and fennel. These earthy notes ramp up more going into the finish. This has a wonderfully thick mouthfeel of heavy simple syrup. There are moments where I can tell this is a rice whisky, but overall it’s pretty easy to get caught up in all the sweeter notes that it’s hard to believe it’s a rice whisky.

FINISH: The finish is long and sweet. For 41 years old, I expected the finish to be very tannic and dry, but alas, it is not. This could be due to the proof of the whisky, but I think it’s just really a sign of how well they have mastered their craft. Chocolate, toasted malt, sweet oak, and heavily caramelized sugar show up right away. As the earthier notes subside, the sweeter notes persist, and a pop of lemon shows up briefly and brings with it a return of the red fruit notes. This is probably one of the sweetest finishes I’ve had in a whisky aside from some dessert wine finishes.

RATING: 9.1/10

OVERALL: This 41 year old whisky had a lot more barrel character than the 21 year, however, it still has that “clean” profile making all the flavors feel more intentional. I’m a fan of sweeter whisky, so this really jived with my palate. I have a bottle of JT Melek, a 100% rice whiskey made and aged on the gulf coast in Louisiana. It has a eerily similar profile to this Sato Shiki 41 year, however, this is significantly more elevated with how layered the notes come across. My only wish is that it had bit more spice or earthy notes to help balance out the sticky sweetness. Overall though, this is a great example that super high age statements does NOT necessarily mean a whisky is going to be too oaky or tannic.

Let’s address the elephant in the room on this one though. It’s a $900 bottle of whisky. Can you find equally as good or even better whisky for a cheaper price? Absolutely. Would I personally buy a bottle of this 41 year whiskey? If money wasn’t an issue, and now that I’ve sampled it, probably. But in reality, $900 for a 750mL bottle is out of my league. All that said, it’s a 41 year old whisky. This distillate has been sitting in barrels longer than I’ve been alive! That’s a hard thing to put a price tag on because there aren’t just a ton of 41 year old whiskies you can get your hands on. So, if a $900 bottle is something you feel inclined to splurge on, hopefully this review will allow you to determine if this whisky is for you. Otherwise, if you’re like me and a $900 bottle could result in your spouse being charged with domestic abuse, then I hope you enjoyed it vicariously and maybe you can get a pour or sample in your future! 😊

 

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect