Description
Togouchi 15 Year Japanese Blended Whisky sits at the top of Sakurao Brewery & Distillery’s blended range — a genuine 15-year age statement matured not in a conventional rackhouse but inside a 361-metre former railway tunnel, and a natural pour for the drinker who wants real maturity without chasing a single-cask lottery.
Process & Profile
Bottled at 43.8% ABV (87.6 proof), the blend is built around roughly 20% malted barley and casks — many imported from Scotland and Canada — that are married, aged and reduced entirely in Japan. The maturation site is the signature here: the Togouchi tunnel in Hiroshima Prefecture, dug in 1970 and holding a near-constant 14°C and 80% humidity all year, a still, cool cellar that slows oxidation and rounds the spirit across its decade and a half of rest. Sakurao — formerly Chugoku Jozo, a long-established Hiroshima sake and shochu house before it turned to whisky — leans on that stability rather than dramatic seasonal swings.
On the nose, candied citrus peel, poached yellow plum, apricot and a light dusting of baking spice, with only a faint waxy note betraying the older casks.
On the palate it turns silkier: vanilla cream, orchard fruit and a thread of gentle peat smoke woven through the blend.
The finish is long and settled, closing on dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut and a dry curl of oak spice.
Within the Togouchi line this is the maturity benchmark. Where the entry blends read young and easygoing, the 15-year carries the tunnel’s rounding effect and the weight of older imported malt — the clearest reason to reach for it over the standard Togouchi bottling on the same shelf.
Serve neat in a Glencairn at room temperature; a single drop of water lifts the citrus without flattening the smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this whisky?
A 15-year-old Japanese blended whisky from Sakurao Brewery & Distillery, matured in the Togouchi tunnel cellar in Hiroshima.
What are the specs?
15 years old, 43.8% ABV (87.6 proof), 750 mL, roughly 20% malted barley in the blend.
What does it taste like?
Citrus and yellow fruit on the nose, vanilla and soft peat on the palate, and a long finish of dark chocolate, hazelnut and oak spice.
How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn, with an optional drop of water to open the aromatics.
Why is this release notable?
It is the oldest age statement in the Togouchi range and one of very few Japanese blends matured entirely inside a former railway tunnel.
