Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky
Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky
  • smoky smoky
  • vanilla vanilla
  • mint mint
  • mineral mineral
  • jasmine jasmine
  • honey honey
  • cardamom cardamom
  • sweet sweet
  • fruit fruit
  • smoky smoky
  • vanilla vanilla
  • mint mint
  • mineral mineral
  • jasmine jasmine
  • honey honey
  • cardamom cardamom
  • sweet sweet
  • fruit fruit

Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky

700ml
50% ABV
€229,65
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  • BrandKurayoshi
  • CategoryJapanese Whisky
  • CountryJapan
  • DistilleryMatsui Whisky
  • Age18 Year Old
  • Style Pure Malt Whisky
  • Alcohol 50%
California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 Warning.

Pure Malt Zen — simple, pure, and sublime.

Matsui Shuzo Distillery was founded in 1910 northwest of Kyoto on the facing the Sea of Japan in Tottori Prefecture. Importantly, the distillery is within sight of Mount Daisen — a volcanic peak rising more than a mile above the surrounding fertile plains. This is significant because the spring water used to distill their Sake, Shōchū, and Whisky and bring it to proof has filtered through volcanic stone for eons — resulting in significant purity and a unique, soft mineral composition.

The Matsui Shuzo Distillery keeps a low profile. It’s almost enigmatic with no visitor center or direct sales. But the line Whiskies that comes out of their warehouses are very highly regarded — including ten Malts under the Kurayoshi brand and five grain Whiskies under their Tottori nameplate. All of them very popular with the discriminating dram-lovers across the Land of the Rising Sun.

Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky
is the most significant Whisky produced by Matsui Shuzo so far. It’s their top-of-the-line dram, and one of the older Malts available from any producer in Japan. It's a 100% malted barley Whisky, sourced from distilleries around Scotland, before making their way to Japan, where it is blended with Japanese Whisky, aged and cut to proof with the legendary volcanic stone filtered waters of Tottori Prefecture.

Now… a lot of producers try to dazzle the eye on their high-end Whiskies with flashy packaging. Other try to smack you in the face with smoke or sweetness to justify a higher price. Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt is all about the zen. The bottles are the same as the rest of their products. The flavor is all about being as natural and authentic as possible. It’s almost a Whisky Haiku at 50% ABV — simple, pure, sublime.

Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu.


Smartass Corner:
Mount Daisen is regarded by some ancient religious sects in Japan as a holy mountain — including the syncretic Shugendō faith of “the path of training and testing."


*This bottle is a collector's item, we will not be able to entertain any refunds or exchanges.

**Individual orders limited to one item per person, as we wish to give everyone the opportunity to participate.

***Any kind of transit damage is insured and will be reimbursed.

Appearance / Color
Warm Gold

Nose / Aroma / Smell
A deep and rich perfume of jasmine and honey. 

Flavor / Taste / Palate
A delicate balance of vanilla and mint with a sweet hint of toasted wood and cardamom. 

Finish
Smooth and satisfying.

This product is available in:

Note: Once an order has been safely & successfully delivered, we do not accept returns due to change of heart or taste. Due to state regulations, we cannot accept the return of alcohol purchased by a customer in error.

Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky

Customer Reviews

Based on 34 reviews
59%
(20)
24%
(8)
12%
(4)
3%
(1)
3%
(1)
A
Alexander
Absolutely Fantastic!

Looks like someone just dropped a rating and dashed! No comment provided.

K
Kévin
Liquorice, dry with a slight b...

Liquorice, dry with a slight bitter aftertaste

g
guest
Pretty Darn Good!

Looks like someone just dropped a rating and dashed! No comment provided.

g
guest
Absolutely Fantastic!

Looks like someone just dropped a rating and dashed! No comment provided.

T
Tobey
While possibly an acceptable o...

While possibly an acceptable option, if one is moving on from basic choices like bourbons and blends, I was expecting a better drinking experience for Kurayoshi's declared age and expense.

Normally a neat drinker, I tried both ice and water with this whiskey, in an attempt to improve its character. Unfortunately, neither were able to make this spirit amenable to my preference for an enjoyable dram of an evening.