Fun fact: Mizunara (which translates to “water oak”) is a native Japanese oak tree that has to be around 200 years old before it’s the right size to be used for making casks. These barrels are hard to come by, and are  $6,000 or more each. The typical notes from a Mizunara casks are Sandalwood, Coconut, Vanilla, Kara incense and Spice.

TASTING NOTES: Dark Golden Caramel. On the nose, this whiskey has notes of Caramel, Butterscotch, Vanilla, plum, some fresh grass and a lot of spice. Slight burn. Overall a pleasant, sweet, delicate nose with lots of caramel and a good amount of spice in the balance.

On the palate, Baking Spice plays a big part & does a great job of covering the whole palate setting up a nice finish. Of all the Taconic bourbons, this bottle has the most ubiquitous spice coverage on the palate. It has a very supple mouthfeel, w/ impressive viscosity for the proof. There is a lot of Caramel and Stone Fruit coming through along with sweet oak.

On the long finish, baking spice once again plays a large part, focusing on the middle of the tongue, upper palate and in the throat, with gentle Leather notes and wood tannins tying this masterpiece together.