Kujira 10 Year Old White Oak Virgin Cask 70cl

If you like your Japanese whisky with backbone, this one’s going to make you grin. Kujira 10 Year Old White Oak Virgin Cask is all about what fresh (virgin) white oak does to whisky over a full decade, it cranks up the oak spice, amps the vanilla, and adds that toasted, slightly charred depth you can’t fake.

Virgin cask ageing is a power move because the wood hasn’t been “spent” on another spirit first. That means more wood influence, more colour, and more of those dessert-and-fireplace flavours that keep unfolding as you sip. The 10-year age statement matters here, it’s long enough for the oak to integrate, not just shout.

What you get is a Japanese whisky that plays in the bigger, bolder end of the category. It still has that sense of balance you want, but it doesn’t disappear in the glass. This is the bottle you reach for when you’re bored of polite whisky.

• Nose: Toasted coconut, vanilla bean, oak char, maple candy, and a hit of cinnamon spice.
• Taste: Creamy vanilla and caramel up front, then roasted oak, clove, and nutty, toasted cereal vibes that build as you go.
• Finish: Long and oak-led, with lingering baking spice, dry cocoa, and a warm, toasty glow.

It’s also a great pick if you’re into whiskies aged in new American oak, think bourbon fans looking for a Japanese whisky that speaks their language, without turning into a one-note sugar bomb. The virgin white oak brings sweetness, sure, but it also brings grip and structure, which keeps everything feeling intentional.

Use it as your “conversion bottle” for friends who think Japanese whisky is always delicate and whispery. This one has presence. It’s layered, it’s wood-forward, and it keeps changing from first nose to last sip.

Fun Fact: Kujira is made in Okinawa, Japan’s southern island chain, a place better known for awamori than whisky, which is exactly why bottles like this feel like a fresh find.