This Nine Leaves is part of an exceptional series from the distillery founded in 2013 by Yoshiharu Takeuchi in the Japanese city of Otsu. At Nine Leaves, Yoshiharu did everything himself, from moving the barrels to bottling; then, at the end of 2023, he decided to close the distillery. A few months later, the entire stock of aging rums and the last batch of white rums were purchased by La Maison & Velier, who continue an extraordinary evolving legacy. The raw material that makes up Nine Leaves rums is also exceptional: pure water from an underground spring and Kokuto sugar from the Okinawa archipelago. Fermentation lasts around four days, while distillation takes place in two Scottish Forsyth's pot stills: the first inspired by Chichibu and the second in the Glenmorangie style, with great balance that enhances the aromatic complexity. Once distilled, the rums are left to age in different types of barrels, in two different places: a warehouse subject to significant temperature fluctuations or an abandoned mine, with high humidity and very low temperatures. Aged for 8 years in a barrel that previously held red wine from the Wente estate in California's Livermore Valley, this single cask is distinguished by an aromatic profile reminiscent of Scottish single malts. On the nose, it is powerful, with hints of oak, cloves, and cocoa, which progressively evolve into vanilla, resin, acacia honey, and then honeysuckle and fig. The palate is lively, rich with notes of pepper, pear, brown sugar, crème brûlée, and more mentholated accents. The finish is long and velvety, evocative of a Highland single malt, with tropical, herbaceous, and creamy nuances.

70 Cl

60% Vol.