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. This small batch is composed of two 400-liter barrels that previously held sherry made from Pedro Ximénez grapes, aged for 5 years. The nose is refined and deep, with hints of cocoa, ginger, and apricot that evolve into beeswax, oak, and varnish. The palate is generous, rich with notes of orange, peach, dried fruit, cardamom, vanilla, and a touch of coconut milk. The finish is elegant and smooth, with nuances of sugarcane, lavender, ginger, and kumquat, which harmonize with verbena, chamomile, and licorice.

70 Cl

59% ABV