Gyokusendo Peak: 7,500 Liters a Year, Aged in the Brewery's Own Sherry Casks

Seven thousand five hundred liters a year.

That's the entire annual production of Peak. For scale, a large Scotch distillery can make that before lunch.

The Producer

Gyokusendo Shuzo is in Gifu and has been making alcohol for over two hundred years, sake, shochu, mirin, liqueurs, and a range of other spirits.

Whisky is one thing among many for them, not the main event. That's a different proposition from a dedicated whisky distillery, and it shows up in how the whisky is made.

The Casks They Already Had

The interesting part is the maturation.

Gyokusendo ages Peak in their own casks, in this case sherry casks, because as a house that makes many things, they have barrels on hand and know what's been in them.

That's a recurring advantage among Japanese producers who came to whisky from somewhere else. Helios finishes in its own rum casks. Kiuchi distils its own beer. Gyokusendo uses its own sherry wood. None of them had to go shopping for a point of difference; it was already in the warehouse.

What It Is

A blend of imported malt with some grain.

That's worth stating plainly rather than dressing up. Using imported malt is common in Japanese whisky and has been the subject of real debate about labeling. Gyokusendo's contribution here is the blending and the maturation rather than the distillation of every component.

Taste: Rich and round, with a sharp, bright finish

The sherry casks give the richness; the grain keeps it from getting heavy.

How to Drink It

Neat or on the rocks. It's balanced enough for either, and the bright finish means it doesn't need cutting.

A highball works if you want length.

Pair It With

The sherry character suits savory-sweet food. Pork kakuni, unagi don, tebasaki with the glaze.

Try It at Juraku

Gyokusendo Peak is on the whisky list at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side, and available by the bottle. At this production volume it's not something that's around forever.