Matsui The Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Japanese Whisky
50% ABV (100 proof) | 700mL | Aged 18 years | Blended malt — Matsui's The Kurayoshi 18 Year Old is a blended malt ("pure malt") whisky from Matsui Shuzo in Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture — a sake-and-shochu house founded in 1910 that blends imported Scottish malt whiskies with Japanese-distilled malt, aged in American white oak and cut to proof with soft volcanic-rock-filtered spring water. It is NOT a single malt and not 100% distilled in Japan — honesty the whisky press has debated — but the liquid earned Best Japanese Blended Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Buttered bread and aromatic oak with a grassy top note on the nose; fresh orange, black-tea smokiness, cumin, and brown sugar on the palate; a vanilla-forward finish with smoke lingering. Also: WWA 2019 Gold, SFWSC 2019 Silver, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 89. Among Japanese whiskies, the 18 is the award-crowned flagship of the Kurayoshi line.
Tasting notes
Nose: buttered bread, aromatic oak, grassy. Palate: fresh orange, black-tea smoke, cumin, brown sugar. Finish: vanilla-forward, lingering smoke. (Per Master of Malt-derived notes and brand press.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 50% ABV (100 proof) — 700mL
- 18-year-old blended malt; American white oak maturation
- Matsui Shuzo, Kurayoshi, Tottori — sake house founded 1910
- WWA 2021 Best Japanese Blended Malt; WWA 2019 Gold; SFWSC 2019 Silver
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat with a few drops of water; the 100-proof frame opens beautifully with dilution.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kurayoshi a single malt?
No — it's a blended malt: Scottish-sourced malt whiskies blended with Japanese-distilled malt (ratio undisclosed), matured in American white oak.
What did it win?
Best Japanese Blended Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, plus WWA 2019 Gold and SFWSC 2019 Silver.
What size is the bottle?
700mL per near-unanimous listings.
Where is it made?
Blended by Matsui Shuzo in Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.