Matsui The Kurayoshi 8 Year Old Japanese Whisky
Matsui The Kurayoshi 8 Year Old Japanese Whisky is a 100% malted-barley blend — Scotch-sourced malt whiskies married with Kurayoshi-distilled malt — aged a minimum of 8 years in ex-bourbon white oak barrels, non-chill filtered with no caramel coloring, bottled at 43% ABV (700mL). It took Gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof) — 700mL
- Age: minimum 8 years in ex-bourbon (white oak) barrels
- Blend: 100% malted barley — Scotch malt whiskies + Kurayoshi-distilled malt; non-chill filtered, no caramel
- Origin: blended at Kurayoshi Distillery, Tottori, Japan; proofed with Mount Daisen spring water
- Recognition: Gold, SFWSC 2021; Silver, ISC 2019
Eight Years of Ex-Bourbon Patience
"Kurayoshi" means "city of water and green," and the house style shows it: soft, rounded whisky shaped by water filtered through Mount Daisen's volcanic rock. The 8 Year Old is Matsui's age-stated anchor — all malt, all ex-bourbon oak, nothing rushed — marrying imported Scottish malt with the distillery's own Tottori-distilled spirit. See more from Matsui or browse Japanese whisky.
Tasting Notes
Ripe sweet fruit and pale gold in the glass; a palate of candied nuts, raisin, and vanilla with a very soft mouthfeel; a medium-long finish of toffee and light oak (per the distiller's notes).
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a few drops of spring water — the soft texture opens beautifully. A single large cube suits it for slower sipping; save the Highball treatment for the NAS blends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kurayoshi 8 Year Old a single malt?
No — it's a blended malt: whiskies distilled entirely from malted barley, vatted from Scottish malt whiskies and Kurayoshi-distilled malt. No grain whisky.
What casks is it aged in?
Ex-bourbon white oak barrels for a minimum of 8 years; bottled non-chill filtered with no caramel coloring.
Who makes Kurayoshi whisky?
Matsui Shuzo at Kurayoshi Distillery in Tottori, Japan — a sake and shochu house founded in 1910 that began distilling whisky in 2017.
Eight years in bourbon oak, all malt — order Matsui Kurayoshi 8 Year Old online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.