Matsui The San-In Bourbon Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky
Matsui The San-In Bourbon Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky blends Kurayoshi-distilled single malt with single grain whisky from an undisclosed Japanese distillery, matured in white oak ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 43% ABV (700mL). It earned 94.5 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022 — "truly magnificent... a show stopper in its own right" — plus Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020 and the International Spirits Challenge 2021. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof) — 700mL, NAS
- Blend: Kurayoshi single malt + single grain from an undisclosed Japanese distillery
- Cask: matured in white oak ex-bourbon barrels; proofed with Mount Daisen groundwater
- Origin: Kurayoshi Distillery, Tottori, Japan (the San'in region of western Honshu)
- Recognition: Whisky Bible 2022 — 94.5 pts; SFWSC 2020 Gold; ISC 2021 Gold (Japanese Blended NAS); USC 2021 — 89 pts
Bourbon Casks on the Sea of Japan Coast
"San-In" is the old name for the Sea of Japan side of western Honshu — the coastal region Tottori calls home. This is Matsui's bourbon-barrel statement: white oak ex-bourbon casks layered over a malt-and-grain blend, all of it cut with spring water from Mount Daisen. The result drinks like the meeting point of Kentucky sweetness and Japanese restraint. See more from Matsui or browse Japanese whisky.
Tasting Notes
Maple syrup, vanilla, and confectionary sweetness on the nose; a palate of toasted biscuit, pear, orange zest, and lemongrass with green-tea bitterness, ginger, and thyme; a medium, robust bourbon-cask finish of vanilla and sweet florals fading clean (per trade reviews).
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass to catch the bourbon-cask vanilla, or as a Highball — the serve Japanese blended whisky was built for — with cold soda water and a big cube. A large-format ice cube and a twist of lemon also suit it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "San-In" mean?
San'in (山陰) is the Sea of Japan side of western Honshu — the region containing Tottori Prefecture, where Kurayoshi Distillery sits.
Is Matsui San-In Bourbon Barrel a single malt?
No — it's a blended Japanese whisky: Kurayoshi-distilled single malt plus single grain whisky from another undisclosed Japanese distillery, matured in ex-bourbon barrels.
What awards has it won?
Gold at SFWSC 2020 and ISC 2021, 94.5 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022, and 89 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2021.
Bourbon-cask Japanese whisky with a 94.5-point pedigree — order Matsui San-In Bourbon Barrel online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.