Matsui Tottori Blended Japanese Whisky
Matsui Tottori Blended Japanese Whisky is the flagship blend from Kurayoshi Distillery: double-copper-pot-distilled malt whisky plus grain whiskies from undisclosed Japanese distilleries, aged in ex-bourbon barrels, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 43% ABV (700mL). It took Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022 and 91.5 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof) — 700mL, NAS, non-chill filtered
- Blend: Kurayoshi malt (double copper pot distilled) + grain whiskies from undisclosed Japanese distilleries
- Cask: aged in ex-bourbon barrels; proofed with Mount Daisen spring water
- Origin: Kurayoshi Distillery, Tottori, Japan — named for the distillery's home prefecture since 1910
- Recognition: SFWSC 2022 Double Gold; Whisky Bible 2022 — 91.5 pts
A Love Letter to Tottori Prefecture
Matsui named its flagship blend for the place that has been its home since 1910 — Tottori, the coastal prefecture of sand dunes and Sea of Japan surf on Honshu's western edge. The blend marries the distillery's own pot-distilled malt with Japanese grain whiskies, aged in ex-bourbon oak and bottled without chill filtration so the texture stays intact. The distillery's own recommendation: drink it as a Highball. See more from Matsui or browse Japanese whisky.
Tasting Notes
Delicate malted-grain sweetness, red apple, cacao, and sweet vanilla with a floral lift on the nose; a robust, fruity palate of cherry, strawberry jam, creamy toffee, and black pepper; a finish of peach pit, pineapple fiber, and lingering pepper and oak (per the importer's notes).
How to Enjoy
As a Highball — tall glass, big ice, cold soda — the house-recommended serve. Neat, it rewards a few minutes in the glass; the non-chill-filtered texture carries the fruit and pepper further than the price suggests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Matsui Tottori a single malt?
No — it's a blended Japanese whisky combining Kurayoshi-distilled malt whisky with grain whiskies from other Japanese distilleries.
What casks is it aged in?
Ex-bourbon barrels; it's bottled non-chill filtered at 43% ABV with Mount Daisen spring water.
Who makes Matsui whisky?
Matsui Shuzo at Kurayoshi Distillery in Tottori, Japan — making shochu since 1910, distilling whisky since 2017.
The flagship Japanese blend from Tottori — order Matsui Tottori Blended Japanese Whisky online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.