Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt 100th Anniversary

Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt is one of the two 18-year-old limited editions Suntory released in 2023 for its 100th anniversary. It comes from the Hakushu distillery, founded in 1973 in the forests on the slopes of Mt Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps and described by Suntory as one of the highest distilleries in the world. Rain and snow filter through granite to give the distillery its notably soft water.Where standard Hakushu is gently smoky, this edition puts peat in the lead. According to The Spirits Business's launch report, Suntory used peated malt from the UK, some of it heavily peated, and matured the malts in refill American oak casks of four different sizes. Every whisky in the blend of malts is at least 18 years old, and it is bottled at 48%.Tasting notes from SuntoryLuminous gold in the glass. The nose is lively and herbaceous, with sage, ripe green apple and hints of pineapple, fresh like a forest morning. On the palate a complex smoke builds slowly, carrying herbal notes, grapefruit and acacia honey, and the finish is citrus-bright with clean smoke and an undertone of green citrus. Suntory's own page lists a Double Gold medal for this whisky at the International Spirits Challenge 2026.ServingTry it neat first so the smoke and herbs arrive in order, then add a little cool water; at 48% it opens up noticeably. It also makes a memorable comparison flight next to the standard Hakushu 18 Year Old.Keeping itStore the bottle upright in its box, away from heat and light. Once opened, a whisky this aromatic is best finished within a year or two.See also Yamazaki 18 Mizunara 100th Anniversary, Hakushu 25 Year Old and our Japanese whisky collection.Delivered Australia-wide. Standard delivery is $9.99 in NSW and $15 to the rest of Australia, free on orders of $200 or more with the code FREEDELIVERY, and Express is $20.