Akkeshi Ritto Winter Begins Single Malt Whisky 700mL

The Akkeshi distillery located on the northernmost island of Hokkaido presents Ritto single malt whisky, a 100% Japanese whisky, distilled, aged, blended and bottled in Japan.

This whisky reveals a fruity and complex profile with a nose that expresses fruity notes of orange accompanied by greedy notes of chocolate and a floral touch. On the palate, its silky texture brings out the sweetness of the orange and bitter cocoa aromas to which are added wine and cereal notes. It is in the finish that its spicy spirit will start to reveal itself as well as the peat which will persist in a perfect balance.

Made from peated and unpeated malted barley, part of which is from a local variety grown on Hokkaido, this single malt is a blend of malt whiskies matured for 3 to 4 years in mizunara quercus crispula casks, sherry, bourbon and red wine from Burgundy. Compared to the previous edition, a larger proportion of sherry casks will be used in the blend with the use of some mizunara casks as the key malt as well as a surprise element with a Burgundy red wine cask.

Akkeshi peated Ritto is the fifth single malt in the "24 Sekki" series inspired by the ancient Japanese calendar where a year is divided into 24 solar seasons, each of which has a name and is associated with a specific seasonal change such as the onset of winter or the spring equinox. Ritto, the 19th season, refers to the beginning of winter when the leaves have all fallen from the trees, and the cold begins to coat and freeze nature.