Kaiyō Whisky 'The Single' 7 Year

Previously Featured in Whisky Drop's Whisk(e)y Roulette Club (July 2025)

Kaiyō is double-distilled, 100% malt whisky, but it’s not single malt.

Colloquially known as “tea-spooned malt,” it is called such because the distillate is sourced from a single Japanese distillery, with a small amount of whisky coming from another producer.

Moreover, Kaiyō cannot claim to be Japanese whisky because it is not aged entirely in Japan — each cask spends time at sea. 

Kaiyō is made on a continuous or Coffey still and predominantly aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It then spends up to three months finishing at sea in Japanese Mizunara oak.

Fun Fact: Kaiyō means 'ocean' in Japanese, so the sea voyage makes sense. 

Nose: The aromas are complex with plenty of honey and tropical fruit notes (banana and coconut). 

Palate: Nearly weightless and quite delicate. Red apple, flan, coconut, marzipan, vanilla, and rum cake.

Finish: The finish is medium length and aromatic.