This Nine Leaves is part of an exceptional series from the distillery founded in 2013 by Yoshiharu Takeuchi in the Japanese city of Otsu.
At Nine Leaves, Yoshiharu did everything himself, from moving barrels to bottling; then, at the end of 2023, he decided to close the distillery. A few months later, the entire stock of ageing rums and the last batch of white rums were purchased by La Maison & Velier, who will carry on an extraordinary evolving legacy.
The raw material that makes up Nine Leaves rums is also exceptional: pure water from an underground spring and Kokuto sugar from the Okinawa archipelago. Fermentation takes about four days, while distillation takes place in two Forsyth’s Scottish pot stills: the first inspired by Chichibu and the second in Glenmorangie style, with a great balance that enhances the aromatic complexity. Once distilled, the rums are placed to age in different casks in two different locations: a warehouse subject to significant temperature fluctuations or an abandoned mine with high humidity and very low temperatures.
Nine Leaves White Last Drops 2023 is the last distillate bottled before the final closure of the distillery, and one of the first five bottlings selected by La Maison & Velier, whose labels are inspired by a traditional card game: Unsun Karuta, dating back to the late 17th century, in the Edo period. Composed of 75 cards, the deck features the suits of cups, clubs, swords and deniers like the original but with a distinctly Japanese touch, plus a fifth, that of the guru, which uses the mitsudomoe, a typical abstract motif similar to the comma, as its symbol. The special feature of the deck is that it also has dragon cards, which have a different value depending on the game being played.
A delicious combination of power and refinement, this expression stands out for its oxidative character and fresh sugarcane aromas. The nose is rich and dense, revealing hints of honey, brown sugar, rose and apricot in a highly concentrated palette of aromas extending into notes of anise and menthol, with a layer of licorice over the finish. The mouth is lively and round and becomes creamier as it reveals notes of fresh cane juice, lemon and fermentation mash, with gradually developing medicinal and mustard nuances. The finish is energetic and persistent, and gets closer and closer to sugar cane.
