Earlier this year, we first encountered the young Japanese distillery Shizuoka when we reviewed the Shizuoka Contact S and United S. As I explained then, Shizuoka uses two unique stills: one originates from the closed and famous Karuizawa distillery, and the other is a wood-fired direct heat still. Now, we look back at their early years by reviewing their first releases from each of these stills: the Shizuoka Prologue W and Prologue K.
Shizuoka Prologue W (2021) Review
Shizuoka distilled the Prologue W whisky using their distinctive wood-fired, directly heated pot still – likely the only one of its kind in the world – manufactured by Forsyth’s. Local woodcutters supply thinly chopped coniferous trees from nearby forests for this process. While indirectly heated stills typically operate around 150 degrees Celsius, direct heat distillation can push temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius.
For this release, Shizuoka blended three barley types: Japanese malt, Scottish malt (both peated and unpeated), and German beer malt. They aged the spirit for three years in a combination of 31 casks, including first-fill bourbon barrels, first-fill bourbon quarter casks, and virgin American oak barrels. In 2021, they bottled it at 55.5% ABV, without chill filtration or added colour. Originally released in Japan at €70 a bottle, it reached Europe and the UK at a significantly higher price. Now, you can only find it on the secondary market or from shops marking up the price considerably.
Colour:
Old gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is really intense, and the alcohol makes its presence known despite a bottling strength of just 55.5% ABV. Notes of barley, malt, honey, hay, and a touch of vanilla come through, along with white and orchard fruits such as peaches, apples, and pears. The youthfulness of the spirit remains quite evident, accompanied by light smoke and a hint of pungent solvent aroma.
With water: The nose sharpens but loses some intensity, becoming however slightly harsher. Aromas of glue, sap, resin, and oil-based paint emerge.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival occurs in two distinct stages, initially sweet and malty, followed by a wave of spices. The mouthfeel proves quite oily. Woody bitterness, dark chocolate, vegetable oil, smouldering wood, varnish, and a hint of nail varnish remover follow. Fruity notes of pears and apples appear, along with spices such as pepper, chilli, and cardamom, and a touch of varnished wood.
With water: Flavours of apples, quince, and something yeasty come to the fore. An indistinct off note lingers, reminiscent of young corn or Canadian whisky.
Finish:
The finish is long but simple, dominated by smoke, charcoal, and varnished wood.
Comments:
The Shizuoka Prologue W shows promise in its youth, and the distillery made a wise decision to reduce it to 55.5% ABV, as it already packs a fiery punch. I struggle to imagine how intense it would have been at cask strength. When reduced, it becomes slightly tamer, but almost harder to drink as some off notes emerge. I hope these off notes do not stem from my sample bottle, as other reviews do not seem to detect them.
Rating: 6/10
Shizuoka Prologue K (2021) Review
Next, we have the Shizuoka Prologue K, made with their ex-Karuizawa still, using malt grown in Japan for one half, and imported barley for the other half. The whisky is 3 years old, matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and bottled at 55.5% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. It was distilled in 2017, bottled in December 2020 and released in 2021, with 5,000 bottles. Like the Prologue W, you’ll have to expect overly inflated prices on secondary market and greedy shops to get a bottle.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is less intense than the Prologue W, making it easier to nose. Nail polish remover and white spirit solvent, but also some nice minerality with chalk and limestone. A light smoke, menthol and aniseed, some honey, stewed yellow fruits, a very brief hint of rye, melon and balsamic vinegar.
With water: Burnt cinnamon stick, incense, then some buttery pastry dough, warm custard.
Palate:
Neat: The arrival starts on lightly sweet malt but progressively the alcohol heats up, bringing spices and a citrusy tartness. The mouthfeel is creamy and mouth-coating. There‘’’s some smoke, but light and in the background, to underline the other flavours. Honey, vanilla, orchard fruits and oranges, menthol and aniseed again, pebbles, with a toasted wood bitterness, and grapefruit.
With water: Some hints of rye whisky, strangely, but also apricots, plums, lemon zest and albedo, and a hit of pepper and some other spices.
Finish:
The finish is long, on malt, damp earth soil, toasted wood and light smoke.
Comments:
The Shizuoka Prologue K delivers a markedly superior experience compared to Prologue W, offering a more refined balance and seamless integration of alcohol. While it remains a young whisky, its maturity and composure surpass that of the W, making it feel surprisingly more developed and polished.