WHISKEY TALK
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Whiskey of the Week
Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese Whisky
ABC - $59.99
TW - $69.99
Class VI - $60.00
ABV - 46%
12 Years
5 Jan 26
VA ABC - Hatozaki Finest Whisky is a premium blend of whiskies, aged up to 12 years in barrel with a minimum malt whisky content of 40%. Light in style with a rich backbone of malt whisky character. Cereal notes and a light sweetness allow for the whisky to be used in both highball and straight pours.
Let’s begin the new year with a journey - at least in our minds and on the palate -to the Yonezawa Family Distillery in Akashi City, just west of Kobe and Osaka. The Yonezawa family has been producing sake for generations, bringing deep tradition and craftsmanship to everything they make.
Hatozaki takes its name from Japan’s oldest stone lighthouse, a fitting symbol of heritage and continuity. In 2017, the family opened a new whisky distillery, led by master distiller and blender Kimio Yonezawa, who also serves as the sake master behind Akashi-Tai. The company produces a single malt whisky that stands confidently alongside many well-known Scotch whiskies. It is made without artificial coloring or chill filtration - an approach that reflects a commitment to purity and quality.
In the glass, Hatozaki is approachable and elegant. Like many Japanese whiskies, it is light, subtly sweet, and unpeated. For those curious about Scotch-style whiskies, Hatozaki offers an excellent introduction, highlighting what malted barley can express on its own with clarity and balance.
Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese Whisky is readily available around the DMV. I think you’ll like it. وشاتکے!
AI was used on original content to polish the language for readability, fix grammar and punctuation issues, and slightly adjust structure where needed for smoother flow.
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What is whiskey?
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used. Sometimes the distiller uses a ‘malted’ grain. That is grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. In the case of scotch and many single-malt whiskies, the hot air is made by burning peat from the local area. That peat smoke is then infused into the grain. That is how scotches get that ‘peaty’ flavor.
At Whiskey and Politics, we’re going to explore the entire world of whiskey and whisky. That will include the three biggest types, scotch, bourbon, and Irish whiskies, but also the less-well known whiskies like Japanese and Indian brands as well as. If it’s whiskey/whisky, we’ll happily enjoy it.
‘Whisky’ or ‘Whiskey’?
All whiskies have the common characteristics listed above. Certain countries favor one spelling over the other—for example, Scotland and Canada always use “whisky,” while Ireland and the United States tend to favor “whiskey.” But even that can vary. For example, it’s ‘Maker’s Mark Whisky’. The bourbon maker prefers to without the ‘e’.
Obviously, at Whiskey and Politics we prefer to stick with the more-traditional American version. It’s what we all grew up with. But on some occasions, like featuring a Whiskey of the Week, we’ll spell it as the distiller does.
Whisky Advocate Magazine has a great tutorial covering all aspects of whiskey production. To learn more about how whiskey and whisky is made, click here!