Hakushu 1988 The Owner's Cask - Suntory - b. 2008 - 700ml

Hakushu 1988 "The Owner’s Cask" 20 Year Old (61% ABV) – Cask #8J40097 (Bottle 1 of 168)
Key Bottle Specs
* Distillery: Hakushu
* Distillation Year: 1988
* Bottling Year: 2008 (20 Years Old)
* Cask Number: 8J40097
* Cask Type: Hogshead
* Maturation Site: Yatsugatake Aging Cellar
* Outrun: Bottle No. 168 of 168
* Strength: 61.0% ABV (Monster Cask Strength)
* Inclusions: Original box, neck booklet/insert, intact security seal

Lot Description
A hyper-rare single cask Hakushu distilled in 1988—the inaugural year of Suntory’s high-altitude Yatsugatake Aging Cellar.

Matured for two decades in Hogshead Cask #8J40097, this expression retained a powerhouse 61.0% ABV. Private selection bottlings from the Yatsugatake Cellar are heavily sought after due to the unique alpine microclimate’s impact on 1980s Hakushu distillate.
Commissioned exclusively for the 20th Anniversary of corporate entity SS Line Co., Ltd., this cask yielded a micro-batch of just 168 bottles worldwide. Pristine condition, complete with original box and insert card.

The Story of Cask #8J40097
In 1988, Suntory completed construction on their Yatsugatake Aging Cellar, a high-altitude dunnage warehouse situated at the foot of Mount Yatsugatake in Yamanashi Prefecture. Unlike standard maturation warehouses, Yatsugatake sits elevated in a cold alpine microclimate, causing spirits to age much slower, preserving delicate floral and crisp green apple notes while absorbing deep, refined wood tannins over decades.
Cask #8J40097—a rebuilt American oak Hogshead—was filled with fresh Hakushu distillate that exact same year (1988). It was left untouched in the Yatsugatake cellar for 20 full years until 2008.

When SS Line Co., Ltd. (株式会社エスエスライン), a Japanese logistics firm, selected this barrel to celebrate their 20th anniversary, they tapped into a remarkably potent cask. While most 20-year-old single casks lose alcohol volume to the "angel's share," Cask #8J40097 retained an astonishing 61.0% ABV strength. Bottled entirely raw and un-chillfiltered, it yielded only 168 total bottles (as indicated by the handwritten "1/168" on the red circular distillery seal).
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