[Oshi-katsu] Where Did “That Rum Cask” Come From? Sakurao Rum Cask Finish
2026.10.05
In short: Sakurao 2021, 3 Years, 63%, Rum Cask Finish — a T&T TOYAMA COLLECTION bottling with Kuririn, 204 bottles. Hiroshima’s Sakurao malt finished in a rum cask: marron glacé, candy, milk chocolate and tropical yellow fruit. Tasting notes by Tadaaki Shimono and Kuririn. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.
Another bottle that stirs curiosity has joined Bar Little Happiness.
Sakurao 2021, 3 Years, 63%, Rum Cask Finish — T&T TOYAMA COLLECTION with Kuririn
Our local Sakurao whisky and a rum cask?!
This was one I absolutely had to get!
Official tasting notes
TASTING NOTE by TADAAKI SHIMONO
Nose: Marron glacé, the sweet nuance of kanro-ame (soy sugar candy), orange, milk chocolate, a hint of barbecue sauce.
Palate: Mellow, spreading into marron glacé, rustic malt, kanro-ame and a little milk chocolate. Towards the end, a distinctive coating sensation that wraps the tongue.
Overall: A gently enveloping, delicate sweetness beautifully fused with Sakurao’s clean spirit — a bottle that fully shows off the character of the rum cask.
TASTING NOTE by Kuririn
Nose: A top note of spicy elements and a sweetness reminiscent of castella and custard, with the gentle toastiness and bitterness of nuts and malt. From deep within, still-firm white peach and pear and a faint vegetal note, together with a brightness reminiscent of aged rum.
Palate: A rich, full mouthfeel. Sweet-and-sour notes like apricot, honey-pickled ume and pineapple paste. Along with toasty malt, a banana-like sweetness and estery flavours gradually spread. The finish is dry and woody, with tea-leaf astringency and oaky brightness mingling, lasting long with a light kick.
Overall: Sakurao malt’s estery character combined with a fresh flavour profile from the rum cask — sweet, spicy, with a hint of yellow fruit — evoking the tropics or an Asian resort. A strikingly fleshy taste. Despite the high strength, its good balance makes you keep reaching for another glass.
Curiosity as a rum lover
My curiosity just won’t stop.
Sakurao × a rum cask —
isn’t that exactly my “favourite combination”?
“Where is this cask from?”
“Agricole? Molasses?”
“How was it matured??”
I’m so curious I can’t sleep at night (just kidding).
A limited release of 204 bottles.
Please try it at Little Happiness 🥃
Every encounter is meant to be.
Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.
Mika Tanimoto
Bar Little Happiness
[About the author]
Mika Tanimoto
CEO, Little.m Inc. / Owner-bartender
Since 2006, I have run Bar Little Happiness, a whisky and rum bar in Nagarekawa, Hiroshima. I visit distilleries in Japan and around the world and write about the people who make the spirits. Recipient of the Hiroshima City Excellent Skilled Worker Award.
“Whisky and rum taste even better when you know the hearts of the people who make them.”
[Visit the bar] 📍 Bar Little Happiness
Rolling Nagarekawa 1F, 5-14 Nagarekawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Mon–Sat 7:00 pm – 12:30 am / Sun 7:00 pm – 12:00 am (closed when I travel to visit distilleries)
No cover charge, no reservation needed
