The Dignity of a King: “King Black” 43 Year Old (The Chess, Shinanoya)

2026.10.05

In short: “King Black,” the top bottling in Shinanoya’s “The Chess” series — an undisclosed Speyside single malt distilled in 1973 and aged 43 years in sherry casks, 240 bottles worldwide, bursting with apricot, yellow peach and tropical fruit. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is at its busiest of the year as the year draws to a close.

To end the year, there is one “miraculous glass” I really want to tell you about!

Distillery undisclosed. Distilled 1973, aged 43 years.

Chosen as the highest rank, the “King Black,” in Shinanoya’s legendary series “The Chess” was a single cask from Speyside.

Distilled in 1973, it spent an astonishing 43 years, right up to bottling, maturing richly in carefully selected sherry casks alone.

In fact, sister casks of this “1973 vintage” (casks filled around the same time) have been extremely highly rated on the world market, making it an extraordinarily rare vintage that whisky lovers everywhere are eyeing.

Even among them, a bottle that has received the blessing of sherry casks for so long is truly in a class of its own.

An “explosion” of apricot from the sherry cask.

Released about 10 years ago, this bottle was limited to just 240 worldwide.

We have carefully kept it on the Little Happiness back bar, but we can finally see the bottom of the bottle.

After 43 years, the essence drawn from the sherry cask is released as an “explosion of apricot.”

---

📝 Official tasting note

[Nose]

Intense apricot, yellow peach, pear, tropical-fruit bubblegum. From deep within, camphor, sandalwood and spicy oak.

[Palate]

Dried apricot, stewed apple, muscat raisins, fig, marmalade, long-aged calvados, occasional guava and lychee. Pleasant mint, then gradually nutmeg and cinnamon oak spice. A slightly oily body.

[Finish]

Dried fruit and oak spice in perfect balance, lasting a very long time.

The dignity of a king, nurtured over 43 years.

We may never again meet a matured malt with such specs, in such perfect condition, packed with the essence of the sherry cask.

A reward for yourself after all your hard work in 2025

“We may never meet an apricot character like this again.”

One sip, and you should be overwhelmed by a tropical bomb.

Thank you for all your hard work in 2025.

The hard times and the fun times — savour them all together.

Give yourself the very best reward.

Tonight, too, at the Little Happiness counter 🥃

Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness