Powerful Peat from Togouchi, Hiroshima! Togouchi 2020 Heavy Peated

2026.10.05

In short: Togouchi 2020 Heavy Peated, a single cask from Sakurao Distillery in Hiroshima — heavily peated spirit matured four years in a bourbon barrel in the Togouchi railway tunnel, with banana-like esters and powerful smoke. Tasting notes by Tadaaki Shimono of T&T TOYAMA and blogger Kuririn. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.

This time, a special single cask of “Togouchi,” the single malt made by Sakurao Distillery in Hatsukaichi, here in Hiroshima.

When talking about Togouchi, we tend to picture “Sakurao is smoky, Togouchi is unpeated,”

but I recently heard from someone at the distillery that this isn’t necessarily the case.

There are differences in maturation nuance due to environment, but the line between them seems to cross much more freely and deeply.

(On the distillery tour, you can even taste the new make!)

Heavily peated spirit that slept for four years in a bourbon barrel inside an old railway tunnel surrounded by forest.

What stands out is the estery, banana-like sweetness that is one of Togouchi’s great characteristics.

What kind of chemistry happens when that gentle, soft fruitiness meets powerful peat smoke?

Tadaaki Shimono of “T&T TOYAMA,” Japan’s first independent bottler, and whisky blogger Kuririn.

Please take a look at the tasting notes, unravelled from the viewpoints of these two professionals.

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☆ Tasting notes ☆

≪TASTING NOTE by TADAAKI SHIMONO≫

Nose: Fresh conifer wood, shaved katsuobushi (dried bonito), firm smoke, iodine, banana, pencil shavings, a little wood vinegar, menthol.

Palate: Smooth and mineral, spreading into banana, raw smoke, iodine, wakame seaweed, kanro-ame (soy sugar candy) and powerful woodiness. The aftertaste lingers with smoke, malt and natural sweetness from the cask.

Overall: A distinctive whisky in which a soft, clean spirit harmonises with firm smoke and powerful woodiness.

≪TASTING NOTE by Kuririn≫

Nose: A firmly smoky top note, followed by fruit aromas with slightly green sweetness and acidity, like kiwi and green apple, and earthy notes. Swirl it, and a banana-like sweetness spreads with the peat smoke.

Palate: Powerful flavour but a smooth mouthfeel. Peaty, bittersweet and toasty, evoking smoked malt. Gradually an estery, elegant sweetness of honey and cooked white fruit spreads. The finish carries smoky aromas through the nose — dry and peaty, with a pleasant crispness and spicy kick that last a long time.

Overall: Sakurao’s estery, banana-like fruity sweetness and malt flavour, firm smoky flavour, and the smooth mouthfeel and maturity brought by Togouchi’s tunnel maturation — a whisky brimming with the character of peated Togouchi.

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The label shows the Togouchi tunnel opening into a deep green forest.

A dignified single cask, where banana-like sweetness and rugged smoke join hands in that silence.

Please try the surprise of “today’s Togouchi,” born in Hiroshima 🥃

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

Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness