Nine Leaves 5 years 2020 Small Batch Ex-Pedro Ximénez

This Nine Leaves 5 Years 2020 Small Batch Ex-Pedro Ximénez is made from kokuto, distilled in a pot still, and then aged for five years in two 400L casks that previously held Pedro Ximénez sherry. Bottled at 59% ABV.
Nose: Precise, deep, powdery, fruity, and toasted.
Palate: Full-bodied, elegant, with citrus, dried fruit, and noble herbs.
Finish: Smooth, honeyed, spicy, and pastry-like, refreshed by verbena.


About Nine Leaves:
Nine Leaves Distillery, a microdistillery founded by Yoshiharu Takeuchi in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, near Kyoto, on the shores of Lake Biwa, opened in 2013 after two years of construction. Takeuchi San is a descendant of a prominent family. The symbol on his rum labels is the family crest, consisting of nine bamboo leaves, hence the name "Nine Leaves."
To fully dedicate himself to rum, Yoshiharu Takeuchi left the leadership of the family business that supplied Toyota. For years, he was the sole employee, staff member, and manager at Nine Leaves: from taking orders to stocking the barrels in the warehouse, from fermentation to distillation, from filling the barrels to applying the labels: he did it all. No one else ever entered his distillery to do the work. After his father's death, he decided to take over the family car dealership, marking the end of the Nine Leaves project.


Production method:
The distillery's water comes from a spring in an old, abandoned mine. For fermentation, Yoshiharu Takeuchi uses a special strain of yeast that is rarely used. Distillation is discontinuous and takes place in two stages in two stills built by Scottish Forsyths. The Rum matures in the unique highlands of Otsu, where it is warm in summer and cold in winter.