Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask is a private bottling for the renowned Wing Hop Fung retail store started in Los Angeles in 1985. Specializing in “Asian products” they’re far more known for their wide array of high quality herbs, teas and ginsengs than they are for whisky. Though if you ever visit there’s no way you can miss the not-small booze section. You also won’t be able to miss how it’s typically dominated by Japanese and Taiwanese whisky.
In general I’m a fan of Ohishi and knowing the reputation of WHF, who I used to buy loose-leaf tea from when I was in Chinatown, I knew they wouldn’t just pick some random cask and call it a day. So I called in a favor and got to try it, which can sometimes be a dangerous thing to do because it results in me making a drive to Santa Anita to get a bottle. #LosAngelesProblems, am I right? Anyways, on to the Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask review!
Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask Info
Region: Japan
Distiller: Ohishi
Bottled For: Wing Hop Fung
Mashbill: 100% Rice
Cask: ex-Sherry
Age: NAS
ABV: 41.1%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: Wing Hop Fung #1
Price: ~$75
Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask Review
EYE
Copper
NOSE
Sherry & rice sweetness, toffee, raisins, cinnamon, apples and a touch of copper. Love it.
PALATE
Dark fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper, rice sweets, vanilla frosting, citrus peels and a bit of oak, copper and leather. I’m enjoying this, it’s delightful.
FINISH
Long fade of sherry, dark fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar and oak. A great ending to a good whisky.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, medium body and a light delicate feel across the palate.
OVERALL
Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask is good. Not Ohishi cask 1257 good, but I-need-to-drive-to-Santa-Anita-to-get-one good. The sherry is heavy and deep through the senses and provides an excellent background for the lighter notes to balance against. It’s among the better Ohishi single casks I’ve had for sure and yet another signal that Ohishi is increasingly getting better as they dig deeper into the archives.
For those of you who are wondering why I’d cover something like this, a CA only single barrel, it’s to give context to other single casks like it out there. So if you come across something similar in the future there’s some form of a reference point. I read blogs all the time that talk about things I’ll never get to try due to their nature, but those reviews inform my future purchasing; even if I couldn’t get the Ohishi Wing Hop Fung cask myself, I’d know to look for sherried Ohishi store picks in the future. That’s all.
SCORE: 88/100 (B+)
