Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch

Profile: The Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch at a glance

• The legacy lives on - Small Batch bottling from the closed Nine Leaves distillery
• A Japanese Pure Single Rum made from traditional Kokuto whole cane sugar
• Yoshiharu Takeuchi's Nine Leaves distillery only produced from 2013 to 2023
• Limited Small Batch bottling - only 923 bottles from three Armagnac casks

Portrait: What makes the Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch special

Sometimes an exciting spirits story begins Not with a large industrial plant, but with an idea – and a person who implements it quite consistently. This is also true of the Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch.

The man behind the project is Yoshiharu Takeuchi. In 2013, he founded the small, almost minimalist Nine Leaves Distillery in the city of Ōtsu, Japan. His mission: to produce rum – but with the same care and artisanal precision usually associated with the world of single malt whiskies. An ambitious plan, presumably involving many notes, sample casks, and occasional moments of "let's just try this." Takeuchi wasn't the type of distillery owner who only occasionally dropped by the office. On the contrary: he personally oversaw every step. From fermenting the traditional Kokuto whole cane sugar to distillation and labeling the bottles, everything was in his hands. So if there was a cask somewhere, you could be pretty sure he knew exactly why that cask was there. The distillery, however, only produced for a little over a decade. In 2023, the Nine Leaves Distillery closed its doors – a moment that was received in the rum world with roughly the same reaction as the news that your favorite ramen shop around the corner had suddenly shut down. Fortunately, the contents of the warehouses didn't remain dormant. La Maison & Velier took over the entire stock and has since ensured that the existing casks continue to be released as limited bottlings. One of these bottlings is the Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch. It is made by combining three 300-liter casks – a small, carefully curated selection. The packaging is inspired by the traditional Japanese card game Unsun Karuta. So you're not just holding a bottle of rum, but also a small piece of Japanese cultural history. In short: This rum is the result of a clear vision, a lot of handcraftsmanship, and a distillery that no longer exists – but whose spirit continues to make a small comeback in every new bottling.

Distilled: 2018
Base: Kokuto whole cane sugar
Distillation: Pot still
Cask type: Armagnac casks
Outturn: 923 bottles
Uncolored
Unsweetened

Tasting Notes: This is how the Nine Leaves 2018 Armagnac Casks - Small Batch tastes like

• Nose: Fruity and clean. Initially, light and dark fruits emerge, accompanied by raisins and a touch of candied orange. These are followed by light herbal and spice aromas. A hint of fortified wine and subtle floral nuances round out the aroma.
• Palate: Robust and well-structured. Fruity notes are prominent, including ripe plums and dried fruits. These are complemented by spicy and slightly herbal impressions. Hints of liqueur and a delicate sweetness appear, giving the rum additional depth.
• Finish: Medium to long. Fruity and spicy notes linger, accompanied by a light herbal spiciness. Towards the end, subtle hints of liqueur and barrel reappear before the finish fades slowly and warmly.