Inspired by the elegance of Japanese whisky, Lark Distilling Co has unveiled its first Mizunara Oak Cask release. The single malt expression joins Lark’s Rare Cask Series, a celebration of unique and remarkable casks.

To commemorate the Japanese origin of the Mizunara casks, Lark worked with Yuko Shimizu (清水裕子), a multi-award-winning Japanese illustrator with nearly 20 years of experience to create the unique label design.

Celebrated as one of the “100 Japanese People theWorld Respects” by Newsweek Japan, Yuko Shimizu’s work includes multiple disciplines and has been featured everywhere from the pages of The New York Times and TIME, and showcased in collaborations with the Smithsonian Museum and Library of Congress. Her design joins Tasmania’s very own Kunanyi (Mt Wellington) with the unique history of Mizunara oak coopering in Japan.

As one of the rarest oaks in the world, Mizunara Oak comes from age-old, beautifully formed trees featuring ancient trunks and branches that twist and turn together over time. With such a timely and majestic growth, it can take up to 200 years for this rare tree to suitably mature to the point where it is ready for the perfect whisky cask.

Thomson carefully selected second fill bourbon casks to ensure a precise and mature spirit that would subtly influence the oak. Spending three months in the Mizunara Cask ensured a small marriage of the Tasmanian and Japanese styles and allowed the cool oak characteristics of the rare Mizunara to shine through, from cask to glass.

The result is a spirit that complements the unique Mizunara Oak and with notes of bright toasted oak, cherry and apple pie, coconut, lychee, guava, pear and fresh apples.

Lark Head Distiller Chris Thomson said: “Mizunara Oak presented an interesting challenge as we wanted to stay true to the traditional style of and taste of Japanese whisky, while still retaining our own unique Tasmanian essence.

“The Mizunara Oak Cask is a true fusion of two island cultures that is perfectly in balance and it is an ideal experience for our first internationally-inspired release where we can embrace a different mentality and culture of whisky. We couldn’t be happier with the result, and combining the elegance of thespirit with the exquisite artwork from Yuko Shimizu really helped pay homage to these two cultures.”

A limited release of only 845 bottles, Rare Cask Mizunara is now available exclusively from Lark Distilling Co.

Each 700ml bottle purchased will be accompanied by a copper medallion around the neck, handcrafted from a decommissioned Lark copper pot still. For those who may want to keep their 700ml Mizunara Oak Cask unopened, a complimentary 100ml bottle is also included with purchase.

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