Suntory Chita: £44.99, The Drinks Basket

Chita is generally overlooked, but this distillery excels in singlegrain whisky, using maize distilled in column stills and aged in a variety of casks to showcase the lighter spirit. On the nose, this whisky has sweet aromas of cereal, pear drops, liquorice, toffee and lemon meringue, which are then joined by a gorgeous hit of mango which carries through to the palate. Grape also joins the palate with delicate orange blossom, honey, roasted grain character and slight oiliness on the mouthfeel.

As for the finish, some nutty bitterness prevails but is quickly rounded by sweet coconut and chocolate notes, plus a whisper of orange zest for extra balance. An excellent everyday single-grain Japanese whisky.

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