- Malt&Bean
Hanyu 20 (Edition 2)
Updated: Oct 11, 2020
Older Hanyu whisky in this type of bottle (ala Card Series) usually = quality. But they also = danger because they are some of the most faked whisky ever. Buyer beware!!

This particular Hanyu is a single malt blend of 20+ year old Hanyu. The type of casks used are not stated, but it IS cask strength. To my knowledge, there are three 20 year old releases. The first one looks like this, the second is what I am drinking today, and the third looks like this. I like the look of mine the best 😅
[Bottle Review]
Distillery: Hanyu
Vintage: 1989 and older
Bottling Date: 2009 (20 years old)
Cask Type: Unknown
ABV: 57.5%
# bottles: 663
Bottled for: OB
Auction price at time of writing: ~$2000
Original Retail Price: Unknown
Nose
We start out very sweet with red licorice dominant, and surprisingly this is very gentle at 57%. Some oak notes. Classic pink bubblegum. Oily/waxy, chicken pho, generic meats, orange gummy candies, then orange liqueur, some almond paste, baking spices (Coriander? I need to dig into the wife's spice cabinet), fluffy, red berries, and the trademark Hanyu char siu note. Trademark to me, as I'm pretty sure I pick that up every time I taste a Hanyu!
-92-
Palate
This is big and juicy and spicy! Raspberries and red fruit jam, nice spices, cinnamon red hots, red licorice follows again, then honey. Its very oily, and somewhat dirty too with some motor oil influence. One to think on 🧐
-91-
Finish
Oily going into the finish, morphing into coconut and tropical notes, pineapple juice. Mellows into that bubblegum note I found earlier, with a good background of oaky spice. More honey, very warm and long finish. Some pu-erh tea bitterness to round it all off.
-92-
Final Score = 91.7
This is a great rendition of Hanyu. It has great complexity and classic Hanyu notes I am fond of. Plus this is cheaper than those insane Card Series, and probably better than the majority of them 😁
Would I drop $2000 on this if I had the disposable income? Yes, 👌