OAK PACKER WHISKY

| BY KEVIN PILLEY

Distillers have become air harvesters. Acutely aware of conserving natural resources, prioritizing sustainability and making a positive impact on the world, they have become squirrel lovers.

Among the latest whisky releases such as Diageo’s $249.99 Crown Royal Golden Apple Aged 23 Years flavored Canadian whisky, Speyside’s Douglas Laing & Co’s Scallywag the Chocolate Edition blended Scotch, Whyte & Mackay’s Fettercairn 18 Year Old single malt, 2023 edition and Glenglassaugh distillery’s new Portsoy, Sandend and 12YO Morayshire malts is one indebted to squirrels. For God’s breath.

Japan’s Kamiki Drinks, which produced the first cedar wood (“Yoshino-sugi”) finish and sakura cherry tree whiskies, have brought out their $125 OakPacker single malt which claims to be the world’s first air-harvested water fused whiskey.

Kamiki whiskies are produced in the temples of Nara, the ancient capital of Japan. The Omiwa Shrine in Nara lies at the foot of the holy mountain Mount Miwa, also known as Mountain of the God. Inspired by the breezes that come from the mountain, Kamiki means “God” and “iki” means “breath”. The blend aims to celebrate the alcohol tradition of the region. It also acknowledges the vital role of native squirrels which ensure the on-going supply of oak trees for the barrels, by burying acorns as part of their natural behavior.

OakPacker crafts exceptional whiskey with minimal environmental impact and has a mission to make a positive impact on the world. OakPacker has introduced innovative air-harvesting technology into the alcohol industry to collect pure, clean water directly from the atmosphere, minimizing the reliance on traditional water sources and conserving precious water resources. This water is used exclusively to cut the proof of OakPacker whiskey from cask to bottle strength. Water is always present in the ambient air. An AWG (Atmospheric water generator) is a device that extracts water from humid ambient air, producing potable water. Vapor can be extracted by condensation (cooling the air below its dew point) or pressurizing the air. It is not a new idea. The Incas survived above the rain line by collecting dew. Fog fences and “atrapanieblas” (fog collecting) have long been used in South America. The first expression, OakPacker the Air Edition (750ml/46% ABV) is small batch-produced, non-chill filtered and matured exclusively in American Oak barrels. It is sourced from the finest American single malt whiskies. And debuts in the US.

American Single Malt Whiskey is a relatively new whiskey category from its beginnings in the 1990s and reflects the different geography and climates across the US in its character and flavor profiles. It is growing swiftly in popularity, with sales increasing by 75% in the last five years, according to IWSR. It must be made from 100% malted barley and distilled and matured in a single distillery.

Tasting notes include aromas of molten milk chocolate, spice-roasted pecans, candied ginger, marzipan, stewed prunes, carrot cake, hazelnuts, and allspice, followed by flavors of baked fruit and Italian biscotti on the palate.

Kamiki is a unique, high class blended malt whisky made using Japanese malts whiskies combined with specially selected malt whiskies from around the world.