Background

This is u/mothlight64‘s fault. I read his (excellent) review of Frank August Single Barrel, and decided that, despite their completely black box sourcing and pretty-yet-marketing-savvy bottle, I’d bite. As fate would have it, I walk into Boundary Stone (great DC bar, great whiskey selection, even better hot honey chicken sandwich) and there, front and center is Frank August Case Study 01: Mizunara Oak.

Despite sourcing Frank August seems content to never disclose or hint at, they actually do provide a fair bit of info on how this came to fruition on their site. This release comprises 5 barrels finished in Mizunara, they tested them every 30 days to find an ideal flavor profile. From there, they note that they found the “perfect proof that highlighted all the remarkable notes that the Mizunara had imparted on the bourbon whiskey…” Important to note this, to me, makes it clear it’s not cask strength. Not that that matters IMO, if they think this the proof the whiskey shows best that’s fine by me! Let’s get to the final result:

Frank August Case Study: 01 Mizunara Japanese Oak Bourbon (NAS, 114.4 Proof)

Nose: Butterscotch, black cherry, clove and nutmeg. Just incredibly inviting.

Palate: Viscous, oily, cherry, toffee, a little bit leather.

Finish: Medicinal cherry, black pepper, butterscotch again.

Excellent (8/10)

Overall: Sometimes when I sip great whiskey, it feels like it releases tension, and that's the sensation I get here. It's so balanced, the texture is wonderful and the flavors pop. It's hard to stop drinking this. Kudos Frank August, you turned a skeptic into... well ok, a skeptic who will drink a lot more of your whiskey.