The history of Kaiyo Whisky is a modern and somewhat unconventional one, rooted in a desire to innovate within the Japanese whisky landscape. Unlike many established Japanese distilleries with long, uninterrupted histories of distillation, Kaiyo operates as a negociant bottler, meaning they source their whisky from other Japanese distilleries and then undertake their unique aging and blending processes.

The project reportedly began around 12 years ago (putting its inception in the early 2010s) and was born from a team with connections to the LVMH group, specifically influenced by Eric Horowitz of Kelt Cognac, a brand also known for ocean maturation. The key figure often associated with Kaiyo's whisky creation and blending is Jeffrey Karlovitch, a highly experienced master blender with a background in both Scotch (like Bunnahabhain) and Japanese distilleries (like Chichibu).

This limited release from Kaiyo is an assemblage of component whiskies matured individually in five different wood types: PX Sherry, Oloroso Sherry, ex-bourbon, Mizunara, and French Oak.  The components were blended before bottling without chill filtration at 88 proof. 

The nose features citrus, melon, pear, vanilla, and hints of sandalwood.  On the palate, sweet notes of honey, lemon merengue, and caramel are balanced by peppery spice and a touch of orange peel.  The finish lingers with notes of ripe red fruit, gingerbread, and a touch of incense.