In the mythical land of Hitoyoshi, there’s an ancient distillery called Fukano, surrounded by the famous hot springs and the aura of the Aoi Aso shrine. Fukano is mostly known for its legendary Sake and Shochu, but they’re not shy about their Whisky. (This rice distillate can’t be called Whisky in Japan, but we’re not in Japan, so it’s okay.) The magical river Kuma is the DNA of this delicacy, and presented in a beer-like bottle, this is one-of-a-kind Whisky.
Part of a limited edition foursome (together with Vault Reserve #2, Fukano 6000 and Jikan), the Numero Uno, or “Ichiban” in Japanese, is a combo of Whiskies between the ages 3 and 11 years old. Some of the Whisky spent its time between oak casks and special tanks for up to 16 years. Combining different tanks, Fukano created this fun expression and bottled only 5,443 flasks. This Japanese rice Whisky is a mildly Sherry-influenced version of the Vault Reserve.
What does Fukano Vault Reserve Whisky #1 taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Fukano Vault Reserve Whisky #1 and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson's
Smartass Corner
Japanese Single Malts, like Scotch, are double-distilled in pot stills. Grain Whiskies, on the other hand, are distilled in column stills.
Very Impressed with this! Such a smooth and sweet drink with heavy fruit and sherry flavors that last with an exceptional finish. Would certainly pick up a bottle of this one.
Matt,
Wonderful and very different
Krissy,
This was a lovely drinkable on its own whisky. It really is so different from other whiskeys I’ve tried! Highly recommend.
Steven,
Sweet and caramel forward, with a dash of fruit in the middle with a hot cinnamon finish
Matt,
So smooth, practically creamy on the finish
Luke,
Smooth, chocolatey, not my favorite but did grow on me as I drank it.
Michael,
Light and flavorful whisky with some good fruity notes. Not too long on the finish
Elijah,
Caramel/toffee nose. Sweetness until the finish. A bit much for me. Interesting to say the least.
Sam,
Damn near perfect
Mary-Ann,
Got it in the Japanese Whisky tasting box and loved it. The light mouth feel was surprising given the color and the finish went on and on with lots of taste layers.
Dave,
Nice finish
Don,
Very light up front, both in smell and taste, almost syrupy but not overly sweet. Extremely smooth and almost honey-like at first, then mellowing with a tea/herbal/plum smooth finish.
Taylor,
Love the approach to this flavoring. I do wish the taste was a bit stronger as it is very muted. But over all pretty good. Sweet and floral. Tasting this blind I picked up more apple notes than plum and I think the tea notes give it a soft and clean taste. If I felt the price was right, I would buy but not at this price point.
Derek,
Pleasant, slightly fruity nose. Silky smooth mouthfeel, but the taste is rather muted, and the finish feels lacking. Not bad overall, but certainly didn’t feel special enough to warrant the premium price.
Brandon,
Too floral
Eric,
Smooth and sweet. Solid
Jacob,
Had a strange aftertaste
Kyle,
Amazing
Sean,
Light and fruity on the nose.
I get cherry/port/honey, but not the cinnamon/spice that the tasting card has.
Overall tasty. I would probably normally do this as a digestif than anything else.
Christopher,
an absolutely delightful whiskey
Chris,
More Sherry than whisky. Good fruit, sweet plum, spicy finish but leaves an unpleasant bitter end. Not my favorite.
Charlie,
For a novice like me the flavor cards are really helpful, I can get he plum, sherry, and fruit notes. Delicious
Gabe,
Great Whisky! Unbelievable quality and excellent price for top shelf
Andrew,
Loved the sweet on the front and the blast of heat on the throaty back.
Matt,
Super smooth, refined. Nutmeg, cinnamon. One can detect the sake influence of the maker.
Louis,
Smooth and pleasant
Tanya,
Sweet and spicy with a nice fruity finish.
Jeff,
I am a newbie to the whisky world, but this is one of the most enjoyable one I’ve had. It doesn’t punch you in the mouth when you take a drink. I will be purchasing this very soon again!
Scott,
This was really complex. Fruity, lots of sherry, very smooth. Was expecting more smoke based on the flavor spiral but they can't all be perfect!
Jasson,
Very nice dram. Leads off with spice and just melts into a long, sweet finish. Too bad it's limited edition. This would make a great recurring bottle.
Jason,
Profile of what you’d expect from a Scotch...smooth, warm finish, peaty
Cory,
Enjoyed this in the tasting set - really nice unique whiskey!
Matthew,
Extremely flavorful, smooth on the palate. Recommend sipping neat
Chris,
Favorite in the Oceana box
Marc,
Very mild, short finish. Almost watery.
Marcum,
Nothing bad, just nothing memorable.
Laura,
Very mild
Hunter,
Not bad, buts it's almost more a sherry than a whisky, it's too light and is barely more complex than it's sherry and fruity notes. That being said it's quite good in those notes
Jason,
Hints of cinnamon and vanilla
KENNETH,
Love it , very sweet, buttery. Excellent
Angel,
Notes of yellow rice wine, like if sherry cask whiskey and sake had a baby.
Evan,
Nice sherry, smooth.
Jennifer,
Smooth and light. Nice sherry nose, but we prefer more complex deeper flavors.
Randy,
.72 good meat and on the rocks
Matt,
It smells like honey and caramel and tastes sweeter than I thought whisky could—and that’s a good thing, in this case.
Christina,
Wow
Tammy,
Great Smooth Flavor, if you have tried sake you would like the rice after flavor and it does have an alcohol bit.
Rob,
Good sherry flavor. Very smooth.
Mike,
Very surprising! Smooth, tasty, warm.
Timothy,
This was a great tasting whiskey good upfront good in the finish. Loved it. The suggested retail on this on Fukano official site is around $75.
Robert,
My favorite whisky in the world just now. It's good with multiple tasting notes including rice, sherry and honey.
David,
Like sake mixed with scotch. Nice taste.
Scott,
i love the brown sugar and honey start to it. the spice is balanced. love it
Richard,
You can’t go wrong with trying this whiskey. Absolutely amazing.
Brett,
Absolutely fantastic as a sample size. I’ll be ordering a full size bottle right away.
Rusty,
Enjoyable.
Jessica,
Best flavor out of the tasting box by far. It's so good and so smooth I could drink it like water. Plum, sherry no doubt though it had a little more bit/sting in the mouth even if it was just a tad. Overall, truly excellent selection.
Jeremiah,
Smooth, sweet, but could use some smoke
James,
Enjoyed from a tasting box. I will purchase.
Andy,
very pleasant Plum and Sheri knows. Initial taste is heavy plum, sweet with hints of cinnamon and Spice. Nice medium to long Oakey finish
Chris,
Very smooth with a clean finish. I think I enjoy the taste, since I also enjoy sake.
Mike,
Very clean and light. Those who like an old scotch or bourbon may be let down but it’s a GREAT beginner’s whiskey.
Ovunc,
Definitely getting flavors open up with a hint of water. Very unique, can definitely taste sake and some tea. Recommend to anyone who likes to explore an untradional but delightfully light flavor profile!
Mason,
This was ok. The sherry flavors were just not my thing. But overall not a bad whisky, just not my flavor profile. To be fair, the sherry wasn't overwhelming, but definitely had a strong presence.
Ray,
Sherry, plums, and tea. A very unique mellow flavor, really enjoyed this one.
Shane,
Being that this "whisky" is heavy on the rice it really has a very smooth sake like finish and sweetness. Both of which I enjoy very much. I would say that Japan should change their definition of what a Japanese Whisky should be to one that includes rice as a primary ingredient like we do with Corn here for Bourbon in the US. It would make Japanese Whisky very much a Japanese thing. Overall I will have this Whisky on my short list to pick up a full bottle.
Antti,
It is a very good, balanced, Japanese Rice Whisky that has an aromatic birth; while a rich & complex life leads to a long & rich death with notes of spices, port & honey.
Karim,
Nice but on the sweet side. Good sipper
Gene,
Light and sweet, I’ll drink it, it’s not my normal drink but it’s satisfying.
Philip,
Taste port, sherry, cinnamon, orange, and sake. This whiskey is very diverse spirit with a lot of depth. Smooth. My girlfriend really enjoyed it as well.
Daniel,
Sherry and fruit first and strong on the nose. Hints of spice afterward. Taste is heavily fruit, hints of warm spice, mild sweetness on the back. With ice, everything is subdued, different fruit notes emerge.
All in all a fantastic whiskey! Would be happy to have this on my shelf.
Abe,
Fruity, interesting bottle that is prized both for being 100% rice malt as well as for being a sweet, delicate sipper.
Koji,
Nice and smooth. Sherry was most present at first to me, then the plum came through with a lingering taste of honey. Enjoyable, but a bit more on the fruity side for my taste.
Disclaimer: First Tasting
Jack,
Definitely smelled the plums with the first inhale. The sherry was somewhere in the background., but came forward when the liquid met tastebuds So smooth and mellow on the tongue with the first fruity sip, then that explosive flash-finish! Yes, a grape flavor there and the taste of tea after the gunpowder flash (pun intended). Excelent whiskey, though not my favorite of the three. It was still up there!
Jocelyn,
I liked it a lot from the tasting box but I don’t think I’d buy it at this price. My fav Japanese whiskey is Nikka Coffey which is comparatively less expensive.
Joshua,
Mello with a mineral finish. Solid and smooth.
Kenneth,
Very smooth and strong taste of sherry and tea. Many reviewers identified fruit flavor, but I couldn’t. For the price, it was a smooth but boring whiskey.
Christian,
This has a very sherry and fruity taste throughout the taste with a finish of oak.
Tim,
My first rice whisky - tasty. Honey and plum nose. Definite sake flavor comes out first and remains. Cinnamon, tea, and spice notes throughout.
Ryan,
If you like sherry, this is fantastic and drinks smooth
Kerr,
Was fine
Robert,
This is one where adding water really brings out the depth of flavors. This is a nice medium complexity whiskey. Very fruity and enjoyable.
Chandra,
Smooth, fruity and cinnamon start, but harsher finish. Drinkable, but not my favorite
Aaron,
Smooth but a bit too much smoke and spice for me.
Ryan,
Delightful mix of sherry, sake and shortbread cookie on the nose. Silky smooth and sweet. The finish is reminiscent of butter pecan ice cream. Quite unique and worthy of a spot in your collection.
Jon,
Just good as AF
Garry,
Strong plum and port flavors, really tangible cascade of flavors. Complex and flavorful. Cinnamon, comfort, smooth.
Gabe,
Really liked the flavors the rice imposes on the flavor profile.
Nathan,
Honey, full-bodied, caramel, fruit/sherry
Nick,
Too sweet. Seemed like a saki at first into a sweet whisky
Christophe,
Smooth, slightly sweet, nice body and finish, but there’s an odd initial flavor upfront, not sure I can get used to.
Andrew,
Nice refreshing change to the Scottish malts
Craig,
Super smooth and wonderful flavor...
Rex,
Smooth, light, and very tasty.
Robert,
I'm new to Nippon whisky, but this unique drink is good. Slightly sweet, with an unusual dryness in there. It finished well, with that tea flavor being prominent.
Sean,
First foray into Rice Whisky- fantastically smooth
Nicholas,
Sweet and smooth! Loved every bit of this rice Whisky.
Rodney,
Decent taste, slight sweetness.
Matthew,
More body than I expected from a rice whiskey. Pleasant sweetness; could have used a little more heat and sherry. I would only recommend drinking it neat. Ice (water) doesn't release any flavor notes; it only dissipates the existing flavors that are doing just fine on their own. Pleasant experience!
Anne,
Brilliant!! Glazed donut in a glass. Smooth as can be!
Dominic,
Delicious. Sweet/Smooth/Dark Fruitiness.
John,
Vanilla and bananas on the nose. Sweet throughout and a moderate burn unfortunately. Definitely picking up the sherry, but not as smooth as I thought it would be.
Vin,
I'm not usually a fan of rice based alcohol, but this one was great! It was like a marshmallow in both taste and feel. Very smooth too. Definitely going in the bar!
Bob,
was looking forward to this one more than the others but was somewhat disappointed in how much sherry it legitimately lacked. just a fine amount is enough to taste but wasn’t enough to impress. vanilla was pleasant but i’m not looking for basic vanilla flavors. give us more sherry!!!!!
Bob,
Semi sweet nice fruit flavor. Very smooth.
Will definitely purchase again.
Bruce,
Delicious. Simple pure tones of flavor. Sweet with vanilla and cinnamon represented by plum with some good complex spice structure.
CLEVELAND,
Great taste
John,
Some interesting aroma, but the taste and finish was much more bitter than I prefer.
Martin,
A blast of sherry upon nosing, with dark fruits rolling in. Tasting produces dark fruits, honey and a bit of allspice. I let it open up. Sits on the palate for a bit before drifting away. I enjoyed it. Would be a great one to add to the collection.
Liz,
We thought this tasted like cold purple
haze saki with a little burn at the
back reminiscent of whiskey. We Liked it.
John,
Fruity with good flavor. Light and well balanced.
Melissa,
Great taste and flavors, one of my favorites for sure.
Dean,
Cherry, maple syrup and vanilla. Delicious.
Joshua,
Great nose which differs from the palate component. On the palate it has more of an astringency followed by herbal qualities. I got more fruit and honey on the nose than the palate.
Sunil,
Love it. Smooth, barley taste it at first, then great, sweet finish.
Brian,
Clear sake taste, not much like most whiskey
james,
Very smooth.
Sonali,
Definitely interesting. The nose is warm and inviting, very heavy on it's sherry notes. Flavor profile is smokey and light, but also showcases a distinct plum flavor (reminiscent of plum wine without sweetness or viscosity). Finishes spicy with a touch of sweetness. More of a novelty experience than something to invest in. Lost a bit of nuance with water.
Kevin,
Great flavor strong ending
Mark,
Deliciously smooth
Stephanie,
Almost Islay in style, good scotch taste and a refined finish
Robert,
Its a unique flavor... light with a bit of a metallic edge for me. Certainly not heavy or rich. Bottom line: there are better out there for half the price.
Jason,
A fun dram with a sweet apple nose and general fruitiness, the initial tongue is of candy strawberries and a fleshy fruit flavor that develops on the tongue with a VERY slight oak and cinnamon finish that pleasantly lingers.
David,
It's a little hot. The Sherry is prominent in the middle and works very well. Dark fruit and black pepper on the finish. Overall, it's bold but tastes a bit young. With a few more years of rest I think those flavors would marry and result in a much more drinkable and balanced dram. Nice, but there are much better options out there at this price point.
Art,
absolutely loved this, it's sherry casking is very prominent in the taste. I wouldn't drink it every day, but for a treat, this one should be considered!
Jamie,
Flavorful. More caramel scent and vanilla taste than what I expected.
JODY,
I had to review what the flavor should taste like. The Whiskey is light on the tongue. I taste the sweet then comes the spice. Don't taste plum or honey. It will do, but don't think will order again. Will have friends try and see what they think. Thankyou
Justin,
Just the right amount of sweetness and good mix of spice with fruit. Definitely a very good whiskey
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