Kyoto Purple Label Malt Japanese Whisky 700ml

The Kyoto Purple Label is a blended malt whisky from Kyoto Shuzo, a drinks house rooted in Japan's ancient imperial capital. Bottled at 86 proof (43% ABV), it sits at the refined heart of the producer's celebrated obi series, a family of whiskies named for the woven sashes of the kimono and distinguished by the color of the cloth that wraps each bottle.

That cloth is the signature. Rather than paper, every bottle wears a band of genuine Nishijin-ori, the intricate brocade that weavers in Kyoto's Nishijin district have produced for more than a thousand years. The purple belt, or Murasaki-obi, has long signified elegance and rank in Japanese dress, and here it frames the whisky as a keepsake object worthy of display long after the last pour.

Inside is a marriage of carefully selected malt whiskies, blended to showcase a luxurious malty aroma balanced by a well-judged thread of smokiness. The palate leads with honeyed sweetness and orchard fruit, folding in vanilla and soft oak before a gentle, warming finish where that whisper of smoke returns.

Approachable enough for newcomers to Japanese whisky yet distinctive enough for seasoned collectors of the category, the Purple Label rewards slow sipping neat or with a single large cube. It also makes a striking gift, pairing a graceful spirit with one of the most beautiful bottle dressings in world whisky.

• Size: 700ml
• Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
• Age or Class: No age statement
• Origin: Kyoto, Japan
• Producer: Kyoto Shuzo
• Style/Class: Blended malt whisky
• Composition: A marriage of selected malt whiskies
• Cask/Aging or Finish: Matured in oak casks prior to blending; cask details not disclosed by the producer
• Tasting Notes: Honeyed malt, orchard fruit, vanilla, soft oak and a gentle balancing smokiness