🔥 MEMBERS EXTRA: SABUROMARU FAR EAST OF PEAT No. 6 🔥

Warning: Peat Freaks may want To Sit Down for This One…

Every now and then a whisky lands on Brad’s desk that makes him grin like a happy idiot.

This is one of those whiskies. Meet Saburomaru Far East of Peat No. 6. A Japanese whisky that looked at the stereotype of delicate floral drams, laughed, and threw another shovelful of peat on the fire.

This isn’t subtle. This isn’t shy. This is big, smoky, bold Japanese whisky built specifically for people who believe life is better with a little ash in the glass. And judging by the number of peat-heads lurking around the SMWC community, that’s a lot of you.

🇯🇵 Japan’s Smokiest Secret

The team at Saburomaru Distillery have become legends among peat lovers for doing something almost nobody else in Japan does, making whisky where the smoke takes centre stage. Their whiskies are famous for combining serious peat intensity with the balance and precision Japanese whisky is known for.

The result? A whisky that feels familiar to Islay fans, yet undeniably Japanese in style. Think campfire smoke meeting citrus. Think barbecue meeting elegance. Think Japan doing peat… and doing it brilliantly!

The Saburomaru Far East of Peat No. 6 Blended Malt Japanese Whisky is the latest evolution in the acclaimed “Far East of Peat” series from Japan’s historic Saburomaru Distillery. Note the ‘Blended Malt’ bit – this is not a single malt whisky – but rather a blend of single malt from different distilleries – but with NO ADDED grain (or any other type of) alcohol. Crafted in the Saburomaru Distillery in Toyama Prefecture by Wakatsuru Shuzo (a sake brand and brewery founded in 1862 – and pretty much a booze monopoly of the prefecture), the series has become internationally recognised for combining powerful peat influence with refined Japanese blending techniques. Batch No. 6 continues this legacy, showcasing a carefully balanced style that layers smoke, sweetness and coastal complexity into a distinctly modern Japanese whisky experience. Bottled at 50% ABV, this release highlights Saburomaru’s innovative approach to heavily peated whisky production.

The “Far East of Peat” series was originally created through collaborative cask exchanges between emerging Japanese distilleries, challenging the traditionally isolated nature of Japanese whisky production. Over successive releases, the series has developed a cult following among peat lovers for blending Saburomaru’s heavily peated spirit (distilled in the only ZEMON stills in the world – see below!) with carefully selected Japanese and international malts, creating layered smoky whiskies that remain elegant and approachable.

🌏 Why This One Matters

Let’s get straight to the whisky point:

• Only 7,200 bottles of Batch No. 6 were produced worldwide.
• You cannot even buy this at the distillery, anymore.
• Bottled at a robust 50% ABV for maximum flavour and impact.
• Built around heavily peated malt and designed for lovers of smoky whisky.
• Part of the cult-favourite Far East of Peat series that has developed a devoted following among peat enthusiasts worldwide.

In other words…This isn’t the bottle you’ll see sitting around next year. This is the bottle your whisky mates will mention six months from now while you quietly wonder why you didn’t add one to your order.

🥃 What’s It Like In The Glass?

This thing announces itself the moment you pour it.

Nose: Big peat smoke leads the charge, followed by roasted nuts, cinnamon spice, fluffy pancakes and bursts of grapefruit as it opens up.

Palate: Rich, oily and seriously satisfying. Waves of smoke roll across charred oak, pepper spice, vanilla sweetness, grilled lemon and roasted malt. Layer after layer keeps unfolding.

Finish: Long. Smoky. Warming. The kind of finish that hangs around long enough to convince you another pour is probably a very sensible idea.

🔔 The Bell That Changed Japanese Whisky

Saburomaru’s famous ZEMON stills are unlike anything else in whisky. Created by craftsmen who traditionally cast Buddhist temple bells, they’re designed to amplify and concentrate those glorious smoky flavours that have become the distillery’s trademark.

The result is whisky with a depth of peat character that’s virtually unheard of in Japan. In fact, Saburomaru is known for producing some of the most heavily peated whisky in the country.

🎯 Reasons To Tell Yourself You Need A Bottle

• “It’s sold out at the distillery already.”
• “Only 7,200 bottles were released worldwide.”
• “I never see heavily peated Japanese whisky.”
• “It’s 50% ABV, not watered down.”
• “I’m a peat lover. This is basically mandatory.”
• “Future Me will thank Present Me.”

All perfectly reasonable arguments.

If you enjoy smoky whisky, love discovering unusual Japanese releases, or simply want to experience one of the most distinctive peated whiskies coming out of Japan today, Saburomaru Far East of Peat No. 6 deserves a spot in your collection.🔥🥃

Nose: Big peat hit is first – and let’s face it… that;s what we’re all here for! It strikes me as more akin to a highland peat rather than an Islay style peat. Less burnt rubber and band aids, more fragrant sweet smoke. There’s also a lovely sultana note that really makes itself known once your nose gets over that peat-shock!

Palate: Lovely, creamy mouthfeel with just a little pepper (by second sip that is almost nothing) with more sweet fruit, lovely vanilla notes, candied peel and a big portion of that lovely sweet smokey peat (please sir.. may I have some more!). There’s also a lovely salty note that really carries through into the finish.

Finish: Long, chewy and totally moorish. The sweetness and fruit takes a bow as those campfire notes take centre stage for the looong satisfying salty-smokey fade-out.

There’s nothing subtle about this at all. It’s P.E.A.T.Y. There may be no torched hospitals and bogan burnouts, but there’s no shortage of sweet smoke, heathery ash, and maritime notes that we love in Scottish peated whiskies. The 50% abv really adds some ‘oomph’ and gives it a huge push over the try-line. It’s big, peaty, salty, and fruity – with almost robot like perfection in the balance between them all (that ‘Japanese touch’ that defines Japanese whisky I this guys opinion). If you love peat – you’ll love this. If you’re looking for a ‘way into’ big, peated whisky – the lack of those burnt rubber and antiseptic notes makes this very approachable for the ‘peat newbie’!

Saburomaru Distillery’s adventure began in 1952, when Wakatsuru Shuzo, then specializing in sake and shochu, obtained a license to produce whiskey. However, the distillery experienced ups and downs: after a devastating fire in the 1990s, it temporarily ceased production, before being reborn in 2017 with a completely renovated facility and ZEMON stills, designed by a local foundry specializing in temple bells.

Today, Saburomaru is run by Takahiko Inagaki, a bold master blender who is not afraid to experiment with ancient yeasts, innovative casks, and peated malts to create unique and powerful whiskeys. The distillery is also known for its commitment to sustainability and local culture, using water from the Shogawa River and barley grown in Toyama, for example.

Unique craftsmanship and production methods

Saburomaru stands out for its artisanal and experimental approach, where every detail is designed to enhance the smoky, fruity, and spicy aromas of its whiskeys.

ZEMON stills: a global innovation

The distillery uses ZEMON stills, inspired by Buddhist temple bells and manufactured by a local foundry. These stills, unique in the world, allow for precise distillation and concentration of peaty aromas, giving Saburomaru whiskies their powerful and smoky signature. The distillery is also the only one in Japan to produce 100% peated whiskies, with PPM (phenol) levels comparable to those of the most smoky Scotch whiskies

Far East of Peat

An ultra-peaty edition, aged in bourbon and sherry casks, with notes of tar, pepper, and dried fruit. A tribute to Scotch whiskies, but with a Japanese twist.

Nose: opens with fragrant peat smoke, salted citrus, smoked pears and gentle maritime brine. 

Palate: is oily and complex, revealing layers of charred oak, pepper spice, toasted malt and subtle anise balanced by waves of vanilla sweetness and grilled lemon. Hints of sea salt, herbal smoke, dried apricot and roasted barley develop through the mid-palate.

Finish is long, warm, filled with lingering ash, soft oak spice and refined coastal peat character.