95 The Whisky Advocate

#7 Top 20 of 2023... Master blender Stephanie Macleod leans further into the experimentation that saw her use mizunara oak casks for Dewar’s Japanese Smooth, this time as the final step of the 21 year old’s aging process. Macleod aged the malts and grains for 21 years and then created the blend, returning it to the barrel for further aging before finishing it in mizunara oak casks. The impressive result is this beautiful dram, with citrus notes that shine brightly with lime zest and grapefruit peel, while the mizunara oak adds hints of sandalwood and a glossy mouthfeel, leaving a luscious finish of zested lemon and white chocolate.