"Honshu Underground was inspired by a classic Death & Co cocktail—the Honshu Punch—that featured single malt Japanese Whiskey, lemon and pineapple. Here I was trying to bring in a bit more of a Japanese culinary angle by pairing the Hibiki Harmony with yuzu in the form of a shochu-based yuzu liqueur. Additionally, the blend for Hibiki Harmony includes some whiskeys aged in Mizunara oak casks, a very rare and expensive Japanese oak that is often described as having an aroma reminiscent of sandalwood incense. So the sandalwood essence, along with the addition of a little heavily peated Scotch, was an attempt to accentuate that quality of the whiskey in the final drink—the almost coconutty, quality of those flavors helps balance the astringency and florality of the yuzu." —MB