1/Hakushu 12 has crept up again — it's $378 at Dan Murphy's this week, thirty dollars more than last. Lovely whisky. Also a lot of money for a 12-year-old.

2/So here's the engine's read. The closest stand-in it can find for that green, herbal Hakushu profile is Hakushu's own no-age Single Malt: first by profile similarity, third by overall utility, out of the whole catalogue.

3/And it's $170. Same distillery, the same yuzu-and-green-tea signature, at 45% of the 12's price. You keep $208 in your pocket.

4/You give up the age statement and a layer of polish, no argument. But if it's the Hakushu character you're chasing, the cheaper bottle is the one the engine points at. Stretch for the 12, or pocket the difference?