Review #127: Miyagikyo 9yr 2002/2012, 62%, OB, Refill butt #101127, 517 bottles

another Nikka, but not the standard bottling

I probably should try a Bushmill's, in honor of Diageo's recent divestment, which seems like something weird to me. But I've been so pleased with the other Nikka whiskies, I thought I'd see if the streak could continue one more day. This one's from Miyagikyo, but it's a single cask bottling. It seemed ridiculously expensive at the time, and still does, but now of course it would cost more and it wouldn't be available.

Nose: nice thick, chewy caramel/toffee, with a little cinnamon. some butter and apple peels and gravel. lots of freshly charred oak, surprisingly. takes a while to develop. a bunch of parsley and then some candied fruits slowly emerge: oranges mostly. A couple drops of water makes everything a little more approachable.

Palate: This is a mouthful. Intense blast of oranges, raisins, poached pears, oak juice, arugula, vanilla, honey, and marzipan. Not a lot of subtlety here, but I didn't really sherry fruit could be so intense.

Finish: weird -- it starts off on a slightly gingery, mentholated oak, and then a sweet, fruity vanilla overwhelms it. Didn't think that was possible. Very long.


I think I might the Yoichi better -- esp. at a third the price -- but this is a big experience, so we'll go with the same score.

Score: 87

Review #126: Taketsuru 12yr, 40%, OB

the last one was good ...

I was so pleased by the Yoichi 10yr that I'd like to keep going with Nikka whiskies. Unfortunately, I only have a couple to choose from, but next up is this Taketsuru. Taketsuru is named after the Nikka's founder, and I believe it's blend of malts from the two Nikka distilleries. Only 40%, ugh. Why did they water this one down so much? I think they bottle everything else -- even the older and younger Taketsurus -- at higher proof. Maybe they had a good reason.

nose: apple, pears, sherry fruit, and fudge. a few crushed leaves. some malt and charred oak, too. very clear and distinct flavors. not a lot of them, but they're very nice, as if they're taken from the handbook of nice whisky flavors. patience lets some custard and lilac come out, but just a little.

palate: creamy-chocolatey pears, and lots of smoke. the smoke is a big surprise: it gives it some weight despite the low strength. Some rather herbal wood, maybe even a bit of cinnamon.

finish: not powerful but curiously long -- all the nice sweet, creamy flavors mingle with the smoke and wood.


I thought the nose was good but maybe a little boring, but it actually kept getting more interesting. It's still a little too light. I don't think it's as good as the Yoichi, but another pleasant surprise.

score: 85

Review #125: Nikka Whisky "Yoichi" Single Malt 10yr, 45% abv, OB

back to reviewing

Taking a break from pre-Thanksgiving housecleaning to get my senses back. This is a young-ish malt from Yoichi, Nikka's original distillery. According to Nikka, "Yoichi produces rich, peaty and masculine malt," maybe because they direct-fire their stills. I'm not sure how I feel about masculine malt; it might be slightly threatening.

This post is really helpful in case you, like me, have trouble keeping track of Japanese malts even though there's only about 5 distilleries and 8 or so labels. On another occasion I'll have to find another one that explains the difference between the various Nikka pure malts.

hmm. has a lot of color for a 10-yr-old.

nose: apples and lots of dried fruit, with peat in the background. it's way more fruit-forward than I expected, but also winter squash, honey-roasted nuts, almond paste, and tiny notes of something tropical and floral. the peat starts out as just little bits of soot, but then slowly opens out to become woodier and richer. (I'd say "bacon-ier," if that were a word.)

palate: a little thin on the palate, although the peat really takes a bite here. a light wave of fruit followed by a mouthful of soot. A little salty. Some tropical woods.

finish: honey and dark smoky peat linger.

(temporarily empty glass smells like roast beast smoked over fruitwood. and vanilla candy.)

The nose was absolute genius: it felt assembled out of parts, on one hand, but just fit together seamlessly. Develops very nicely, too. The palate didn't quite live up to that, but this is still surprisingly good whisky.


score: 87