In the early days of my local whisky club (long before I joined), they did a sort of King of the Hill thing where the best whisky from each tasting was included the following occasion, and so on. If I recall correctly, they grew tired of the Yoichi 10 always winning and eventually gave that whole thing up. Anyway. Here we are, and Japanese whisky with an age statement is seldom worth the money. Another stab at that claim.
1.1 (Burnished)
Nose
First impression is absolutely and heavily coastal. Not just as in "style of a coastal distillery", but literally smelling like salt water and oysters. Lots of brine. A little sweaty, almost. Very light smokiness.
Palate
Markedly more peaty here. Quite a surprise, given the nose! Very different notes now - peaches, spice, slightly oily mouthfeel.
Finish
On the spicy side. White pepper and oak. Quite long and warming with hints of fruit. Orange peels maybe? Yeah, a little zesty.
Alright, so that was quite a ride. The nose was very distinct, and I'll admit that it's not my favorite. Just too much brine. I enjoy a little saltiness in my drams, but not a fistful of seafood. Not a fan. Then - the palate is considerably more.. normal? Just a well-made and balanced and tasty whisky. Is THIS expensive Japanese and age-stated whisky worth the money though? Nope. Not this one either.
Score
77 / 100
0-50 Subpar
51-60 Drinkable
61-70 Decent
71-80 Good
81-90 Great
91-100 Fantastic
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Brand | Nikka Whisky Yoichi |
| Distillery | Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery |
| Abv (%) | 45 |
| Age | 10 |
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