Nose: Fruity, malty, earthy. Dried pears, dried apples, orange peels, currants. Dusty oak, rhubarb, lemon juice, barley, vanilla. Even with the earth and oak there is a crispness to the nose. Almonds and more vanilla with water added.
Palate: Palate has some decent punch for 47%abv. Malt, dried apples, nutmeg, strawberry shortbread, almonds, hazelnuts. Heated copper and a touch of sulphur. Some pepper with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Oak, cacao powder, earth, vanilla pods. The finish starts on the short side but lengthens after a few sips. A little drier with water added.
Last Word: I was sceptical when I first heard about this release. A No Age Statement, Non-Peated Yoichi, whoop-de-do. Another overpriced novelty?
I’m not convinced it’s worth the price but, it’s a lot better than I expected and a decent step up from the standard No Age Statement Yoichi Single Malt. I suspect there is some long aged whisky in the blend.

Rating: 88/100