Author Archives: Dramtastic

Yoichi Single Cask 1991-2011 #129651 Warehouse No.15 63% abv

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yoichi-single-cask-1991-2011-63-129651Nose: Sweet and sour sauce. Soy sauce, candied nuts, brine, lemon, peat, stone fruits, toffee, vanilla, teak, lightly medicinal, an earthy element. Not huge, but nicely balanced.
Palate: Toffee, candied nuts, marshmallows, sweet orange, pink grapefruit, light peat, pepper and ash. Water enhances the sweeter elements and adds some nougat and peppermint. Very nice indeed and good balance even at the full 63%.
Finish: Pretty much follows the palate and works with or without a little water.
Last Word:The type of dram that makes you want to pour another straight away.

Rating: 90/100
*Notes taken from a purchased sample.

Yoichi SIngle Cask 1994 18YO #400749 Warehouse No. 27 62% abv

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yoichi-single-cask-1994-18yo-400749-warehouse-25-62_0

Nose: Werther’s Originals. Rich summer stone fruits, light peat, minerals. Touch of sherry, varnish, light oak, autumn leaves, ham, sweet lemon, vanilla. Water adds some floral’s, earthiness and enhances the peat.
Palate: Very approachable even without water. A little oily. Figs, warm spices, raisins, light peat, smoked meat, minerals, marshmallows, ginger, salt, Werther’s Originals, coconut, fruit tingles. Water pushes the spices to the back palate and enhances the sweet elements, toffee/vanilla.
Finish: Minerals, toffee, marshmallows, warm spices, menthol, some ash/peat.
Last Word: Excellent! Love this one!

Rating: 92/100

Yoichi and Me

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I’ve been chatting with some fellow Japanese whisky enthusiasts of late and realized, well confirmed, how under represented the Yoichi distillery is on these pages. This is not a reflection of a dislike of Yoichi’s product. On the contrary, I rate Yoichi’s standard product, No Age Statement through to 20 year, the best of the Japanese Distilleries. In fact, I would put Yoichi’s ‘standard’ range up against any distillery from anywhere in the world for both quality and consistency.

So, why not more tasting notes on The Japanese Whisky Review for Yoichi? Well, over the years I will buy many different batches of the ‘standards’, at least the NAS, 10, 12 and 15 year olds all of which I can afford(the 20 being double the cost of the 15 in Japan). But, the single cask stuff from Yoichi is, for a similar age, mostly more expensive than the other Japanese distilleries bar Karuizawa. As someone who purchases 99.9% of the whisky’s reviewed on this website, cost is just as much of a consideration as it is for 99.9% of the readers. Here’s an example. The oldest version of latest the Ichiro’s Card series is 22 years old and costs about 13500 Yen in Japan. A Yoichi of similar age is around 19000 Yen in Japan. Sometimes this is hard to justify and as a man of limited means and an observant partner, it’s more often than not about the means and the justification.

Above and beyond that, I will be posting some new notes on Yoichi whisky soon. Also, I will be adding some more personal reflections on the other major Japanese whisky distilleries in the near future.

WhiskyLive Tokyo 2013

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The dates for WhiskyLive Tokyo 2013 were released a little while back but I thought it would be worth posting on The Japanese Whisky Review. One of the main reasons is, if like me you do not reside in Japan, then it takes a bit more time to organize your trip. This year the event will be held at Belle Salle Shibuya Garden, the third different venue in 3 years. Nice for me as I will be staying in my usual haunt, Shinjuku, which is close by. Once more the event will be held in conjunction with the Tokyo International Bar Show. Seems not all details have been released yet so keep checking the links for updates.

Yoichi 15YO 45%abv circa 2012

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yoichi-15yo-45Nose: Nectarines, peaches, apricots, mixed nuts, wine gums, a little peat, oak and pine.
Palate: Mouth coating. Mainly follows the nose but adds, some coal, smoke, salt, milk chocolate and peppery spice. Robust for ‘only’ 45% abv.
Finish: Short medium. Fruit and nuts a little smoke and a mineral element.
Last Word: Not as smoky as my previous bottle circa 2010/2011, which I preferred. Still a very solid whisky.

Rating: 88/100
*Update 24/02/2013. Down to the last quarter of the bottle and after 10 months the concentration of smoke and peat is starting to shine. Balanced with the sherry elements I’m adding another point to the score. 89/100 knocking on the door of 90.

Hakushu 18YO 43% circa 2012

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hakushu-18yo-43Nose: Sweet pears, caramelized passion fruit, orange, red grapes, typical Hakushu earthy/forest notes. Lime juice, pepper, subtle oak and peat. Light but lovely.
Palate: Clean and fresh. A bit more peat than on the nose. Candied nuts, grilled fish, sweet pears, fresh mushrooms, lime juice, forest floor, cocoa, pepper, menthol.
Finish: Fruity, nutty, earthy, mushrooms and menthol.
Last Word: A well crafted, well balanced dram. Not a whisky to judge on a single sample as this one reveals it’s class after at least over 4-5 glasses. A must try even at the extra expense over of the already fine Hakushu 12YO.

Rating: 88/100
*Update 9/Feb/2013. Keeps getting better now 89/100

Yamazaki 18YO 43%abv circa 2012

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p1000841Nose: Sultanas, raisins, orange peel, sweet incense, nougat, honey, vanilla, fish oil, old leather. Nice balance of American Oak, Spanish Sherry and Japanese Mizunara casks.
Palate: Nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar. Raisins, currents, sultanas, donut frosting, bubblegum, almonds.
Finish: Sultanas, raisins, sweet orange peel, cigars, old leather, oak, marshmallows, nougat.
Last Word: The flavors I expect from this whisky are there, but somehow the palate/finish feels a little flat compared to previous years. Almost like it’s watered down a little. Still nice, but drops a few points because of this.

Rating: 87/100
*Notes taken from the sample in photo November 2012

Yamazaki 25YO Sherry Cask 43% abv

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p1000836Nose: Very heavy sherry. Molasses, red berries, incense, cigars, old leather, white peaches, blood oranges, dark cherries, bbq mesquite, well steeped tea, oak.
Palate: Dry sherry, almonds, cranberries, sweet orange, cigars, marshmallows, sarsaparilla and some seriously heavy duty dry oak.
Finish: Dominated by drying old wood, which ruins any semblance of balance.
Last Word: Did I mention this one runs up to $1000 a bottle? Well past it’s used by date.

Rating: 79/100
* Notes taken from the sample in photo November 2012.

Yamazaki 1984 48%abv

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p1000832Nose: Rich and deep. Very Asian exotic with lots of temple incense notes. High quality pu-erh tea. Chinese five spice, orange glazed maraschino cherries, a less sweet Ron Zacapa XO Centenario rum, earthy peat, oyster sauce, conifer forest, drying tobacco leaf, Lindt orange chocolate, mint chocolate, apricot jam.
Palate: Chinese five spice, Peking duck, light peat, cloves, sweet orange glaze, sweet tobacco, cola extract, cranberries, chewy toffee/nougat, Granny Smith apples. Expressive.
Finish:: Long, thick and mouth coating. Chinese five spice, Ron Zacapa XO Centenario, cloves, tobacco, nougat, honey yoghurt, apricot jam, a little peat and well integrated oak.
Last Word: Equal to the hype. To bad about the price.

Rating: 94/100
*Notes are taken from the sample in photo November 2012

Memories of Karuizawa 1999 13YO Sherry Cask #879 62.9%abv

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Nose: Kirsch, raisins, beef stock, damp earth, soy sauce, mint sauce, oak, licorice, chicken stock, overripe apricots. Water enhances the earthy notes.
Palate: Dry sherry, damp earth, raisins, soy sauce over spring rolls, beef stock, burnt orange, pepper, nutmeg, blackcurrant jubes. Water brings out tangy orange.
Finish: Soy sauce, chicken stock, kirsch, nutmeg, mushrooms, raisins, pepper.
Last Word: A fine young Karuizawa that is far better than  many of the overpriced, overhyped, sulphur riddled sherry numbers I’ve tasted from this distillery. Worth seeking out.

Rating: 90/100

Final Ichiro’s Malt Card Bottlings

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Tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of Ichiro Akuto’s now famous card series bottling’s of Hanyu. The last four ‘cards’ to make up the deck of 52 will go on sale at selected retailers in Japan on January the 2nd. Many readers will be aware that these are from casks that Akuto-san was able to salvage after his families company Toa Shuzo went bankrupt and stopped distilling whisky in the year 2000. This has duel significance. Over the last few years when the profile of Japanese whisky was on the rise, Akuto-san was able to capitalize on this and sell whisky that previously did not have a large enough market either domestically or internationally. We have now had the opportunity to savor many of these beauties that may well have been lost forever otherwise. This in turn helped Akuto-san start his own company Venture Whisky and the associated Chichibu Distillery which has already shown great promise.
This is not to say there won’t be anymore Ichiro’s bottling’s of Hanyu as there is still more stock. But it is the Card series that will be fondly remembered as the beginning of a Japanese whisky legend.

The details of the last 4 Cards are as follows.
Ichiro’s Malt 5 of Diamonds 2000-2012 1st Cask Hogshead 2nd Cask Oloroso Sherry Butt 57.7% abv approx. price Y8000
Ichiro’s Malt Ace of Clubs 2000-2012 1st Cask Hogshead 2nd Cask Mizunara(Japanese Oak)  Cask 59.4% abv approx. price Y8600
Ichiro’s Malt 7 of Spades 1990-2012 1st Cask Hogshead 2nd Cask Cognac 53.8% abv approx. price Y13500
Ichiro’s Malt 6 of Hearts 1991-2012 1st Cask Hogshead 2nd Cask American Oak Puncheon 57.9% abv approx. price Y11500

Ichiro’s Malt Hanyu for Whisky Talk 2012 12YO American Oak Puncheon 60.2%abv

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hanyu-2000-ichiros-malt-12yo-the-whisky-talk-60-1-2Nose: Honeydew melons, cherry blossoms, fragrant wood, pollen, new leather. Late arrival of vanilla. Delicate but expressive.
Palate: White peaches, honeydew melon, apricots, fragrant wood, sweet spices, new leather, cherry blossoms. Again late vanilla. A little water ramps up the spiciness and adds some creamy nuts. Too much water and the wood starts to dominate.
Finish: Fragrant, sweet, spicy, leathery. Works well together.
Last Word:. My preference is Ichiro’s Malts matured in a single cask or two similar cask types such as white oak and bourbon. This is no exception. This one reminds me somewhat of a cask strength Bladnoch or Rosebank with the fragrant wood/wood spice found in most Hanyu’s added to the mix.

Rating: 90/100

Yamazaki 12 43%abv circa 2012

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yamazaki-12-circa-2012Nose: Temple incense, sandlewood, brown sugar, orange, oak, tinned pears, banana. A lot of influence from the Mizunara(Japanese Oak) casks.
Palate: Fruit and nut mix. Banana, sandlewood, honey and tobacco.
Finish: Short-medium on banana, vanilla, sandlewood, honey, cinnamon and tobacco. Smooth and balance.
Last Word: Best batch I’ve tried and a reminder that it can be beneficial to try these ‘standards’ over different years.

Rating: 87/100

Nikka Pure Malt Black 43%abv circa 2012

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nikka-pure-malt-black-circa-2012Nose: Loads of malt, touch of sherry, bubblegum, blueberries, pine. Some earthiness. Doesn’t sound exciting but it’s quite lovely.
Palate: Light body. Malt, bubblegum, toffee, nutmeg, coconut, cashews and that touch of sherry. Late arrival of smoke and ash ala Yoichi. Tasty.
Finish: Basically follows the palate with quite some smoke and ash.
Last Word: Ridiculously good for the money at less that $20 Australia in Japan. Right on par or maybe even a touch better than the 2010 batch so same score.

Rating: 87/100

Nikka Whisky From The Barrel 51.4%abv circa 2012

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nikka-wftb-circa-2012Nose: Typical of many Nikka blends with not a lot of grain influence. Mixed peel, mandarins, malt, oak, apricots, grapefruit, woodstain.
Palate: Maple syrup, mandarins, bubblegum, malt, honey, nuts, sweet spices, oak. Slightly oily.
Finish: Tangy spices, mandarins, bubblegum, nuts and some drying wood.
Last Word: Not quite up to previous batches I’ve tried before including this 2009 version, which was spicier and felt like a bigger whisky overall.

Rating: 86/100

*Update 11/1/2012. Enjoying the last(large dram) of this bottle and the big spices seem to be concentrating at last. That’s more like it.

Mars New Pot Heavily Peated March 2012 9mths Old 60% 50PPM

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p1000896Nose: Very similar to the Mars New Pot Lightly Peated 2011 and Mars New Pot Heavily Peated 2011. Agave, yeast, lime, fresh mowed grass, pumpkin seeds, linseed oil, soda water, shoe polish, ash. Youthful of course, but never harshly acetone.
Palate: Richer mouth feel than the 2011s. Agave, chocolate, ash, sump oil, pepper and a certain tanginess. Something sweet like black plums or black cherries. Again, never harsh. Water brings out a sweet nut element.
Finish: Long on ash, peat, agave, chocolate, peppermint.
Last Word: Shows great potential (as the 2011’s did).

Rating: 80/100

Hakushu Heavily Peated 2012 No Age Statement 48%abv

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p1000847Nose: Lightly medicinal. Lime, autumn leaves, damp forest floor, green steamed vegies, apples, pears, earthy peat.
Palate: Lime, apples, earthy peat, wet pebbles, chocolate, cashews, candies, menthol, pepper. Some oiliness to the mouth feel.
Finish: Earthy peat, candies, cashews, menthol. Finishes with a mineral quality.
Last Word: Not the boldest or most complex but tasty.

Rating: 85/100

Yamazaki Mizunara(Japanese Oak) Cask 2012 No Age Statement 48%

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p1000698Nose: Wild flowers, asian incense, vanilla, peach fuzz, bees wax, lemon sherbert, creamy oak, parafin, raisins. Elegant and aromatic.
Palate: Creamy, then sweet spices of nutmeg and cinnamon. Wild flowers, asian incense, vanilla, pecan pie, anise, dragonfruit, camomile tea, macadamia nuts.
Finish: Wild flowers, incense, sweet tobacco, bees wax, pecan pie, menthol and a little drying wood.
Last Word: Unique and gets better with every sip.

Rating: 89/100

Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2012 No Age Statement 48%

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p1000696Nose: A bucket load of raisins, currants and sultanas. Black cherry liqueur. orange jus injected oak, cherry chocolate, prunes, stewed rhubarb, merlot, oak, beef stock cubes and menthol. Expressive.
Palate: A sweet spice attack. Rhubarb, prunes, cocoa, raisins, currants, blackcurrant jam, sweet orange, pecans. Brazil nuts. Peanut butter, butter menthols and some drying oak.
Finish: Medium length with a  sweet/dry combo of the flavours on the palate. Balanced and complex.
Last Word: For me this a benchmark for affordable sherry cask matured whisky. Even better than the 2011 version which I rated highly.

Rating: 91/100