Nose: Smooth for such a high alcohol content; earthy, notes of chocolate, liquorice, orange and asphalt.
Palate: Again, pretty smooth with soft grain, molasses, liquorice, pepper and orange.
Finish: Medium length: soft oak, orange, liquorice, with a mix of some classic rum (molasses) and Bourbon (liquorice, orange) qualities.
General comment: A good if not outstanding grain whisky. Lacks the wow factor.
Rating: 82/100
Nose: A little bit floral. Peaches, oak, peat, varnish, and pineapple. Malty, complex and smooth.
Palate: Very malty, bubblegum (a trait I find in many a Nikka/Yoichi/Miyagikyo whiskies), pepper, nutmeg, sweet peat and gentle smoke.
Finish: Excellent length, with peat, pepper, nutmeg, mint chocolate and lingering smoke.
General comment: Tasty and great value in Japan.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Sweet oak (reminds me of a number Hanyu’s I have tasted in this respect), which is beautifully intergrated into the malt. Varnish, roasted chesnuts, fresh baked scones with butter and a slightly burnt apple crumble.
Palate:Hot, Hot, Hot! Not a burning alcoholic heat, more like chillis. Probably the hottest whisky I have tried and I love it. Huge spice: pepper, salt, chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon. Lots of sweet oak, peanuts and marshmellows.
Finish: Long, hot, spicy and oaky, but with a certain candied sweetness. This was not a whisky I would choose to add water to because I enjoy the rush of it at cask strength.
General comment: I’ll make no bones about it, I love this whisky.
Rating: 92/100
Nose: The colour is honey and the nose follows suit. Is this only 5 years old? No roughness at all! Also soft oak, tinned apricots, pear, treacle and fresh dough. Smooth and balanced.
Palate: Honey and treacle on crumpets, soft oak, pear, dough, nutmeg and ginger.
Finish: Nicely spicy, yet also creamy, with good length. Some mineral-like qualities and lingering………lingering smoke. Where did that come from?
General Comment: Really fantastic for the age.
Rating: 82/100
Nose: Chopped walnuts mixed in with a tropical fruit salad of pineapple, mango, papaya (paw paw) and pear. Very fresh and clean with some wood varnish, pencil shavings and nutmeg spice adding to the complexity. After about 20 mins, there are notes of vanilla and sweet tobacco.
Palate: Lovely clean malt with a delightful interplay between the walnuts and a coconut oiliness. White pepper and nutmeg. The fruits on the nose are in there but in a more concentrated dried form. Fresh passion fruit.
Finish: White pepper, nutmeg, walnuts, pineapple, papaya, coconut, passion fruit and sweet tobacco. The passion fruit and sweet tobacco flavour hangs on for an age.
Last Word: This a highly individual whisky of great complexity. Well done Kirin!
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Licorice covered oak with lemon and banana. Some macadamia nuttyness and wood stain. Sweet and creamy with soft grains of mainly bran and wheat. After about 10 minutes, apricot makes an appearance.
Palate: Very creamy but with that hint of lemon bitterness. Macadamia nut, licorice, banana, nutmeg and golden syrup. Smooth!
Finish: Smooth, soft grain, creamy nuts, licorice, lemon and some salty zing on the tongue.
Last Word: This whisky wears it’s ‘blendedness’ on this it’s sleeve with the grains definitely dominating. If you are looking for a malty blend then this one is probably not for you. If, however, you like a smooth Bourbon-esque style then step in line.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: A massive bowl of stone fruits mixed with oak, bran and malt. There is a bitter sweet element (with the emphasis on the sweet). Caramel/vanilla popcorn and some of the floral notes I often find in Ichiro’s Malts. After a while, those floral notes become more prominent.
Palate: Gristy, fruity, oaky, malty, and spicy. Chocolate and marmalade. Water brings the spicy/tangyness to the fore. Just fantastic!
Finish: Long, warming, oaky, spicy, floral and fruity.
Last Word: This is another fine young Ichiro’s malt. It is complex, powerful and balanced. A firm favourite of mine: very moreish but, as it is not easy to find, I tipple sparingly.
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Maybe I’ve been sucked in by the name but this does indeed smell very malty. Lots of chewy toffee, walnuts, fresh cut timber, pears and pineapple.
Palate: Again nicely malty; pineapple, lemon sherbet, walnuts, nutmeg, dried mixed herbs and pepper.
Finish: Medium length: warming, malty and medium spiced.
Last Word: This is a good solid whisky that is reasonably complex. It is easy to drink a few glasses. An everyday drinker that’s great value in Japan, at around 1,000 yen.
Rating: 82/100
Nose: Malt, oak, butter, pear, varnish, unscented soap, blueberries and cheese. Yep, cheese.
Palate: There’s a big malt component; blueberry cheesecake, cream, walnuts and toffee.
Finish: Medium length. Unscented soap and cheese. Malt, toffee and walnuts that cling to the palate, and some sweet spices.
Final Word: Interesting but good.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: Lots of woody notes. Kind of like being in a carpenter’s workshop, but sweet and floral, not austere. Also, unscented soap, pears and green apples.
Palate: Basically follows the nose but adds sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and licorice) and a slight soapiness to the mouth feel.
Finish: Palate smacking sweet spices, sweet woodiness, florals, licorice, cream and a hint of mint ice cream.
General Comment: Nothing much to complain about with this one, unless you have an aversion to woody malts.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Oak and toffee. Wine and brine.
Palate: As expected, very punchy at 58%. This one will need water as the hot spices at cask strength overwhelm everything else. With water, this whisky becomes more creamy and custardy. Not particularly malty.
Finish: With water, it is warming, of good length, creamy, spicy with a hint of wine.
Last Word: This won’t be on the repeat purchase list, but it was fun and worth trying.
Rating: 80/100
Nose: Lots of chunky malt, mixed peel, dried apricots. A bowl of mixed nuts, wood stain and some subtle florals.
Palate: Just excellent! Tons of big beautifully integrated spices, creamy nuttiness, nougat and malty goodness. No need for water with this one as it’s perfectly drinkable neat.
Finish: Long, warming, malty, nutty, spicy and mouth coating.
Last Word: I find it very hard to stop at just one glass of this stuff.
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Pine, lime, green apples/apple peel, liquorice. The malt is there, but is in the background. The description sounds woody/citrusy, but there is also a sweetness there. The oak rears it’s head after about 5 minutes, also some soapiness. Definite agave notes after about 10 minutes (nice for me, as I enjoy a good tequila as well).
Palate: Shows plenty of youthful exuberance. Creamy. Brazil nuts, nutmeg, malt and some lemon sherbet sweet tang.
Finish: Nicely malty now. Nutty, sweet spices. Not particularly long.
General comment: I also have a bottle of the Yoichi No age statement. I prefer the offering from Miyagikyo for once. Incredible value for a single malt in Japan at around 1,000-1400 yen.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Pear, lemon, liquorice, oak, Juicy Fruit chewing gum, Straw, fresh strawberries and cream and fresh herbs.
Palate: Stewed pears, oak, liquorice, a bit dry and dusty with some pepper and nutmeg spice.
Finish: Medium length, straw, pears, liquorice. Drying.
Last Word: This is a solid, easy to drink grain whisky. The nose is the highlight.
Rating: 80/100
Nose: Another woody Hanyu, but not in the same sweet variety as the likes of the Double Distilleries. Lots of varnish, also blueberries, subtle florals and oregano.
Palate: Without water, the spices run wild with plenty of heat. It warms the chest, as one might expect. A fair whack of dry woodiness as well. Adding water (which is pretty much mandatory) brings the florals out a little more on both nose and palate. Become slightly vegetal tastes, including steamed broccoli. There’s also a toastiness, along with black pepper.
Finish: With or without water, this is fairly long, varnishy, woody, spicy and ultimately drying.
Last Word: A little to woody and austere for my tastes. For me, it lacks finesse.
Rating: 80/100
Nose: Sherry, cherry, orange, Plasticine; some sulphur, but not out of place.
Palate: A reasonable amount of body for a whisky of only 37 per cent alcohol. Some oiliness, sweet spice, malt and grain.
Finish: Sweet and oily: orange, nuts, with more malt and light grain.
Last Word: Drinkable but nothing special.
Rating: 70/100
Nose: Lots of orange and sweet lemon. Firm grain. Fresh dough, wood stain and something slightly chargrilled. Light florals.
Palate: Smooth like it’s cousin the Suntory Royal 15YO: zingy citrus, cream, some oak, fresh dough. Excellent balance.
Finish: Again, smooth with a medium length: sweet and creamy with just enough sweet spice to add some oomph.
Rating: 85/100
Nose: A rich succulent bouquet. A big bunch of bananas, vanilla, walnuts, oranges, firm grain and fresh cut timber. Sounds sweet. It is!
Palate: Smooth and creamy; mashed bananas, more orange, sweet lemon and the same firm grain.
Finish: Fairly short but smooth, with nutmeg, orange chocolate and continuing the flavors from the palate.
Last Word: Unfortunately became quite gluey half was throught the bottle.
Rating: 79/100
Nose: Clean and fresh. Grassy notes, along with pear, orange, golden syrup, salt and varnish
Palate: The mouth feel is clean, with pepper, new leather, orange chocolate, toffee and a hint of smoke.
Finish: Medium length with marmalade, pepper; grassy at the start, then adds mint, toffee and fresh cut timber.
Last Word: This is a nice, refreshing Karuizawa and a welcome counterpoint to this distillery’s often full-on single cask style.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Big, bold sherry. Marmalade, cherries and wood stain. Gets more woody with water.
Palate: Neat, it’s not for the faint hearted. It is blistering stuff that needs water to tame. With water, the mouth feel is reasonably smooth, with sherry, raisins, lovely orange dark chocolate, crumpets with maple syrup, Brazil nut and mint.
Finish: Most of the flavors from the nose and then fading to a hint of grassyness/timber.
Last Word: Not as good as the best sherry-matured whiskies I’ve had from Japan.
Rating: 84/100