G’day,
In my latest YouTube Video here, I do the wrap up video for 7 Day’s of Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whiskies and rank them from last to first place.
Kampai
Brian
Hey friends,
I’m about half way through my YouTube reviews of the Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt “standard” range, No Age Statement through to 35 Year Old. You can check them on my channel here.
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Light earthy peat. Nutmeg, wet wool, cacao powder, pears, white peaches, red apple skins, licorice root. A savoury note with water added.
Palate: Fermented pears and apples, vanilla, chilli flakes, white oak, nutmeg, salt, licorice root, butter, icing sugar. Some orange sherbet with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Nutmeg, cacao powder, almonds, licorice root, butter beans, ash. Touch of lemon and some juicy oranges with water added.
Last Word: A decent whisky that improves a month or so after opening and the fill level drops. However, not really a patch on the previous version with the dark label.
I suspect the main reason is a dearth of sherry cask mature whiskies at Nikka’s distilleries. Seems to me there is no sherry cask whisky in this newer blend, where it is an obvious influence in the previous version which was much richer and rounder. If you can still get your hands on the older version, run don’t walk to stock up!
Rating: 82/100
Nose: Red Grapes, quince paste, marmalade, sherry, blueberries, vanilla, toffee, balsamic, Bonox(beef stock paste), a little pepper and coal. I’d class it as velvety and satisfyingly rich.
Palate: Cocoa powder, chocolate mouse, coffee beans, sherry, vanilla, Brazil nuts, blueberries, salt, cloves, raisins, oily.
Finish: Sherry, Brazil nuts, cocoa powder, minerals, raisins, coal, cigar leaf.
Last Word: I spent around 30 minutes chatting at the Nikka stand at WhiskyLive last weekend. There were 6 expressions on offer and the general consensus seemed to be this was the pick of the litter. For myself this has either a lot of excellent young malt whiskies in the mix or, and I believe this is more the case, a large chunk of older whiskies in the mix especially from sherry casks. I bought a bottle straight away so that should be enough of an endorsement. A huge improvement over the my last bottle of no age statement Taketsuru, significantly better than the last bottle of Taketsuru 12 I had and in all honesty, if this quality remains I won’t need to lament the discontinuance of the 17 year old.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Honey, brine, chocolate, preserved pears, hint of earthy peat, seaweed, greed apples, marshmallows, coal.
Palate: Chocolate, brine, red grapes, read apples, brine, blueberries, a little oily but overall the body is thin and brittle.
Finish: Some brine, earthy peat, ash blueberries, pie crust. The oiliness is more evident on the finish:
Last Word: Can’t really hang with a good batch of the 17 or 21 year olds. Not sure if it is just the low abv but too thin and brittle for my tastes.
Rating: 80/100
Nose: Cantaloupe, rose water, vanilla wafers, white peaches, fresh cut timber, pink grapefruit.
Palate: A bowl of mixed nuts, white peaches, peanut butter, there’s both savory and herbal elements, strawberries.
Finish: Salt, nuts, herbs such as cloves and oregano.
Last Word: Not a whisky that is going to blow your mind but blended with a purpose to be lighter in style to accompany food or as a summer sipper and with an emphasis Miyagikyo Malt Whisky. If this was Scottish it would be a Lowland Whisky.
Rating: 82/100
Nose: Maltesers, caramel, oak, lacquer, dried fruits. Very gentle.
Palate: This is where things step up a few notches over the Taketsuru 12YO(I haven’t tried the standard NAS). Lots of juicy dried fruits, malt, quite a some pepper, sugared orange slices, and in lesser measure sherry, cloves and paprika. The oak is subdued.
Finish: Dried fruits, sugared orange slices, sherry, young tawny port and some decent length.
Last Word: Not amazingly complex but well balanced, the extra punch offered by the sherry cask finish is a welcome addition. Nose is a bit soft for my liking however.
Rating: 83/100
*Sample courtesy of Clint at Whiskies R Us
Nose: Oak, grated orange rind, fabric softener, strawberries, dates, honey oats, mild rose petal, scallop’s.
Palate: Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, mustard, Arnott’s savory shapes, pepper, bubblegum, nougat, scallop’s. There is a unbalancing bitter element in the mix I’m not fussed about.
Finish: Nougat, mixed nuts, strawberries, bubblegum, some ashy dryness, ginger ale.
Last Word: Not mentioned in the above but it feels a little weak. I remember my first bottle being robust of nose and palate. This one feels a little watered down for want of a better description and the bitterness on the palate is a little off putting. The bitterness does tend to diminish after a couple of drams however.
Rating: 80/100
Nose: Earthy peat, malt, bubblegum, lemon, treacle, over-tanned leather.
Palate: Peat, ash, boot polish, coconut, bubblegum, eucalyptus.
Finish: Coconut, peat, ash, eucalyptus.
Last Word: Lacks the complexity of this 2010 release. Still pretty good though, especially for the money.
Rating: 85/100
Nose: 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
Nose: Masses of sweet oak, wheat, peaches, and the first hints I’ve had from this one of some sherry in the equation. After a while there are some floral notes.
Palate: Salt, big oak, malt, biscuity, ginger spice, black pepper, the soft coating on the outside of peanuts. Packs a lot more punch than 43% might suggest.
Finish: Is warming and a tad alcoholic. Medium length, mainly leaves some fresh mintyness and peanuts on the palate then a little dry.
Rating: 86/100
This whisky is a vatting of Yoichi malt and an Islay whisky.
Nose: There is a good whiff of peat as well as walnuts, wet moss, leather, sea spray, pepper, wood stain (after breathing for a while) and nectarines. After some time, there is a hint of lemon.
Palate: Nicely oily (nut oil). The peat comes through big time. Also charcoal, pepper and a slight bitterness. The second sip adds walnuts, creamy macadamia and a kind of minted toffee to the picture.
Finish: Medium length with earthy/vegetal peat dominating; macadamia, spice and mint. Slightly drying.
Last Word: This is ever so moreish and a real bargain. One for lovers of peaty whisky.
Rating: 88/100
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: 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: Tinned peaches, dried apricots; wood stain, oak, licorice, lemon pepper, cream and a hint of lavender.
Palate: Malt, tinned peaches, lemon, sugared nuts and oak.
Finish: Medium length, bittersweet (lemon/tinned peaches) oak. Ends quite creamily.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: Fairly acetone at first, then becomes a little floral. Some pear, soap flakes. There is not a lot going on and what there isn’t very pleasing.
Palate: Varnish, red grape, some nuttiness. Quite bitter. Adding water just flattens this further.
Finish: Bitter, a little perfumey.
Last Word: I think this one has OD’d on E-150.
Rating: 65/100
Nose: Malty. Freshly baked apple pie, lemon meringue, cloves, freshly cut timber, a little sherry, vanilla.
Palate: Again, nicely malty. Nutmeg, cloves, popcorn, apple pie with a white sugar dusted crust, vanilla custard, mango.
Finish: Short to medium and continuing the flavours from the palate and the freshly cut timber.
Last Word: A liquid desert
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Oak, engine oil, a little dry sherry, orange, cola, caramels.
Palate: A little oily. Cola and caramels. Some rasberry, nutmeg and licorice.
Finish: Short with the flavours of the palate and dying to dry oak.
Rating: 72/100
Nose: Elegant yet very expressive. Plush and exotic. Ripe stone fruits, red berries, cinnamon, licorice, sweet orange, old leather chairs, ginger, tinned mango, cantaloupe (a first for me in a whisky), old cognac, faint hint of tar. I really don’t find any woodyness on the nose.
Palate: Sweet red grape/berries, vanilla, pipe tobacco, canteloupe, strawberry, creme caramel, glazed orange slices, old cognac and a little salt. Thirty-five years in oak barrels starts to make an impact, adding a drying element but it certainly isn’t much of a bother.
Finish: Not long but a lovely balance between fruit, wood, spice, leather and pipe tobacco. This is very different to the 3 others in the Taketsuru range. Some truelly exotic elements add to a wonderful whisky experience. Worth it just for the exquisite nose. Tasting was done from a sample.
Rating: 93/100