Nose: Dates, ripe apricots, fudge, lemons, deck stain, red apples, pipe tobacco, leather, mushrooms, BBQ sauce.
Palate: Like the Miyagikyo version the Moscatel Wood finish is obvious but not overpowering. Figs, dates, raisins, Valencia oranges, cinnamon, nutmeg, cashews, toffee, white peaches. The fruitiness is a little richer than the Miyagikyo version. Strangely the Miyagikyo is more viscous/oily which is normally a feature of Yoichi Whisky.
Finish: Medium length. Red and green apples, Kiwi Fruit, the same charred oak and cinnamon bark as the Miyagikyo. The Yoichi is more tannic/dryer.
Last Word: There are plenty of similarities between the Yoichi and Miyagikyo Moscatel Wood Finish whiskies but enough differences to warrant having both. Both are well balanced and quite moreish.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Red berries, plum juice, wood stain, strawberry jam, grapefruit, wood shavings, raisins, white pepper, some earthiness, dusty oak.
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.
Nose: Baking spices, cafe late, raspberry conserve, Arnott’s savoury shapes biscuits, raisin toast with butter, BBQ sauce, oyster sauce, orange cake.
Nose: The darkest cherries, brandy, raspberry coulis, nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins, the ubiquitous Christmas Cake.
Nose: Raspberries, menthol, Cherries Flambe, caramelized orange slices, orange soaked oak, walnuts, toffee, brandy, touch of shoe polish, Hokkaido baked cheese cake.
Nose: Ah the scent of youth. Vegetal, yeast, smokeless mezcal, poached pears, oak, a musty note, lemon detergent. Tasted blind, everyone in my Japanese Whisky Club picked this as a very young whisky(new pot).
Nose: Maraschino cherries, incense, plums grilled on a Korean BBQ, brandy covered Christmas pudding. Oriental tea, coal fired copper, orangey bourbon, cream cherry, flinty.
Nose: Stone fruits such as apricots and nectarines, malt, vanilla, treacle, new wood. Active wood spices and a hit of pepper. Mars peats at 3 different level and this one seems to be the lightest of those at maybe 4ppm.
Nose: It’s a peated whisky or at least there is a decent portion of peated malt in the blend. Iodine, earthy peat, mushrooms, stove pipes. Candied pears, green apples, orange peels, chocolate, lychees. After a few months a sherry note.
Nose: Kicks off with loads of vanilla, toffee and honey. Poached pears, maple syrup, fresh cut timber. Certainly not a shy nose and a lot of what I would expect from a youngish whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels.
Nose: Plums, orange peels, a floral note, floor polish, sawdust, manuka honey. Something strange like grilled lamb fat, damp forest floor, sump oil, Arnotts Iced Vovo Biscuits, dried mushrooms.
Nose: Lots of honey, toffee and vanilla notes. Sugared apple pie crust, some wood spice, rye spice, oranges, buttered popcorn, white pepper, cinnamon, overripe pineapple. I’d say fairly faithful to the Kirin House style.
Nose: Honey, brine, chocolate, preserved pears, hint of earthy peat, seaweed, greed apples, marshmallows, coal.
Nose: Oaky, earthy and fruity. Reminds me somewhat of Hanyu earthiness, the earth in orchards of stone fruits. Very expressive for a 43%abv whisky. Licorice allsorts, vanilla and demerara rum, white peaches and a mix of cantaloupe and honeydew melons. Slightly burnt brown sugar, dried papaya and apricots. Some leather and sweet tobacco. Take some time and little by little, more and more is revealed. Some gingerbread spices, raisins, overripe bananas, pineapple and oranges. I’d call it a plush nose!
Nose: Vanilla, quite floral, clay pots, earthy peat, hessian, hay bales, toffee, lemon juice, brine, hint of antiseptic band-aid.
Nose: Fruity and Malty. Apricots, nectarines, rhubarb, white grapes. The expected vanilla and toffee. Dusty virgin White Oak barrels. An amazing lack of strong acetone notes for one so young. A flower like perfume note, some nutmeg spice and white pepper. If you think your nasal passages are going to be blown apart by a cask strength new make whisky guess again, not with this one!