G’day, In my latest Youtube video here I review the Miyagikyo 2000’s Single Malt 57%abv. Never bought a bottle when they were released and hadn’t tasted up until now. After tasting, do I now wish I’d bought a bottle? Let’s find out!
Kampai Brian
G’day,
I’m heading to Borneo for a week of wildlife photography & videography. On Sunday the 16th July Australia time there should be a new video on my YouTube channel where I review the Yoichi Nikka Bar Restaurant Bangkok. Home page for the bar reads – Our store is a sister store of the popular long-established store “THE NIKKA BAR” in Sapporo, Hokkaido (Susukino). You can follow up on the channel here.
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Very Rich! Some classic strong Chichibu, malt, toffee, honey and apple pie/strudel notes. Banana, pineapple, cinnamon, dried mango and vanilla.
Palate: Wood spices and a rum like quality, I’m thinking Jamaica or Guyana. Lots of tropical fruits, banana, mango, pineapple, passionfruit. The malt, honey, vanilla and apple pie remain but take a back seat to the tropical fruits. Pepper and garam masala. Spicier with water added.
Finish: Apple pie, butter, dried mango, banana, then goes all minty fresh plus some oak. After a couple of minutes the fruits are back. Very good length and the fruits are even juicier with water added.
Last Word: This is a World Blended Whisky, with Chichibu Malt and Grain Whisky from other countries. I find it quite wonderful and now my favorite World Blended Whisky from Ichiro-san.
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Noses somewhat like a Yoichi. Earthy peat(very Yoichi), blueberries(very Yoichi), ripe peaches. Worn in denim, minerals. There’s a soft perfume note that floats over the top. Some heated copper and sulphur that I found on the palate of the Yoichi Non-Peated with water added.
Palate: This is where this whisky really starts to shine. Rich and oily mouth feel. Earthy peat, milk chocolate, cafe latte, toffee, honey, vanilla sponge cake, pepper, cashews, butter. Some peach sherbet with water added. Full bodied.
Finish: Earthy, oily, oaky. Leather, cashews, toffee and some subtle smokiness. Water brings out pepper, minerality, more oak tannins and lengthens the finish.
Last Word: Like it’s counterpart the Yoichi Non-Peated, I’m not convinced this is worth the asking price. However, this is a big step up in balance and complexity of the standard Miyagikyo No Age Statement and a pleasant surprise.
Rating: 89/100
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
Nose: Red Grapes, plums, sourdough, raisins, mixed nuts. Orange slices, red apples, all spice. With water various coffee beans and quite aromatic.
Palate: Prunes, raisins, currants, sultanas, seared orange slices, red apples, all spice. Pepper, salt, roasted chestnuts, Brazil nuts. Full bodied. The fruits are jucier and more concentrated with water added.
Finish: Prunes, raisins, oak, coffee beans, cacao paste, red apple skins, chocolate thickshake. Very good length. More of the chocolate thickshake with water added.
Last Word: Another beauty from this young distillery. Every bit as good as #0149 with enough subtle difference to be worthwhile having both.
Rating: 90/100
Nose: You can smell this is Heavily Peated from a couple of feet away! If you’re familiar with many Japanese Heavily Peated Whiskies you’ll notice the backbone of bourbon cask sweeter elements. Pears, apples, honey, vanilla, lychees. The peat is of the briney and earthy kind. There’s is citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit. Some bushfire ash, burnt euchalyptus and wood shavings. Bread yeast with water added.
Palate: Punchy spices! Lemon cough drops, lychees, mango slices, vanilla bean, wood shavings, burnt euchalyptus. More tangy with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Lemon cough drops, vanilla, bonfire ash, spearmint, mentos, wood shavings. Even mintier with water added.
Last Word: Another solid effort from this new distiller. A bright future ahead indeed!
Rating: 88/100
Nose: Butterscotch, dried pears, dried apples. vanilla, sawdust, nutmeg, peanut brittle, honey, white flower petals. Very expressive. With water some earthiness and light acetone.
Palate: Butterscotch, fermented pears, nutmeg, tart pineapple, Honey Smacks Cereal, wood shavings, Hokkaido baked cheese tart crust, crunchy top creme brulee, blackberries. Medium bodied. Water brings out pavlova base.
Finish: Butter menthols, creme brulee, peanut brittle. With water some cream/butter.
Last word: In my opinion the best annual Limited Edition Komogatake yet!
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Sweet with lots of honey, vanilla, toffee chews, almonds. Tinned pears, apricot jam, white flowers, white grapes. There is also a decent amount of oak for a young whisky. Water brings out some brine, black olives & varnish.
Palate: A huge hit of wood spices! Surely a first fill cask. Quite mouth coating, not so much oiliness but butter/cream. Honey, toffee, tinned pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, Saville oranges, peanut brittle. Water brings out some sherbet zing. Medium bodied.
Finish: Nutmeg, leather, tobacco, baking spices, Danish pastry, oak. Water brings out a mineral element and white grape skins. Medium length.
Last Word: Really solid young whisky that basically says yep, we might be a new distillery, but we already know how to produce good whisky.
Rating: 85/100
Nose: Sherry, oak, shoe polish, match box, grapefruit, apple core, peppermint.
Palate: Match box, coal fire, ash, hay, grappa, horse stables. For me quite a strange funk to the palate on not in an appealing way.
Finish: Grappa, horse stables or in general just farmy, boiled eggs. Quite bizarre.
Last Word: Every now and again a distilleries house style and the cask type clash. This is one of them and I would never recognise this as a Yoichi Whisky. Like the Miyagikyo Manzanilla Cask Finish my least favorite of those I’ve tasted in the series being inferior in my opinion to both the Moscatel and Port Wood finishes. I haven’t tasted too many duds from Yoichi but this is one and possibly the worst.
Rating: 76/100
Nose: Oranges, cherries, vanilla, toffee, marmalade, a touch of struck match.
Palate: Cola, oranges, cherries, vanilla, icing sugar, cocoa. Somewhat bourbonesque in style. Light Bodied.
Finish: Cola, caramelized oranges, creamed cherry chocolate.
Last Word: Decent single malt but my least favorite of those I’ve tasted in the series being inferior in my opinion to both the Moscatel and Port Wood finishes.
Rating: 84/100