World Whisky Review #8: Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Distillery: Blend of Yoichi and Miyagikyo

Region: Japan

ABV: 51.4%

Age: Blend

Price: $7 for a 30 mL sample

Color: 1.4, Tawny, NCF and Natural Color (which I have to say is stunning)

Nose (according to the wife): Extremely fruity with lots of citrus notes, particularly Chinese quince. There are also some notes of honey in here as well.

Palate: Just like the nose teases, there is a lot of citrus (I also thought of the Chinese quinces) and honey in here. There is a bit of sweetness to it from the honey. The mouthfeel is very rich and full. Towards the back, there is a slight bitter/nutty note. I couldn’t tell if it was walnuts or almonds. With a bit of water, it gets a bit sweeter and buttery through some notes of sweet corn and along with just a bit nuttier. It reminded me of bourbon, actually.

Finish: The finish is medium in length ending in a sweet nutty note—almost like honey roasted almonds. There is spice from fresh oak in here as well.

Conclusion: I am a huge fan of every Nikka offering I’ve been able to try and this one is no different. It was absolutely delicious from beginning to the end with some well built layers of flavor. I wish you could find this easier in the US because this is wonderful.

Final Score: 81

World whisky review #8, Japanese whisky review #7, Whisky Network Review #33

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection.
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.