World Whisky Review #32: Nikka Black 8 Year Blended Malt Whisky

Distillery: Blend

Region: Blend

ABV: 40%

Age: 8 Year

Color: 1.1, Burnished.

Nose: (according to the wife) Lots of caramel and a bit of nougat. Every now and again, there’s a little bit of peanut as well. It smells kind of like a Baby Ruth candy bar or a Snickers. (Coincidentally, she asked me to run to the store to grab one right after smelling this…)

Palate: Mouthfeel is on the thing side. It’s like drinking liquid caramel, lots of sweetness. There’s a little bit of nougat along with a trace amount of maraschino cherry and a trace bit of oak.

Finish: Medium in length. You get a lot of caramel, a bit of sugar, a bit of malt, and a trace bit of nuttiness.

Conclusion: Perhaps the easiest way to describe this is to call it a liquefied candy bar. It’s sweet, full of caramel and nougat, and all around very pleasant and easy to drink. It lacks a bit in complexity but I wouldn’t expect a whole lot from an 8 year old blend anyway. I would not mind having a bottle or two around as a daily drinker as it would make a very good dessert whisky.

Final Score: 77.

World Whisky Review #32, Japanese Whisky Review #15, Blended Malt Review #9, Whisky Network Review #265

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 (if feasible).
• 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.