World Whisky Review #51: Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish

Distillery: Yoichi.

Region: Japan.

Age: NAS.

ABV: 46.0%.

Cask Type: Rum Cask Finish.

Cask Number: 10712.

Color: 0.9, Amontillado Sherry.

This dram is the twenty-first of 2022’s Christmas Countdown! Whiskies from previous years can be found here.

Every year, I look at the advent calendar offerings that pop up across the pond and think that it would be super cool to do something like that (it is actually the inspiration for my review spree in December). Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to do one so between /u/federalagents, /u/DangerousDoorknob, and I we put our own together! This is the twentieth dram of the calendar. It was reviewed partially blind as in I know the whiskies in the calendar but not the order.

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Nose: There is a bit of a waxy note, it is more like a petroleum jelly or some of the waxy-film stuff than candle wax. Fruity notes in the form of honeydew melon, super sweet Asian pears, and more orchard fruits come through. A bit of a sharp grapefruit wraps things up.

Palate: The mouthfeel is a waxy, not super strong but clearly present. Some notes of honeydew melon and roasted barley tea make it through. Couple of drops of water brings out some lemon notes along with grapefruit slices in syrup. It is a bit fire-y for me, but not unpleasantly so.

Finish: Medium to short. Grapefruit and mineral water are the main notes.

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Guess: Scotland. Malt. Island. 26-30 Year. 43-46% ABV. Tobermory.

Reveal: Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish.

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Conclusion: I really enjoyed the only other Yoichi I’ve had so I was looking forward to this one in the Advent Calendar. Nikka did a really nice job with this one. It is fruity, waxy, and overall quite tasty. Despite being relatively low in ABV, it did come across a bit fire-y to me but not too badly. I wouldn’t pay the price tag for it, at several hundred dollars there are certainly better drams that deliver similar profiles for cheaper, but I’m glad to have had it.

Final Score: 84.

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World Whisky Review #51, Japanese Whisky Review #23, Whisky Network Review #603

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky and I will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible.
• 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product and I’m likely wanting a bottle or two.
• 80-84: Quite good, pleasant overall though there is usually a few things that could be improved still.
• 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed.
• 70-74: Alright, solid and 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.