Nikka Yoichi Single Malt

I opened one of my bottles and had a dram. I suspect like most whiskies what I write now will be amendable after I get further down and more air finds it way into the bottle. Thus, the following nosing/tasting are from the first dram after opening.

Before Adding Water

Nose:

Very light peat (faint) smoke/leather (similar to Taketsuru 17yo but not at the same level) Fall leaves and late summer/fall flowers Hint of sweetness - vanilla /cooked sugar Ripe fruits - citrus (a touch of sour)

Taste:

Faint hint of peat/smoke and leather Nut - mixed Fresh on the palate

After a little water

Nose:

Ripe fruits (sour) still there (but faint) Nuttiness comes out more Light smoke/peat (more faint now) Less floral (takes a big back seat for me)

Taste:

Hint of spice Oak (appears) And what was mentioned earlier

A few comments about this NAS SMW: 1. Don't expect this to be identical to any Aged Statements 2. It keeps many of the Yoichi characteristics, but they are all subtle. 3. In other words, there is no one dominant flavor that stands out. 4. Thus, the layering of flavors makes you work at it all and it is a fun adventure. 5. This is a whisky which needs a lot of time. I spent 30 minutes on it and that is because I wanted to get a comment out here as soon as I could. I am guessing time, like most SMWs will allow the exploration to be much greater for the experience.

In this NAS SMW. It might not be what Yoichi lovers want, but I am not at all disappointed.

This is the new no age-statement single malt released by Nikka on 1 September 2015 as a result of the radical restructuring of their whisky portfolio due to drastically depleted stocks. This bottling has replaced the entire Yoichi core range, i.e. the 10-, 12-, 15- and 20-year old expressions. (Nikka’s other distillery, Miyagikyo, faces exactly the same situation.) This review refers to a 500ml bottle that I picked up while on holiday in Japan.

The nose is quite light and thin. Flavours of honey, grapefruits and lemons come to the fore, together with a touch of balsamic vinegar. I also got notes of nuts and cereal. Hmm, where is the peat?

The palate is light-bodied and smooth. Now there are oranges and more lemons, mingling with soft wood spice and more nuts. At the end I detected a whiff of menthol.

The finish is of medium length and pleasantly mouth watering. Lemon and nuts flavours are back, together with some menthol at the very end.

This reminded me of the Nick Offerman sketch “That's not Lagavulin!”. Never, ever would I detect this as a Yoichi in a blind tasting. Where has the subtle peat smoke gone, where are the adorable cinnamon and rubber flavours? This is not Yoichi! I give Nikka credit for bottling this at 45% ABV, and if it were not for the rather thin nose I would actually call this a pleasant single malt as both palate and finish were quite nice. Time will tell whether Nikka will be successful with this new standard expression – unfortunately, this does not really work for me.

Nikka has entered the market with NAS bottlings from their two whisky distilleries. This is part two covering Yoichi. Sold in a 500ml bottle and a very cheap ¥1600. The labelling is simple yet effective with white labels with black printed Kanji and Katakana, the edge of the substrate looks torn and homely.

In my opinion, Yoichi is Nikka’s rising star. I am excited to see if this small bottle can deliver on the Yoichi name. A big ask for such a small price tag. So I am sitting here in my hotel room in Shinjuku. You are wondering, does it contain those big salty, floral and gentle peat notes that Yoichi has become famous for?

Nose: black peppercorns, peat, apples, sherbet

Taste: green apples, banana, vanilla, cashews, brown sugar, aniseed, honey

Finish: gentle peat on the tail end.

You are not getting those big Yoichi flavours in here. But, you are still getting a good introduction to the distilleries style. The nose really is the strong point here. A good balanced whisky that serves as a good introduction to the distillery and smashing value for the price.

Yoichi is produced at Yoichi distillery, located on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. The distillery belongs to Nikka Whisky Distilling Company that in turn is owned by Asahi Breweries. Nikka was established in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, one of the founders of the Japanese whisky industry. Interestingly, the distillery continues to use coal to direct fire its pot stills, a method that Masataka Taketsuru originally learned in Scotland (and that has now almost disappeared out there).

The nose is delightfully rich and fruity. It starts off with vanilla and honey flavours, followed by banana, fudge, hints of sherry and a rich maltiness. Very light smoke lingers in the background.

The palate is medium-bodied and mouth-filling with vanilla, honey and syrupy flavours taking centre stage. Some salt and hints of soap are there, too, followed by light smoke. Towards the end a tannic dryness slowly manifests itself.

The finish is of medium length and dry. Both smoky and malty elements are there, followed by minty sweetness.

I am very, very much impressed by this no age statement single malt. The nose is very rich and fruity, the palate is both complex and sweet, and the finish is satisfyingly long. And light smoke underpins it all. Even for a single malt with an age statement that would be quite an assessment, but for a NAS one? The 500ml bottle that I picked up at a super market in Japan cost me about 1,600 yen (about 11 Euros or 16 US dollars). This is too good to be true – was there ever better value for money?!? If you see a bottle, grab it!

Superb. Complex. Alcohol noticeable on the unreduced nose. Figs, toffee, caramel, honey and Madeira wine. Oily and complex. 18 yo not sure but Bourbon style finish.