Nikka Yoichi 20 yo
(52%, OB 2008, 22G10B)

Nose: big notes of cedar wood up front. Cigar boxes. Tobacco leaves. Old leather. Nice to see there’s also an estery note (nail polish) but this fades away quickly. Dark forest fruits remain. After that, some earthy smoke, burnt cake and a little tar. Hints of dried mushrooms and soft spices. Incense as well. Light matchstick notes from the sherry. Excellent complexity and typically Japanese. Mouth: punchy (bordering on pungent). Again quite savoury and leathery. Walnuts and roasted pecans. Deep, earthy peat smoke. Pepper, liquorice, anise, a pinch of salt. In the background a strong bitter-sweet harmony of burnt fruit cake and dark chocolate. Slightly sourish tobacco leaves. Finish: very long, smoky and chocolaty with traces of dry oak.

It’s a delicious and uniquely Japanese profile, but for some people it might be too extreme in its earthy savouriness. I love it though. Around € 230 for recent batches. Thanks Joeri!

Score: 91/100

Longmorn 43 yo 1967 (52,6%, G&M for Japan Import System 2010, Book of Kells, refill sherry butt #753, 393 btl.)

Nose: big, powerful, old sherry. Rum & raisins, plums, dried figs as well as fresher raspberry. Whiffs of menthol and oak polish. Leather. Milk chocolat. Some gentle smoke in the background. Mouth: beautiful balance of dark sherry notes (cherry liqueur, dark chocolate, bitter almonds), dark caramel, roasted nuts and fruits (sour cherries, raspberry). Big hints of coffee powder. A little verbena. Cinnamon and nutmeg. A salty note as well (liquorice). Some tannins. Finish: very long, on dried fruits and salty oak.

Very heavy sherry with obvious oak but no astringent woodiness! Completely different from the other 1967, but equally great nectar in my opinon. Thanks again, Johannes! Around € 350 in auctions.

Score: 92/100

Longmorn 42 yo 1967 (53,1%, G&M for Japan Import System 2009, Book of Kells, refill sherry hogshead #3342, 162 btl.)

Nose: elegant nose on honey, stewed fruits and dried flowers. Hints of incense and waxed oak. Dried apricots and nuts. Very ripe oranges and quinces. Tropical notes such as papaya and guava. Whiffs of eucalyptus and mint. Leather as well. Softer than some 1970’s Longmorns but just as complex. Great so far. Mouth: nicely fruity (citrus, pear, apricot jam) with a fair amount of warm oak. Pepper and liquorice. Develops on pink grapefruit with a hint of ginger. A tad less complex than on the nose but quite wonderful. Finish: long, with the same aromas.

Although the wood has its say after 42 years, this is another lovely Longmorn, Thanks Johannes! Around € 350 in auctions.

Score: 92/100

La Maison du Whisky

I suppose all these single casks will be quite limited.

Miyagikyo 23 yo 1988
(57%, OB 2011, cask #92414)

Nose: exotic fruits (ripe pineapple, banana) and mirabelles come out first, together with cigar boxes. Then a lot of vanilla, sawdust and beeswax. Hints of eucalyptus and white pepper. Lusciously warm. Mouth: punchy with a fine layer of oak. Still quite creamy and fruity at first (blackcurrant, apricot, plums, hints of Turkish delight) but quickly developing on spices (vanilla, pepper, light ginger). A slightly sharp peatiness as well. Light grassy / leathery notes in the end. Finish: long, spicy with vanilla and light peat. Again these notes of oak shavings.

A very fine Japanese malt, with traces of peat and some very prominent new oak notes. Exclusively available from La Maison du Whisky but I’ve noticed a few bottles are on their way to Holland as well. Around € 145.

Score: 88/100

Ootori 15 yo (40%, OB, 66 cl.)

Nose: creamy and biscuity. Plenty of vanilla cake. Peach and green banana. Coconut. Some hay. Sweet with big grain notes but also a volcanic / spicy hint of Karuizawa malt. Mouth: a bit strange, sweet and mineral, creamy and slightly harsh at the same time. Shows malty notes and some fruits (oranges and the coconut / banana combo again). Finish: quite short with vanilla and chocolate.

Certainly enjoyable, but at times the grain and malt components seem to fight each other rather than… well… blend. Interesting but too expensive for what it is. Around € 75.

Score: 80/100

Karuizawa 32 yo 1977
(60,7%, OB 2010, cask 4592, 190 btl.)

Nose: earthy and meaty. Roasted coffee. Incense. Charred steak. Very smoky for a Karuizawa. All of this mixed with a lovely sweetness of chocolate and black cherries. Precious spices like Szechuan and cardamom. Sandalwood and tobacco. Mouth: hot with big peppery notes. Quite sharp at first, then some dry walnuts and leather, sweeter caramel, dark chocolate and bags of cigar leafs. Lovely chocolate / cherry combo. Really great. Camphor, hints of tar even. Some liquorice. Wow. Finish: long and rich, spicy..

Another extreme Karuizawa. Interesting to see it shows a bigger and different kind of smokiness – not the usual matchstick notes from other bottlings. The savouriness is quite exceptional. With a slightly bigger fruitiness this would have been heavenly. Originally around € 170 – now sold for crazy amounts.

Score: 91/100

In Europe we can now find limited quantities of three White Oak versions: a blended version at 40% and the 5yo and 12yo single malt versions.

Akashi White Oak 5 yo (45%, OB 2011)

Nose: smooth with lots of yellow apple, powder sugar and angelica fruits. A bit synthetic. Honeyed tea. Corn flakes. Unfortunately there’s also a yeasty / rubbery side to it which doesn’t seem to fit, a strange mixture of plastics and cookie dough. Mouth: sweet with a rather weak attack. A simple malty core, with plenty of apple flavours again (cider) and grainy notes. Ginger maybe, but that’s about it. Not exactly raw but pretty immature and synthetic nonetheless. Finish: very short and rather grainy.

Although Eigashima is proud of its oldest Japanese license to distil whisky, this White Oak is a far way from more experienced producers like Yamazaki or Karuizawa. Around € 45.

Score: 67/100

Nikka Pure Malt White (43%, OB 2010, 50cl)

Nose: a very refined mix of elegant peat (clear and present, but not a kick in your face) and juicy fruits. Cold ashes, medicinal notes in the distance. Great balance with the Japanese influence: coconut cream, oranges, nectarine, passion fruit, a little leather. Hints of vanilla. I really like the fusion. Mouth: starts Caol Ila-esk: smoky and slightly peppery. Hints of walnuts. Evolves on malty notes with honey and a distinct floweriness, which develops into a clear soapiness. Is this Yoichi and 1980′s Bowmore then? Bowmore is owned by Suntory, so it’s unlikely they would sell spirit to their opponent Nikka, but you never know. Finish: again quite floral (violets and lavender) with a dry peatiness.

Flowery notes are sometimes a bit tricky and personally I have difficulty with all kinds of soapy notes. Maybe other batches are more enjoyable? Around € 30 (50 cl).

Score: 75/100

This concludes our little Japanese series. Some great Longmorns coming up after the weekend.

After this release, there have been other limited single malt Chichibu bottlings (new hogshead, double matured and heavily peated).

Chichibu Newborn 4 months 2008
(62,5%, OB 2008, bourbon barrel #126)

Nose: clean and sweet with candy sugar and pear drops. Orchard fruits. Plum eau-de-vie. On the other hand, it’s also slightly spicy, like a good Dutch jenever, which is less typical for new spirit. Also slightly flowery (jasmin?). Mouth: strong, big notes of muesli and oats, some dried apricots. Hints of grappa. Also a faint earthy element (nice to see this in new-make already). Finish: grainy and quite spirity.

I don’t have the experience to spot a really good new-make among the normal ones, but this Chichibu shows a few notes that I hadn’t seen in new-make before. Simple but promising I would say. Around € 75.

Score: 65/100

Yamazaki 18 yo (43%, OB 2008, L8CP3)

Nose: very very smooth, with a great interaction of chocolate, raisins and oak polish (maybe even a little glue). Soft vanilla. Luscious fruity notes, both dried (dates) and fresh (red fruits). Rather oriental as well: hints of baklava and incense, with a wonderful dampness. Herbal tea. Leather. Hints of dark rum. Syrup. Mouth: quite oaky now (with a resulting sourness) but this adds to the oriental character. Dried fruits (dates, prunes) freshened with citrus peel. Caramel. Creamy sherry notes. Bramble and honey. Tobacco. Finish: balanced sweet / dry and medium long. Maybe a hint of smoke?

A top quality dram, full of Japanese character but very rounded as well, which is slightly less common for Nippon whisky. No surprise it wins so many awards, this is highly recommended.

Be sure to shop around, because I’ve seen prices between € 85 and € 135 from retailers that usually have a similar price setting.

Score: 90/100

Nikka ‘From the barrel’ (51,4%, OB 2010, 50cl)

Nose: fruity and floral, with apricot, banana and pineapple aromas, oranges and some fresh oak. Honey. Almonds. Cinnamon sticks and vanilla, a little pepper as well. A balanced sherry nose. Mouth: creamy with plenty of punch at the same time. The grains are maybe a little too sharp around the edges, but the rest is very tasty. Malt and nougat. Caramelized sugar. Fresh lemon. Fruit tea. Drier towards the end, with spices like nutmeg. Even a hint of peat? Finish: quite long, malty and spicy with a lightly bitter edge.

This is a well-made, intense whisky that’s not easy to recognize as a blend. Around € 25 (50 cl) so great value for money.

Score: 80/100

Hakushu 12 yo 1997 (56%, OB for Whisky-Live 2009, hogshead BJ41521)

Nose: dry flowers, hay and polished oak. Then soft fruits (apple, pear, whitecurrant). A little vanilla and mint. Mouth: sweet and fruity (candy sugar, pineapple sweets, peaches) backed by spices (vanilla, ginger, pepper) and fresh oak. There’s a light floral element as well. Clean, sweet and quite simple. Finish: medium length, half fruity / half spicy.

This is a youthful and modern Japanese whisky. As often, the oak (nice and fresh) and spices play a big role. Not too far from Scotch matured in first fill casks or Virgin oak. Around € 130.

Score: 81/100

Karuizawa 1991 (62,5%, OB 2007,
sherry cask #3318)

Nose: very strong and slightly rubbery. Volcanic ashes? At the same time, the hotness prevents other aromas to come out, it definitely needs some time to open up. Some sherry notes (of the earthy, mossy kind) and spices (pepper, ginger). Roasted nuts and baked pie. Blackberries and dried figs. Getting more floral over time. Mouth: hot, dry and sherried, with the original malt shining through after a few moments. Sweet coffee. Plums and dates. Very spicy, quite overwhelming. Slightly smoky and salty. Not much difference with water. Finish: long, hot and spicy.

An earthy / ashy expression of Karuizawa.
Not a quick charmer, but it gains balance if you let it breathe. Around € 90 at the time, now sold out. Thanks for the sample swap, Johan.

Score: 86/100

Yamazaki 12 yo 1996
(60%, OB for Whisky-Live Japan 2009,
sherry butt AX70012)

Nose: deep sherry with fruity notes (sourish raspberry, red apples), nutty notes (walnuts) and oak resin. A little mint. Heavy sherry but faultless. Mouth: thick and compact. Starts dry and hugely oaky with dried fruits, walnuts and ginger. Evolves nicely on sweeter, creamy flavours like vanilla and chocolate ganache. Exotic woods. Pepper. Finish: smoky with great roasted coffee beans and milk chocolate.

Very big and packed with wonderful sherry notes. Not very complex though, and there are heavy wood flavours. Now sold for € 200 and more here in Europe, too much from a quality perspective.

Score: 86/100

Anyway Mizunara oak is commonly used for the maturation of whisky (especially by Chichibu and Yamazaki) and was used to finish this Ichiro’s Malt whisky. Read this Nonjatta article if you’re interested in the characteristics of Japanese oak.

This Mizunara Wood Reserve is a vatted malt (undisclosed, but probably from the Hanyu and Chichibu distilleries).

Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve
(46%, OB 2010)

Nose: many woody notes, like a carpenter’s workshop. Sandalwood, mint and ginger. Soft grassy notes. Hints of incense. Some fruity notes and indeed also a faint coconut aroma in the background. Gets more aromatic over time. Not unlike some modern “oak-boosted” Scotch whisky, especially with Virgin oak finishes. Mouth: underpowered I’m afraid and lacking intensity. A little pepper and allspice. Then grows slightly sour (wood extracts) with a salty edge. Herbal and oaky but still washed out. Soft grapefruit. Finish: very short, slightly gingery.

The nose is nice enough (within its genre), but the palate fails to deliver. Hard to recommend unless you have a scientific interest in Japanese oak.
Around € 110. Thanks for the sample, Jack.

Score: 78/100

This 20 years old 1988 vintage is a mixture of four Miyagikyo whisky styles, with different peating levels and different cask types (recharred casks, remade casks and a sherry butt).

Nikka Miyagikyo 1988 (50%, OB 2008, 1500 btl.)

Nose: nice and sensual, with lots of apricots and vanilla. Yellow plums. Slightly exotic. Furniture polish and beeswax. Gooseberries. A little frangipane. It shows elements of 1970’s Glen Grant, or 1972 Glengoyne, or 1970 Glen Keith. Good enough, right? Plus, there’s the softest hint of peat in the background. Mouth: starts on peppery wood, with slightly more pronounced peat. Leather. Overall rather sweet, with dried fruits (plums again) and a kind of bubblegummy / synthetic fruitiness. Evolves on a cheapish lychee liqueur (not as bad as it sounds, really). Finish: quite long, on dried apricots and old furniture.

A great nose with a slightly less appealing palate. Overall very nice, with a unique all-round profile among Japanese whiskies (subtle sherry, subtle peat, exotic fruits). Around
€ 215, still a few bottles available.

Score: 87/100

There’s a Hakushu and Yamazaki bottled for Whisky-Live Japan, a Karuizawa 1991, several Nikka bottlings, the highly praised Yamazaki 18yo, a Mizunara wood finish etc.

See you tomorrow!

Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries
(46%, OB 2010)

Nose: sweet and rounded, quite biscuity with a fruity hint of honeysuckle and apple. Plenty of oak as well, mainly freshly cut wood and a hint of varnish. A little bourbonny I would say. After a while, it turns to slightly oriental sandalwood aromas. Mouth: starts spicy (nutmeg, cinnamon, a little pepper), followed by a wave of young malty notes. The combination of youth and plenty of oak flavours is a bit strange. There’s also a slightly disturbing soapy note. Finish: drier and faintly bitter with oak flavours, mint, some ginger and liquorice.

The duality of Hanyu and Chichibu results in an interestingly different dram. If only the woodiness were a little less invasive and the price a little lower. Around € 85.

Score: 81/100

The seven are Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, GlenGyle, Kilchoman and Springbank. They represent the Islands, Speyside, Highlands, Islay, Campbeltown and Lowlands.

The idea came from Euan Mitchell, managing director of Arran, and the seven casks will be blended by BenRiach’s Master Distiller Billy Walker.

The combined contribution will produce approximately 2000 bottles with 1200 available in the UK. The remainder will be shipped to Japan with some being donated for sale in New Zealand to assist with relief in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

With the support of suppliers and partners, including retailers, a conservative estimate is that at least £50,000 will be donated to the relief effort.

The Spirit of Unity will be available by the end of April. Pre-orders at £59 per bottle are now being taken at www.royalmilewhiskies.com and www.LFW.co.uk

It was probably a finish as red oak is very open-grained and prone to leaks, it simply can’t be used for 20 years. A sister cask #378 was bottled in the Ichiro’s Malt series last year.

Hanyu 19 yo 1991 (56%, Nectar of the
Daily Drams, cask #377, Red Oak heads)

Nose: very spicy, a little oriental (cinnamon, ginger, mint). Big notes of cigar boxes. Some tangerine and cloves (hints of a high-end vermouth). Butterscotch and fruit cake. Pancake syrup. Nice hints of beeswax and leather. Mouth: powerful and pleasantly oaky with intense spices again. Pepper, some liquorice, a little ginger. Faint hints of aniseed. Sweet dried fruits as well (prunes to name just one) but overall quite savoury. A few smoky undertones. Finish: long but only the deeper spicy notes seem to stand out, most of the freshness disappears. Not too dry.

Hanyu traditionally shows a high oak influence with plenty of spices. This is no different, and I know for some people it will be “too Japanese”. Quite a hefty price as well: around € 180. The combination of its particular profile and price means this will probably be on the shelves a little longer.

Score: 88/100