Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old

The reviewed 180 ml bottle has been open for a little more than a year and is 40% full. Thanks to @talexander for giving it to us as a gift. The review is in sequential format

Nose: when first opened, very grassy, like new-mown hay and tart lemon citrus, a hint of nutty maltiness, and slight hints of wine and vanilla. After opened a year, it is still very grassy and citrusy, with the wine, nuttiness and vanilla becoming stronger

Taste: for the first year after opening, this Yoichi 10 yo was pleasant, but rather tight in its malty flavour range. The grassy/malty nose described above translated onto the palate. Now the wine influence is more noticeable and a sweetness not much in evidence at first has developed. In this respect this reminds me of the sweetness I saw develop in a recent bottle of Highland Park 12 yo after it had had 7 months time with exposure to air. I liked this Yoichi 10 at first, but I like it better now, after it has taken a lot of air. It is broader and richer now than at first

Finish: moderate length when first opened, and ending on the tart grassy malt; long-opened this finishes on much longer pleasant sweet wine flavours with a contrast of tart citrusy barley malt

Balance: this is a pretty simple malt, which adds some complexity when it takes on air. It is always pleasant, if you like the grassy and citric qualities deriving from malted barley whisky. Most people aren't going to wait for the long-aired version of Yoichi 10 to become available to them, but if you do, it is quite a pleasant version, based on this little bottle of it

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