Nikka Yoichi 15 Year Old

Another Japanese whisky - seems fitting now that one is featured on the front page. Dropped by TWE and had a chat with Alex, and we decided that I needed the 15 YO, cheers Alex. Great call. Anyway.

Nose: Very sweet, very sweet indeed. Usually we talk about different kinds of peat, this is different kinds of sweetness. A distinct sheery'ness, but at the same time, it's like there's a bit of fruit juice added to the mix. The peat takes a real gentle backseat, acting more like a spice then an actual component. Very appetizing. Taste: At first - Nothing - this is a very unique delivery, it takes seconds for the flavours to arrive. When they do arrive it's very spicy, and aggressive - fairly quickly the spices subside and reveal slight gingery notes and then a nice intermezzo of sweetness. Again with the peat watching over all the different flavours. Finish: Long, well balanced, nice weight and it has a very fresh character to it. Gets slightly more nutty and peaty towards the end.

What a great whisky, it's very different and Japanese, a real tribute to the skill of the Japanese whisky makers. It's not amazing, but very solid and in the high 80s.

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