Nose: Noses somewhat like a Yoichi. Earthy peat(very Yoichi), blueberries(very Yoichi), ripe peaches. Worn in denim, minerals. There’s a soft perfume note that floats over the top. Some heated copper and sulphur that I found on the palate of the Yoichi Non-Peated with water added.
Palate: This is where this whisky really starts to shine. Rich and oily mouth feel. Earthy peat, milk chocolate, cafe latte, toffee, honey, vanilla sponge cake, pepper, cashews, butter. Some peach sherbet with water added. Full bodied.
Finish: Earthy, oily, oaky. Leather, cashews, toffee and some subtle smokiness. Water brings out pepper, minerality, more oak tannins and lengthens the finish.
Last Word: Like it’s counterpart the Yoichi Non-Peated, I’m not convinced this is worth the asking price. However, this is a big step up in balance and complexity of the standard Miyagikyo No Age Statement and a pleasant surprise.
Rating: 89/100
Hey, since is the most recent article, I’m leaving my post here.
Just got back to Japan after a near 3 year hiatus, thanks to COVID-19, and the JP government’s strict entry policies (which they’re about to lift).
So, you would think with the lack of tourists over the last 3 years, there would be more Japanese whisky available. Sadly it’s just the opposite. I went to all of my usual haunts in Tokyo, including a few secret places, and everyone is out of real Japanese Whisky. The best I could find was an Akashi Sherry Cask 5 year and a Komagatake 3 year 2022 edition. Prices are higher, BTW, but the weak yen helps offset that.
If you want to pay a huge premium, some luxury boutique liquor shops will sell you a Yamazaki 18 for 120,000 yen ($829 USD) or Liquor Mountain in Ginza will sell you Yamazaki limited edition 2016 for 160,000 yen. Yamazaki 12 is 25,000 yen, if you can find it. But right now some Japanese liquor stores, and other shops are paying top yen for Japanese whisky, because they’re in short supply. If the Yen wasn’t so weak against the USD, I might have considered it for some of my spares.
If you’re really looking for Japanese whisky, the European whisky auction market is probably a better bet.
Happy Hunting.