Tastes

sweet and smooth on the front but there's something off-putting in the finish... I can't quite tell what it is but there's an almost chemical property that lingers. otherwise somewhat light in flavor, color, and aroma

Pound cake! With butter cream frosting! ... and at this proof, where's the burn!

Trying this for the first time side by side with Evan Williams Single Barrel. The BiB is (ever so) slightly darker when compared side-by-side. There's a slight roughness to this, sour around the edges. I think this has just as much honey as the Single Barrel, but actually has more depth due to the higher proof that hides the sweetness a touch and replaces it with almost tartness. Reminds me a bit of grenadine, in that it is sweet but has hints of cherry. Low burn for 100 proof, with a medium mouthfeel

Tonight, I revisited the Chivas Mizunara side-by-side with Hibiki Japanese Harmony, which is about equally priced, and the Yamazaki 12, which is admittedly more expensive. On the nose, the Mizunara and Hibiki are very similar, but the Mizunara is slightly more potent - herbal and slightly dank, marshy, and sweet. The Mizunara is more harsh. The Yamazaki is clearly distinguishable - there's a hint of rich fruit to the Yamazaki that gives it a different quality, like a hint of ripe melon, with additional notes of caramel, toffee and condensed milk as it sits out. The Japanese Harmony picks up some sweetness as it opens, also. On the other hand, after a minute, the nose on the Mizunara seems lighter (it may be because it is comparably less aromatic and I came back to it after the Yamazaki). Flavorwise, the Chivas is a bit harsher tasting than the Hibiki but surprisingly similar. Both are herbal, but the Chivas Mizunara barrel has a slightly deeper flavor profile, with a bit more bitterness and kick. The Yamazaki is the sweetest of the three, but only barely. The Yamazaki is higher pitched and smoother, with a sour note by comparison and far less medicinal quality. Coming back to the Mizunara after the Yamazaki makes me think it is different but not necessarily inferior. This time, I'm almost getting licorice notes at the end on the Mizunara. The Japanese Harmony has the shortest finish, but is very smooth with almost no burn. The Yamazaki lingers a bit longer, but has a slight burn. The Mizunara lingers the longest, but the herbal quality that stays through the end is slightly off-putting. It has the most burn comparably but it's still quite smooth. The Hibiki is the lightest in color, followed by the Chivas, followed by the Yamazaki at darkest, but all are pretty close

Tonight, I revisited the Chivas Mizunara side-by-side with Hibiki Japanese Harmony, which is about equally priced, and the Yamazaki 12, which is admittedly more expensive. On the nose, the Mizunara and Hibiki are very similar, but the Mizunara is slightly more potent - herbal and slightly dank, marshy, and sweet. The Mizunara is more harsh. The Yamazaki is clearly distinguishable - there's a hint of rich fruit to the Yamazaki that gives it a different quality, like a hint of ripe melon, with additional notes of caramel, toffee and condensed milk as it sits out. The Japanese Harmony picks up some sweetness as it opens, also. On the other hand, after a minute, the nose on the Mizunara seems lighter (it may be because it is comparably less aromatic and I came back to it after the Yamazaki). Flavorwise, the Chivas is a bit harsher tasting than the Hibiki but surprisingly similar. Both are herbal, but the Chivas Mizunara barrel has a slightly deeper flavor profile, with a bit more bitterness and kick. The Yamazaki is the sweetest of the three, but only barely. The Yamazaki is higher pitched and smoother, with a sour note by comparison and far less medicinal quality. Coming back to the Mizunara after the Yamazaki makes me think it is different but not necessarily inferior. This time, I'm almost getting licorice notes at the end on the Mizunara. The Japanese Harmony has the shortest finish, but is very smooth with almost no burn. The Yamazaki lingers a bit longer, but has a slight burn. The Mizunara lingers the longest, but the herbal quality that stays through the end is slightly off-putting. It has the most burn comparably but it's still quite smooth. The Hibiki is the lightest in color, followed by the Chivas, followed by the Yamazaki at darkest, but all are pretty close

Tonight, I revisited the Mizunara side-by-side with Hibiki Japanese Harmony, which is about equally priced, and the Yamazaki 12, which is admittedly more expensive. On the nose, the Mizunara is herbal and slightly dank - very similar to the Hibiki, but more marshy, less sweet, and a bit more harsh. There's a hint of rich fruit to the Yamazaki that gives it a different quality, like a hint of ripe melon, with additional notes of caramel, toffee and condensed milk as it sits out. The Japanese Harmony picks up some sweetness as it opens, also. On the other hand, after a minute, the nose on the Mizunara seems lighter (it may be because it is comparably less aromatic and I came back to it after the Yamazaki). Flavorwise, the Chivas is a bit harsher tasting than the Hibiki but surprisingly similar. Both are herbal, but the Chivas Mizunara barrel has a slightly deeper flavor profile, with a bit more bitterness and kick. The Yamazaki is the sweetest of the three, but only barely. The Yamazaki is higher pitched and smoother, with a sour note by comparison and far less medicinal quality. Coming back to the Mizunara after the Yamazaki makes me think it is different but not necessarily inferior. This time, I'm almost getting licorice notes at the end on the Mizunara. The Japanese Harmony has the shortest finish, but is very smooth with almost no burn. The Yamazaki lingers a bit longer, but has a slight burn. The Mizunara lingers the longest, but the herbal quality that stays through the end is slightly off-putting. It has the most burn comparably but it's still quite smooth. The Hibiki is the lightest in color, followed by the Chivas, followed by the Yamazaki at darkest, but all are pretty close

Based on other reviews, I was led to believe this would taste like hot garbage. Honestly, it wasn't even the worst JW I've had. It was squarely just forgettable. To be fair, I had a cold-ish pour (left in a car at around 45 degrees F) from a half empty bottle, so I had the benefit of cold and oxidation, but it was pretty smooth and somewhat sweet for scotch.

Surprisingly good for the cost! Tastes young, but tastes older than 3 years. Nose is a little off-putting. Really reminds me of Scotch, but has a chemical/ glue-like smell on the back end that makes this smell much worse than it actually tastes. Doesn't really taste as spicy as some other high rye bourbons, and is very light and honey forward in taste. Really, really reminds me of Buffalo Trace in the way it tastes. For comparison, i am tasting this side-by-side with Buffalo Trace right now. Color is lighter than BT. The flavor profile is slightly different, but the quality is hard to distinguish from one to the other. After going back multiple times, the BT has a more full-mouthfeel, more caramel like quality, is sweeter, and has more depth. The Trader Joe's has a more chemical quality and is thinner.

undrinkable