Tastes

Richly appointed nose with a plethora of baking spices, vanilla and boozy whiskey balls. A light entry on the palate that teases you with a feather touch, but quickly transforms into a powerhouse of intense oakiness. A dry, woody flavor permeates the grain bill, leaving any inherent sweetness incognito. The body is medium, and the finish is extra long. We find this whiskey to be perfect for an Old-Fashioned, Mint Julep or Gold Rush; basicaly any cocktail that calls for an extra bit of sweetness.

Loads of enticing vanilla on the nose, with a warm, laid back easiness. Pipe tobacco, raisin, dark dried cherry, cocoa and cake batter are but a few of the scents. On the tongue, things are drier, with a hefty dose of oak. The ex-Armagnac adds a lot of high notes of light sweetness and vine fruit. The body is medium-light and has a soft approach. At the finish, more tannins creep in, leaving a dry sensibility on the palate. An elegant and traditional Cigar Blend that is a current favorite in the offices.

Strong, woody nose with a semi-sweet malt perfume. The entry onto the palate is rich, heavily flavored with deep notes of malted grain, a slight sweetness picked up from the ex-bourbon casks, and a heady, high spiciness of cinnamon on the finish. The body is medium-heavy and hits all sides of the mouth with a vivacious energy. All ends with a long finish that leaves you wanting another dram. Really well done, and one of the finer Indian whiskies we've tasted.

There's plenty of character here to go around. Loads of char on the nose, with a brooding, dark sensibility.  On the tongue, the presentation is laid out quite well, with a healthy dose of molasses, brickle, toffee and rich roasted corn. The mouthfeel has a slight creaminess and well as a smattering of high tannic notes. It makes for an interesting flavor journey. One can almost imagine stepping back into time with each sip. A real gem and a whiskey that shows a consistent dedication to America's early bourbon heritage. Highly recommended!

Engaging, lightly peated nose, with a mouthwatering malty perfume. Elegant and straightforward entry on the palate, with a woody presentation and somewhat tannic entrance. After a minute, some sweeter notes come out, along with some light baking spices and warm toastiness. A light mouthfeel, with a fairly long finish. A perfect representation of a Speyside whisky, and one that has a lot of terroir.

A fruity, slightly smokey and bright nose. Impressive smoothness for a relatively high ABV, adding low end theatrics to a very grape forward single malt. The autumnal qualities are quite apparent, as the flavors come together with harvest-like flavors of vine fruit, field barley and malt, along with aging cut wood stave. The muscat flavor goes on and on, with a record breaking finish that doesn't stop for several minutes. Overall, this is a unique Irish expression that will appeal to wine lovers as well as whiskey enthusiasts.

Delicate, light and comprised of ethereal high notes. The initial impression upon tasting is a compact bomb of sweetness, barely corraled by what appears to be a young cask aging. But, this is a deception, as the sponge candy formerly so apparent, soon transitions into a lot of oak and darkening tannins. A real surprise that makes the profile hard to nail down. This is the kind of whisky that would make a superior highball in the Japanese tradition, but as a limited edition release, I doubt that many will pursue that avenue of enjoyment. However, on its own, Nikka The Grain stands as a testament to the exquisite skill of masterful blending. For the Japanese whisky collector, you will not do better in 2023 than this elegant release.

The grape of the muscat hits right from the get go, adding a lot of fruity, slightly musky high notes on the nose. Out of the glass, the flavor is smooth, round, creamy and very dessert-like. A lot of muscat sweetness along with the inherent malt creates a lovely lightly glazed pie crust character. A perfect after dinner dram. As for the finish, it fades on an even keel, ending with a lovely lingering sweetness. A real gem of a whisky.

Bright, eye-opening and cheery honeyed nose of malt spirit. The flavor profile is compact, intense and leans towards a sweet biscuit character. All areas of the mouth are splashed with a soft woodiness and shortbread in equal measure. The finish is medium-long, ending on a semi-dry note. Overall, this is a solid and tasty single malt that has heritage and competency. We approve.