Tastes

The nose on this is much prettier than I expected, overripe bruised apples kick it off early, then mellow out to reveal delicate white grapes followed by malted cereal. Nothing seems to try and take over from the other.. quite soft and light. Palate is coated initially in a bright honey, but doesn’t hang around long enough to be overwhelmingly sweet. It shifts at just the right moment to more grassy flavors, as if I just left the beehives and am now strolling through a flowering field. This evolves to more earthy tones, some light peat and then heavier malt, all while staying lively and interesting. The finish is quick; a little pepper, a little wood, and a little warmth from the proof. This whisky is good, and feels like it’s close to being great. The palate is interesting and delicious but it just moves too quick so I’m left wanting more. If you are looking for a tasty and reasonably priced Japanese dram, I would recommend snagging a bottle of this.

After recently reviewing pours from the 12/15/18 year bottles I got for Xmas, this was a budget buy that I thought would be at the very least interesting. I’ve started to get used to the different sherry and wine finishes but not even sure I’ve had a rum finish. The nose is soft and sweet, with butterscotch and vanilla leading the way. Those aromas don’t put up much of a fight though, they quickly fold into cereal and ethanol. Still enjoyable, but you can tell you paid 33 CAD for the bottle. The palate is more interesting than the nose, if just slightly. It leads with a bit of a syrupy sweetness, not like honey or fruit or maple.. just sugary. It then transitions to classic blended scotch territory, giving you malted grain, earthy umami notes and ending with some faint baking spices. The finish might be the most unexpected of all, it actually builds from the somewhat flat palate. Dry notes from the wood initially, but then an unexpected shot of sweetness which actually does make a nice finish. Is it great? No, but it’s cheaper then JW Red here, and only 5 dollars more then White Label which I despise. For a budget blended scotch, this is sweet and easy and all I wish is that is had some smoke.

Nose starts off with chalky sweet candy corn which I don’t particularly like, but stay with it. After a few mins of breathing a wonderful Concord grape shows up, delivering bright shiny fruit that reminds me of an Irish. Behind that there’s the smell of honey in a fresh cut field. Palate comes in fast and firm with that honey again, but you are now out of the field and in the barn. (A nice one). Leather, malt, oak and baking spice are all playing at almost the same time for a somewhat quick but still flavorful sip. That baking spice hangs on for a while in the finish as well. Not too much else there though. This is a very good dram and I’m happy to have a bottle. I have only had a few others from this line so my experience is limited but I’m looking forward to seeing what else Nikka has out there.

After liking the Sovereign and really liking the 225, excited for what this 228 brings to the table. The nose is understated and slow to leave the glass, just meandering around the glencairn forcing me to work for it. When found there is lots of dark jammy fruit followed by rich malt. There is some pepper and leather notes just way in the back. The palate starts off with some of the sweetness that the other expressions showed, then explodes into cereal and baking spice notes, far more aggressive and spiky than I expected. The clove,cinnamon, allspice doesn’t let up and makes it hard to discern much else. Finish is medium long, and only here does the pepper and baking spice bomb let up enough to get at some of the barrel notes hiding from being in the burgundy barrels. After the previous two from Tullabardine I wasn’t expecting this much life jumping out of this. The spice level is definitely reminiscent of a similar proof Rye, minus the anise and herbs. It’s not super complex, (and if it is I can’t tell) but it’s not boring, so give it a try.

After reviewing their Sovereign expression I’m eager to continue up the line to see how these different finishing casks compare. I don’t know much about Sauternes but I doubt that will get in the way of my enjoyment. The nose takes you on a bit of a trip, initially there is lots of fruit and honey, then it disappears and I’m transported to the malting floor of the distillery... rich earthy cereal notes aplenty. But then back up the roller coaster you go, into more citrus mixed with some peppery spice. It very much reminds me of Glenmorangie 10. The first sip coats your palate in a syrupy sweetness, which doesn’t sound good as I type it but it is quite pleasant. This layer gives the zingy peppery notes something to cling to as they wake up the sides of the tongue while everywhere else is engulfed in a rich umami dominated by malted grain. Finish goes back to the tried and true pepper notes, which aren’t necessarily spicy but demand you pay attention. This is a not a very complex dram, in fact somewhat simple, but what’s there is delicious and interesting enough to want to keep going for another sip. I have the 228 and 500 to try next and if this is the improvement on the Sovereign I’m in for a treat this week.

Looking at the distiller score for this does not fill me with confidence before going in, but the Gentleman Jack score is 91 so anything can happen. The nose is very malt and honey forward, with some phenolic notes that are just a bit acrid around the edges. Simple and friendly, nothing to get excited about. The palate is better than the nose foretold, leading with more honey sweetness and lots of grain, white pepper and more heat then expected from the 43%. Those acrid edges from the nose show up next, with just the faintest flavors of ash and wood at the back. Also just oily enough to also make it feel more expensive then it is. Finish is medium in length and light on substance; a little spice, a little tannin bitterness and that’s it. I actually think this is better then what it’s been scored, and while I wouldn’t ever seek this bottle out again, I wouldn’t be against snagging a pour at the bar either.

I received a bottle of 12/15/18 for Xmas and after reviewing (and enjoying) the 12/15 tonight we tuck into the most senior of the bunch. The nose is much more decadent then expected, aromas of fresh bread and cherries, followed quickly by citrus zest and malted cereal and baking spices. It really is Christmas dessert in a glass. The palate does not deliver the sweetness that I was expecting from the nose, instead offering up more of the grain up front, then quickly changing to bittersweet baking chocolate and then rolls into vanilla with a few of those spices from the nose showing up. Rather thin and somewhat flat. Not much of a finish, in fact not really even sure there’s enough to mention one. A little disappointed in the palate after such a great nose. After trying the 3 expressions in a row, it seems the added years in the barrel have mellowed things out a little too much for my liking. The 12 and the 15 were just lively enough to make them a bit more interesting, but since this was a gift, it will absolutely be enjoyed.

Back in August when I got word that Jim Murray named this whiskey of the year 2020, I thought well that’s odd, I see it everyday here and nobody buys it.. maybe I should get a couple bottles. Glad I did cuz it was gone everywhere by the end of the day. After all these months I haven’t cracked it open but figured on this quarantine New Year’s Eve I can’t end 2020 without tasting the “best” whiskey of the year. The nose is rich and understated, nutty and spicy and chocolate all at the same time. Let it breathe and the proof starts to flex its muscles a bit with some sharp ethanol notes spiking up. In between those shards is more delicate toffee and vanilla. The first sip overwhelms the senses, with 65.1% doing what it was meant to do. Hot, spicy & woody and not much else. Let’s give this another try. Being slightly acclimated on the second sip helps to find a citrusy sweetness on the front of the palate followed by a full mouthful of rye grain, like I was out in the field chewing it right off the tillers. Then baking spice and pepper are cranked up to 11 followed by some significant heat that rounds out the experience. The finish is shorter then I expected, about medium, with dry bitter wood notes and not much else. Is it the best whiskey I’ve had this year out of the 80 I’ve reviewed? Nope. This is almost more like a party trick you play on your friends to watch them squirm.. however if you like Rye this is a flavor explosion of grain and spice that should be on your list.

After just opening and tasting a pour from a bottle of 12, I figured there was enough time to also crack the 15 before it gets too late for a proper comparison. The nose on this 15 is indeed enticing. It is velvety and muted, forcing you to explore more. Only after a few mins does it give up its scents of honey, caramel and vanilla, and just a tiny bit of ethanol. The palate is not as sweet as I expected, and jumps right into the main event delivering malted barely and grain wrapped in baking spices.. not much transition or evolution to speak of.. just in, then out. Finish is thin but some decent warmth from the floor proof. Like the 12 there is some pepper here as well. Overall this and the 12 are somewhat evenly matched.. the 15 has a far more luxurious nose, and the 12 has a little more of an interesting palate, albeit slightly less refined. Good scotch, just not great scotch.

My only experience with Dewars has so far been White Label (which I gave 1 star) but being gifted a bottle of 12, 15 & 18 for Xmas was pretty cool regardless. Just sitting down with the dram I already know this will be a better experience then the White.. The nose has a decent presence, delivering stewed fruits and cream. Behind that there is a long chocolate layer that turns to malt...somewhat simple but enjoyable nonetheless. The palate is sweet with honey and cereal, and initially feels rich and oily, but this one is a trickster. As soon as you realize your surprise, it thins out and is gone. As it leaves you there is some Werthers Original and vanilla with just a few zaps of pepper remind you that you just took a sip. Finish is short and thin, with some wood and more pepper just barely hanging on. Overall this is a very friendly whisky with not a lot going on and reminds me of a Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich in that it’s what I would imagine a good beginner scotch to be. Should you buy it? No, but getting it as a gift is great.