Tastes

On the nose, some standard floral wheat notes plus... banana. Yep, banana. And vanilla ice cream, so if you get banana split from this I can see why. This is indeed sweet; it tastes like banana pudding with vanilla wafers, and once I realized that it brought a smile to my face. There are some oak notes as well. The finish is mostly short, with a bit of bitterness that lingers. This is a soft sipper, but it does have some heat that stings you every now and then. This is like a tiramisu dessert that has alcohol in it, except instead of tiramisu it's banana pudding. If you're in the restaurant business, feel free to steal that idea, just give me a free dessert if I show up for a meal. 4/30/17

135 proof. The nose doesn't seem to reflect the high proof, it seems I can smell this all day without any sting. Getting some floral honey and some wood, a bit of vanilla. Pleasant nose. On the tongue, this definitely claws at you. Sharp and prickly, with a horseradish-like kick through the sinuses. Getting some turpentine, toffee, leather, cinnamon. Some sweetness, but this definitely is more of an old uncles sitting around a wooden table type of bourbon, if that makes any sense. Lingering bitterness. This is potent, an assault on your chest. Added a limestone water ice cube, let it melt a little, brought out additional sharpness and maybe a bit of sugar, and some vanilla aftertaste. Looking forward to seeing how this develops with some air time. 4/29/17

On the nose, stewed fruits (like applesauce being cooked), chewing gum, and a surprising alcohol burn. On the palate, this is hotter than I expected. Juicy Fruit and Big Red chewing gum, some woody bitterness and typical Rye spice that linger for an extra few breaths. Mouthfeel is a bit thin. 4/28/17

I really like the smell of wheaters. This one is sweet but with a surprising kick of baking spice and heat to it. Short finish. Pleasant sipper. 4/26/17

Interesting, kind of smells like a wheater. Some faint citrus and floral notes, and lots of oak and vanilla. On the tongue, a burst of flavor, sweet cinnamon, like Big Red chewing gum. Sharp wood and leather notes as well, then a short to medium finish, except for some spice and bitterness which remain. 4/20/17

Smoky, salty, intense. If you're not a peat fan then avoid this. If you are, this seems to have layers. 4/20/17 Not as intense this time. Besides the strong peat, it's actually pretty smooth. Nuanced, underneath the peat. 6/16/17

Sharp, with a smoky aftertaste. Lots of flavors but that makes them hard to distinguish. 4/20/17

Barreled on 11/24/97. Wow, the legs on this! The nose is similar to the EC 12 but more pronounced, definitely getting an oaky vanilla, brown sugar, and apples. A slight spice as well. A great smelling bourbon for sure. Feels thick on the tongue. Spicy from the get go, and the spice lasts throughout. Strong flavors of wood, caramel, apples, and bitter chocolate. It's sweet but balanced. The flavors don't seem to disappear, even long after the juice has been swallowed. This flavor profile makes this sound like a standard bourbon, but there's a certain unique aspect to this. It's memorable, yet very familiar. Unfortunately for my wallet I may need to find a backup bottle or two. 4/17/17 Vanilla, buttery apple pie on the nose. Fresh. On the palate, rich, oaky, fruity. Very accessible yet layered. Decent finish. Fantastic. 7/21/17

On the nose, slight hints of nuts, vinegar, ash, wood, and maple syrup. This tastes like a country breakfast, the maple syrup transfers to the palate and I get some smoked meat and cereal notes. Not what I was expecting from a Japanese whisky. On some sips I even get chocolate-covered bacon. There's spice on the backend, which lingers even after the warmth going down subsides. I like the Coffey Grain better, but this is another good offering by Nikka. 4/14/17