Nikka Days

Very pleasant, distinctly Japanese. I paid too much, about $60 at BevMo in California, but I’m very interested in Japanese whiskey and had to give it a try. A nice find, though, when other Nikka products are so scarce.

Highball

Nose: pear, sweet apple, vanilla, citrus zest. Bit of rich wood varnish as it opens (in a good way). Biscuit part of a cheesecake, whatever that’s made out of. Palate: malty/grainy, salted nuts, bit of smoke, some suntan lotion sweetness. Quite thin becoming fuller as it opens, but has some interesting burnt leaf notes, burnt vanilla. Creme brûlée I guess. Not too fruity to me, more barley sugar. Finish: doesn’t stick around for too long, but has some maltiness to it. More of the charred notes linger as time goes on. Overall: not nearly as underwhelming as I expected it to be! I actually quite like this! Nice wisps of smoke and salty notes that I wasn’t expecting.

Dessert by the fireplace Nose after resting 30 min: Sherry, honey, lemon, touch of peat, iodine, honeysuckle and some floral Taste: begins with sweet grain, light citrus, mild peat, vanilla, honey, then some slowly decaying vanilla, light caramel, butterscotch, and smoke wisps. Moderate length finish, easy and balanced.

Light nose and body but very enjoyable