Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

It's my first time drinking Japanese whisky, and I'm not very keen on blended either, but I have to say I was very happy to have bought it.

I recently did a 3-way, Japanese whiskey tasting flight using samples generously supplied by my NJ connection: @PBMichiganWolverine. This blend from Nikka finished in third place behind the Ohishi Single Sherry Cask and the vaunted Hibiki 21. This was bottled at 51.4% and appeared copper gold in the tasting glass, with tiny and oily beads around the edge. It took a minute or two before a few, sparse legs ran back down the sides. Thickness. The nose was initially grainy with a wonderful cedar note. Light and lively rye spices appeared after some time (odd, to me) along with faint smoke. The palate was grain heavy at first, with some spice and smoke before turning malty with sherry and floral flavors. The mouthfeel was solid, albeit a tad harsh. The finish is medium-long and spicy. It’s smooth but turns dry at the very end. Overall, it’s a 4 star dram for sure- it just doesn’t hold up next to the well-aged Hibiki or the surprising upstart Ohishi. Thanks again, Mr B. They were 3 great samples. Cheers.

This is impressive stuff. It 's not flashy. But it's very good. It has the rounded corn smoothness of some finer bourbons (without the roughness). But it also has some honeyed fruitiness that you'd find in well-aged scotch. It also has a fairly oily quality that is satisfying. I live in Japan, but it's hard to find, even here. However, I did recently buy two bottles for 2180 yen apiece. That's a liter of this fine nectar for about $40. Not bad.

YFY