Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Nose is peaty as it is on the palate. I'm not a scotch drinker so it's not my jam. But my husband seems to enjoy it greatly.

A classic. Slightly peaty, floral, boozy, caramel and toasty.

I've had a few drinks from this bottle, and have definitely enjoyed them but thought it was a good time to analyze things a little further. First off, I find the name a bit misleading in that it implies a single barrel to me, although that is obviously not the case. Regardless, here goes... Nose: Green apples, caramelized pears, followed by smoky oak, and then subsequently mashing all of this together.... After adding water, I get some anise, allspice and cinnamon. Maybe even licorice all-sorts which I really don't like, but it doesn't depreciate the nose here and it makes me think that it might be worth trying them again? But then I think about it and realize that no, they are gross. Palate: Fairly high alcohol hit at first, caramelized sugar with a hint of peat smoke. Nice full mouthfeel, and some very nice bittersweet notes. I don't get a lot of the fruit that I initially had on the nose. Finish: Quite long, the flavours are reminiscent of the grainy malty finish of Irish whiskies. Lingering nicely on the back of the palate (autocorrect put "prostate" instead of "palate"... glad I checked that... Although I did consider whether that might be a representative statement, I decided that "palate" was more suitable). Flavours linger well into the next sip even after adding some water, and is a definite strength of this bottle. Overall, a very enjoyable whisky. It seems really dialed in to the flavours it is after. Full and complete. One of my problems with this is the bottling at 500mL and the pricing. I wish they would bottle this at 750mL just because. That being said, for $65 CDN, it puts it at about $100 equivalent, which I feel is reasonable, especially at 51% ABV, I think there's just something about buying a smaller bottle for me. This is a great option whisky when you want full flavor and a broad spectrum of flavours as a result of the blend here. It is well balanced and I don't think many would be disappointed by this offering from Nikka.