Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Nose: soft, Demerara sugary. Orange zest, some ginger. Palate: light but full toffee, caramel apples, more of the sugar from the nose and less of the citrus. Round flavour with a enough alcohol to sharpen it. Maybe just a little too far on the round end for me, could use some saltiness or smoke. Reminds me of Tobermory for that. Tangerine citrus. Finish: Werthers, warm woodiness - almost cedar but more round.

👁: Vieil ambre. 👃🏻: Un nez sur les épices, le bois, la vanille et les fruits secs, assez simple à lire. 👄: On donnerait presque 55°, l’attaque est vive et ne donne pas plus d'arôme que le nez, on les retrouves tous assez facilement, la longueur est correcte sur un mélange d’épices et de bois.

Nose is beautiful with smooth peaty smokiness and a hint of sweetness. Palate starts with strong smoke, old cellar wood and molasses. Finish is long, spicy, and incredibly smooth. The best Japanese whiskey I have tasted to date.

Holy shit I love this. I like to take a sip right away to see the difference as I know after allowing it to breath it will taste different. Initial sip, strong. Nose is very alcoholic, not much there. Literally like sniffing high end rubbing alcohol. Palette is very alcoholic. Obviously as it's 51%. After about 10 minutes of airing out. Nose: tons of caramel. Alcohol becomes super subtle and it smells very sweet. Honestly breathing for more than 10 minutes is probably the way to go. Palette: the smoke/peat is super nice. Reminds me of a strong Toki. Im a little drunk now so I can't get the full flavour, but from what I remember from last night, boy this is good. Finish: warm and toasty. Woody. Man I really like this. Going to enjoy this for special occasions. Opened on my birthday for first try. Had another drink a day later cause its my birthday weekend!

I bought this bottle of Nikka From The Barrel while I was browsing in a store in Calgary a few years ago. Japanese whiskies are in my top spots so I was intrigued to try this adorably packaged bottle. Truthfully, when I first tried this whisky I was put off by the harshness. Tonight, I decided to give it another go. Featuring a malty, coffee nose, sips have an initial high alcohol content burn that wane into a slightly peated, rich, oily and salty finish. Notes of vanilla and spices mingle throughout for a nuanced complexity that many Japanese whiskies deliver. For the punch it provides, the finish keeps you going back for more. Mellows out significantly with water or on rocks. On my second go, I find that I enjoy this the more I sip. 7.5/10