BirdManPeat
Nikka Whisky From the Barrel
Blended — Japan
Reviewed
October 4, 2019 (edited July 15, 2022)
Thick, rich, fruity sweet, slightly spicy and smoky. The mouthfeel is outstanding, just want to roll it around my tongue over and over again. Probably the most complex and layered whisky I've had besides the Highland Park 18, just not quite as well balanced or elegant but still incredibly satisfying. Punches well above its price range.
Recommend adding 3-4 drops of water to a 1.5 ounce serving and let breathe a good 10-15 minutes while nosing, it'll be well worth the wait!
If doing flights I'd serve this fairly early in the order despite the high ABV. We did a whisky tasting the other night and this was the last of the 8 bottles that we sampled. It also unfortunately followed a 35 year old J.P Wiser Canadian Whisky. By the time we got around to it our tastebuds were so burned out and overwhelmed by bolder flavoured whiskies that we could hardly taste anything that this amazing blend had to offer. An absolute pity. I'd recommend serving this second or third at most so as to enjoy all of the subtle charms of this Japanese beauty.
66.0
CAD
per
Bottle
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@cascode Since you mentioned it in your original comment I've started picking up on that leatheriness in the Nikka. Also I've added Ben Nevis 10 to my wishlist. Sounds like a must have since Oban 14 is an old favorite and I very much enjoyed the Springbank 10 the one time I tried it. Thanks for the recommendation. :-) .
@BirdManPeat PS - It’s not like this expression, however.
@BirdManPeat I do know that Nikka has used Ben Nevis as a dressing malt in some blends (the majority of the distillery’s output goes to Japan for blending) but I don’t know whether any ends up in the “From the Barrel” (probably not). Ben Nevis has few original bottlings but the 10 year old is very good. There was a batch in 2917/18 that was extraordinarily good as it contained a lot of much older whisky, however the recent bottlings have been just fine as well. It’s character is something between Oban and Springbank and it’s an old-school malt profile. Great value stuff,
@cascode Thank you so much! I've been a fan of your reviews since joining Distiller 2 years ago! Are you suggesting that there might be some Ben Nevis in this blend? Sounds like I should be trying some. Any particular bottles you would recommend?
Great review. This is one of my favourites and it has always seemed to me like a cross between a honeyed, fruity Japanese whisky and a leathery, rich west-highland Malt. Nikka does own Ben Nevis after all. Hmm ...