The first member review that popped up on this one said 'Wood..'...Having cracked this open and consumed without resting (my daughter is having a sleep over birthday party with friends so damit I deserve to drink...just wish I had a man cave to retreat to...grumble, grumble) I was like yeah wood! I thought slightly out of kilter then looked at the abv and thought eh water and time time. Both along with a fillet steak helped and this came into its own.
Now having stumbled across the some of the greats of Japanese whiskey such as 21 Yr Nikki Yochi a number of years ago and having them be my first taste of Japanese whiskey when I was embarking on my whiskey journey (and thinking $150 USD was an eye watering price!) I've since been simultaneously kicking myself for not buying up and also wading through a lot of disappointing overpriced Japanese whiskey to the point unless it's a new distillery using non sourced stock I've by and large not been interested. This is a refreshing break from that pattern.
Thanks to @cascode I've managed to try a decent example at a very reasonable $50USD. This is at least a 3.75 to 4. Sadly I drank the whole sample before I could discern anything more than I liked it (our cat bit one of the girls among other episodes....).
Anyhow its good, buy with confidence and add time and water.
Nga mihi!
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@Rick_M Woah, yeah we get screwed for everything over here as we are small and far away. People from Europe are shocked at the cost of basic stuff here....but I'm like yeah but I can get great whiskey at generally good prices....so in your face! haha :-)
@PBMichiganWolverine @Slainte-Mhath Yes rare combination of affordability, Japanese (and actually distilled in a Japanese distillery on Japanese soil) and good!
@cascode Ah I'd loved to have try that one. Hopefully not a sign one of the few good JP ones isn't deteriorating... thanks once again!
@Soba45 - stop complaining! You got the Commonwealth of Nations discount. He charged me $100US. 😊
@Slainte-Mhath @PBMichiganWolverine @jonwilkinson7309 In 2018 there was a rumor here that Nikka WftB was to be discontinued and there was a rush on it, which is when I picked up my current bottle (although I've only recently opened it). As it turned out after a short absence from the shelves it showed up again and has been easy to find ever since. At AUS$90 it's probably the most affordable Japanese whisky out here. Personally I'd spend more and get Nikka Coffey Malt, but that's just my palate.
@Slainte-Mhath Agreed! Although availability seems to be getting more spotty as a result.
Still one of the best Japanese whiskies you can buy without breaking the bank...!
But...it’s affordable. Otherwise “affordable “ and “ Japanese made whiskey” don’t belong in the same sentence
My review and rating of this (4.25) were posted about 18 months ago and based on a different bottle. This current one is not quite as good. Spicier and less fruity/honeyed. I'd agree it's worth about 3.75 now.