A Japanese, corn-dominant whisky? Sounds interesting to me. The Nikka Coffey Malt was very, very good, so I'm excited for this one. It's worth noting that this is 45% ABV, not 40% ABV as the website suggests. I am imagine that'd make a pretty difference. Let's get into it. Nose: Very green and grassy, plenty of hay. Apple, pear, orange, apricot, and, especially, banana. Vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Walnut and oak. A soda note akin to Sprite. Much like the Coffey Malt, it's very sweet. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Corn forward. Then I get some interesting notes. Pineapple, green apple Jolly rancher, cucumber, and pear. Safe to say I've never tasted that combination in a whisky before. Grapefruit citrus and green floral notes. Some walnut and chestnut. Ethanol. Oak. Green bell pepper. As compared to the wholly sweet nose, I'd call this bittersweet. Finish: Cucumber, grapefruit, citrus, and some dry fruits add some more bittersweet notes; this favors bitter to sweet. Green bell pepper. Blackberry and raspberry notes solidify this. Some more ethanol. Vanilla and toffee precede a nice hit of spice: plenty of oak, accompanied by cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg. All making for a medium length finish. This is a strange whisky for a number of reasons. Let's start with the fact that it's a corn-dominant Japanese whisky. That's produced some pretty unique notes. Some that I initially found off-putting but have come to appreciate as I've worked my way through this one. Though it is very unique, it shares a lot of qualities with the Nikka Coffey Malt. I prefer the latter by a small margin. That one is dominated by sweet notes while this one is a medley of sweet, bitter, and floral qualities. This is definitely more complex, but I prefer the consistency of the Coffey Malt, for reference. However, this is a good bit cheaper, and, judged on its own merit, this is a damn good whisky.