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“Because you can't buy happiness... but you can buy whisky and that's pretty much the same thing”

Read stories about Yoichi of A Wardrobe of Whisky blog.

You can read here older articles posted in A Wardrobe of Whisky since 2009.
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Japanase whiskies #FT

By Miguel in Tasting , Yoichi , Yamazaki , Miyagikyo

Japanese whisky is something that makes you wonder why you didn’t discovered it before… they are damn good whiskies, they are all you want from a single malt and much as their Scotch cousins they are increasing their prices quite fast. Here we have a Yamazaki 18 years old, Hibiki 12 years old, Miyagikyo 10 years old, Yoichi 12 years old and Yamazaki 12 years old.

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Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

Let’s review them, but let me do the tasting in a different order.

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FT: Nikka Yoichi Range Review

By Miguel in Tasting , Yoichi

Sayonara baby! Another photo of Japanese whisky, all of them closed *sniff*, this time from the Nikka Yoichi distillery with bottles from 10yo to the 1990 Single Cask bottling. Yoichi 10 years old was the first Japanese whisky I had and one of the first single malts I drank, so it fires in me nice memories of old times…

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Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

So let’s crack them open, in a figurative way… and let’s review them.

Read the full story »


TWE Whisky Show 2012: What I couldn't taste [Part 4]

By Miguel in Laphroaig , Cooley , Chivas , Johnnie Walker , The Macallan , Dewar , Penderyn , Bunnahabhain , Compass Box , Monkey Shoulder , Glenfiddich , The Balvenie , Kilchoman , Highland Park , Bowmore , Yoichi , Nikka , Suntory , Balblair , Redbreast , Glenfarclas , Connemara , Ichiro , Rosebank , Benriach , Glendronach , Old Pulteney , Dalmore , Glen Garioch , Big Peat , Glenglassaugh , Glenrothes , Maker's Mark , Hibiki , Four Roses , Glencadam , Wemyss , Douglas Laing

This post continue from TWE Whisky Show [Part 3]

The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2012 took place at October 6th and 7th and although it has been a great experience it has been a short one. With over 450 whiskies to taste and just barely six hours ahead it was impossible to taste them all.

What I couldn’t taste

This post is just a set of photos of what I couldn’t taste. Sorry, people… I can write about this because I get sad… so great stuff that I had to skip… *sniff*

I visited Compass Box stand for saying hi to Chris and I take a few photos with the people on the show.

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Nikka Yoichi 20 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Yoichi

“A realy pity as big part of the fun is spoiled by the persistent aroma of sulphur in the whisky.”

87
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 20 year
A powerful cask strength single malt from the Yoichi distillery that previously bested some very high-profile Scottish malts at a blind tasting in 2003 and received 95 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

This dram has a tawny-like color.

Nose (86): strong. floral, raisins, sulphur, cocoa.

Palate (87): smooth, oily, powerful. peaches, sulphur, wood, spices, anise, pepper.

Finish (87): long. honey, wood, spices, smoke.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 20 year with 87 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

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Nikka Yoichi 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Yoichi

“ Peated Speyside like style. Really good whisky from Japan. Marvelous.”

91
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 10 year
The most affordable whisky of the Yoichi bottles range, this japanese single malt whisky of 10 years old is distilled and matured in Hokkaido, Japan, birthplace of Nikka whisky.

Yoichi distillery continue to adhere to techniques such as the use of coal-fired pot stills, and otherwise remains loyal to the whisky-making traditions dating back to its foundation. Top whisky critic Jim Murray lists Yoichi as one of the six great malts in the world.

Definitively something you must try if you want to talk about single malts. Don't miss by any reason the Yamazaki 12 years old of the rival Suntory whisky maker.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, fruity, floral, sherry, oak, toffee, peaches, tropical fruit. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, hot, fruity, peat, wood, sherry, spices, honey. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. sweet, peat, honey, spices. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 10 year with 91 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:



Nikka Yoichi 15 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Yoichi
89
Nikka Yoichi 15 year
'Sheer brilliance. An absolute must for anyone who regards himself a whisky connoisseur. 9.5/10' Jim Murray in Whisky Magazine, Dec 2000.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (89): strong. floral, vanilla, salt, a little wood.

Palate (88): smooth, oily, powerful. floral, sweet, malt, salt, smoke, spices.

Finish (89): long. salt, honey, pears.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Yoichi 15 year with 89 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:



Nikka Yoichi 12 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Yoichi

“This whisky grows in the glass. Just give it five minutes on the glass and enjoy it. The best whisky of the Yoichi range.”

91
Nikka Yoichi 12 year
The pot stills of the Yoichi distillery are still directly heated, proffering hot spots in the stills, which in turn gives the whisky some wonderful sweet, rich notes. This is one of the richest 12 year old drams I've ever had!

This japanese single malt whisky is perhaps the best whisky in the Yoichi range. If you enjoyed this one, give a try to Yoichi 10 years old

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (92): strong. peaches, vanilla, honey, wood, citrus, a little peat, a little iodine, seaweed.

Palate (92): oily, powerful. peaches, wood, honey, spices, a little cloves, banana.

Finish (90): very long. honey, smoke, wood, vanilla.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Yoichi 12 year with 91 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:



The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai

By Miguel in Yoichi , Nikka , Drink & Arts

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai

The great wave off kanagawa

The picture

An example of ukiyo-e art, it was published sometime between 1830 and 1833, during the Edo Period, as the first in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, and is his most famous work.

This particular woodblock is one of the most recognized works of Japanese art in the world.

It depicts an enormous wave threatening boats near the Japanese prefecture of Kanagawa. While sometimes assumed to be a tsunami, the wave is, as the picture’s title notes, more likely to be a large okinami lit. “wave of the open sea.”
As in all the prints in the series, it depicts the area around Mount Fuji under particular conditions, and the mountain itself appears in the background.

The dram: Nikka Yoichi 10 years old

a bottle of Nikka Yoichi 10 years old
A Nikka Yoichi 10 years old fits best. Yoichi is a peated sweet and spicy Japanese whisky. This bold and distinctive single malt whisky was distilled and matured at the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, birthplace of Nikka Whisky. The Yoichi distillery continues to adhere to techniques such as the use of coal-fired pot stills, and otherwise remains loyal to the whisky-making traditions dating back to its foundation.

[buy-button permalink="nikka-single-malt-yoichi-10-year"]


Nikka Yoichi Single Malt 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Yoichi , Nikka

“ Peated Speyside like style. Really good whisky from Japan. Marvelous.”

91
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 10 year
The most affordable whisky of the Yoichi bottles range, this japanese single malt whisky of 10 years old is distilled and matured in Hokkaido, Japan, birthplace of Nikka whisky.

Yoichi distillery continue to adhere to techniques such as the use of coal-fired pot stills, and otherwise remains loyal to the whisky-making traditions dating back to its foundation. Top whisky critic Jim Murray lists Yoichi as one of the six great malts in the world.

Definitively something you must try if you want to talk about single malts. Don't miss by any reason the Yamazaki 12 years old of the rival Suntory whisky maker.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, fruity, floral, sherry, oak, toffee, peaches, tropical fruit. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, hot, fruity, peat, wood, sherry, spices, honey. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. sweet, peat, honey, spices. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Single Malt Yoichi 10 year with 91 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:



Made in Japan: Rising sun whisky

By Miguel in News , Featured , Yoichi , Nikka , Suntory , Yamazaki , Chichibu , Hanyu , Miyagikyo

Japan flag

Japan started creating whisky just around 1870 but since then they have produced some of the best single malts whiskies. The secret? Extreme care for details


Help Japan! Please donate to your local branch of the Red Cross

Japanese whisky was first commercialized by Yamazaki in 1924. At first Japanese struggle to create the most similar whisky possible to Scottish whisky but they have now discovered that their own style, similar to Speyside whiskies, of whisky is incredible good.

Suntory and Nikka

Japan whisky is dominated by two giant brands: Nikka and Suntory.

Suntory

Shinjiro Torii was a pharmaceutical wholesaler and founder of Kotobukiya. He imported western liquor and created a brand called Akadana Port Wine which made him a successful merchant.
He embarked in a new venture: making Japanese whisky for japanese people. Despite the opposition of the company executives, Torii decided to build the first distillery in Yamazaki, a suburb of Kyoto, an area famous for its waters.

Torii hided Masataka Taketsuru as distillery executive. Taketsuru had been studying the art of distilling whisky in Scotland and brought this knowledge back to Japan. He played a central role in helping Torii establish Yamazaki.

In 1929, Suntory introduced Suntory Shirofuda (Japanese for “white label”), Japan’s first genuine domestically produced whisky. Kakubin (“square bottle”), a premium Japanese whisky, was born in 1937.

With the introduction of Hakushu in 1973, Suntory developed an several varieties of malt whiskies and brought to market such products as Yamazaki single malt whisky, Hakushu and Hibiki blended whisky.

Nikka

In 1934 Taketsuru left Yamazaki to create his own company: Dainippon Kaju which would later change its name to Nikka. He decided to establish the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido.

Yoichi produces rich, peaty and masculine malt. The whisky gets its distinct aroma and body from direct heating distillation, in which the pot stills are heated with finely powdered natural coal -the traditional method that is hardly ever used today, even in Scotland.

The Miyagikyo Distillery is also in northern Japan, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Honshu. Traveling in the area one day, Masataka came upon this site completely enclosed by mountains and sandwiched between two rivers. He immediately knew that this was the perfect site for whisky distilling. Sendai’s fresh water, suitable humidity and crisp air produce soft and mild malt.

Most relevant distilleries

There are nowdays ten whisky distilleries in Japan, most relevant here in Western world are:

Suntory Yamazaki

Located in Shimamoto, Osaka, owned by Suntory. It was opened in 1923 and was Japan’s first whisky distillery.

Suntory Hakushu

Suntory built another distillery in Hakushu at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Southern Japan Alps.

Nikka Yoichi

About 50km west of Sapporo City in southern Hokkaido, which is the northernmost of Japan’s four principal islands.

Nikka Sendai or Miyagikyo

It is also in northern Japan, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Honshu.

Hanyu

In 1980, serious attempts to produce a Scotch Whisky-type product began and two pot stills were obtained. At the time, consumer demand was for blended whisky rather than single malt. Obviously since then there has been a worldwide shift towards single malts and in 1990 Chichibu whisky was launched, named after the place where the sake was originally produced. However, single malts require such a long maturation period that conditions were tough commercially.Ownership changed hands and the new management decided to get rid of the stocks of maturing malts and the distillation facilities.

Karuizawa

Karuizawa was actually a vineyard in 1955 when then-owner Daikoku-budoshu decided to enter a Japanese whisky industry still in its infancy, and base a distillery in the shadow of active volcano, Mount Asama. In 1962, it then merged with current owner, Mercian.

The distillery is tiny and the aim is traditional, small-scale production to create quality whiskies. Karuizawa uses 100% Golden Promise barley, wooden washbacks, small stills and sherry casks sourced from Spain.

Ichiro / Chichibu

Fortunately, a sake maker from northern Japan, Sasanokawa Shuzo, came to the rescue of Hanyu Distillery and agreed to take over the stocks and production facilities at this critical time. Subsequently Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the founder of the Hanyu Distillery, established a new company called Venture Whisky to again produce single malt whisky.

Blended Japanese whisky

Until fairly recent, Japanese whisky market has been domestic. Blended Japanese whisky is produced in a different ways than Scotch blended whisky. While in Scotland different brands trade their whiskies stocks to create new profiles, in Japan each brand owns its own distilleries and their blended malts contains only whisky from their portfolio of distilleries, giving them a shorted palette to create blended whisky.

Japanese whisky from my collection

Nikka

Yoichi and Miyagikyo


Nikka blends


Suntory

Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki