YOICHI SINGLE MALT ~ HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

83/100 Distiller Score

The latest Yoichi single malt will replace both the previous NAS release and the remaining age statement whiskies. The change comes as demand continues to stretch Nikka's aged stock, with this new Yoichi Single Malt (made of of whiskies of various ages) aimed at representing this special distillery's direct-coal-heated, peated yet fruity style.

Nose: Full-bodied, smooth. A mellow peat softly coats the aromatic palette at first, growing more powerful with time, as smoke, soot and salty notes transcend the initial nose. The aromas then evolve towards candied citrus fruit (lemon, orange), black liquorice and spices (nutmeg, ginger), and opens up with roots and dried twig aromas. Heady and floral (carnation, iris), it grows increasingly complex.

Palate: Firm, powerful. A well-balanced attack gives equal footing to aromas of peat, smoke, spices, fresh fruit (melon, kiwi) and nuts (almond, walnut), which it delivers in spades. The mid-palate starts off with chocolate notes, but the peat soon takes the lead once again.

Finish: Long, silky. Extremely mature, it overflows with ripe fruit (pear, Mirabelle plum, apple). The peat starts taking on an herbaceous and malty character, while the salty flavours gives the finish plenty of depth and coastal freshness. The final nose offers menthol, spicy (coriander, dill) and earthy (leather, chestnuts) notes.

The Yoichi distillery (formerly known as the Hokkaido distillery) was the first of Nikka’s distilleries, founded by the great Masataka Taketsuru back in 1934. Following his studies of whisky making techniques in Scotland, Taketsuru built his distillery in the town of Yoichi on the islands of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, as he thought it most matched the environment of Scotland. A picturesque location - the distillery is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the fourth.