I get a ton of delectable fruits (most of which are tart, my favorite kind of fruit notes in whisky), excellent balance of wood and malt sweetness, and a proof that’s just the right amount of intensity straight-up, but can also handle some water. The high proof seems to minimize the flavor of whatever grain whisky is present, for me. Overall: This is, I think, my first cask-strength blended whisky. With Water: Water adds a bit of vanilla to the nose, has a bit of a taming effect on the tongue burn (a bit), and might amp up the tartness on the finish. Caramelized banana? A bit of barrel tannin – a hint of bitterness – creeps in at the end. I wouldn’t call this particularly mellow, but the oakiness is in excellent balance with the fruit, and the high proof makes it dance on the tongue.įinish: The dominant note turns to caramel. Concentrated and robust, with loads of tart fruits and brash, fiery alcohol. There is complexity to be had here – underneath that domineering banana note resides a nice depth of oaky sweetness and a hefty dose of malt. The aroma is, as expected, powerful and tends to crawl up your nose if you get too close. Nose: Pear drops, tropical fruits (kiwi or starfruit or something), and a lot of green banana. Either way, this is equally as good as Hibiki 12 and offers a different array of flavors. That’s a bit hefty for a blend, and would drop my recommendation down from a “Must Try” to a “Recommended”. If the bottle was repackaged at 750ml for the US market, its current UK price would predict a US retail of about $57. This is a pity, especially because it makes it difficult to pin a price-value comparison on the product. It’s a good bet those are heavily represented as components in Nikka blends.Īlas, this (along with most of the rest of the Japanese whisky on the global market) is unavailable in the USA, most likely because of the 500ml bottle size (US law allows only certain bottle sizes for retail spirits – 500ml is not on the list). That (I think) makes this the first time I’ve tasted a cask-strength blended whisky.Īsahi Breweries, which owns the Nikka brand, also owns whisky distilleries Yoichi and Miyagikyo. Nikka “From The Barrel” is a rather misleading name for a blend of Japanese single malts and Japanese grain whisky (no age statement given), which is married in oak casks (rather than in a giant stainless-steel vat) and then bottled at (or near) cask strength. Honestly, I would have been unable to distinguish it from single-malt in a blind tasting.
Nikka whiskey reviews full#
Easy going and full of bright character.įor more information go to: Hotaling & Co.My third taste of Japanese whisky – another blend, like the Hibiki 12-year that I recently reviewed – is another home-run hit. The higher proof makes this a great entry-level Nikka whiskey for those who like more than a splash of water in their drink. Overall: As with most Japanese whiskies, this one is exceptionally well-crafted. Very smooth.įinish: Medium, with a fairly quick fade.
There is a hazelnut character that keeps popping up every few minutes or so. Taste: Sweet and well blended with a bakery flavor similar to sweet rolls. Very direct, forward and compact in tone. Nose: A melange of wood stave patinaed with a gentle touch of sherry and honey. Nikka Whiskey From The Barrel (102.8 proof) and look forward to seeing the cocktail creativity it inspires in bartenders across the country.” “We are thrilled to bring this beloved whisky to the U.S. Golden in the glass, it expresses that sherry finish. It comprises a mixture of whiskies from Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, apparently in the 10-12-year-old range, with a proportion of those finished in sherry casks. “Nikka From The Barrel is the best-selling expression outside of Japan,” says Hotaling & Co. Named after the father of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru, this is a blended malt whisky with no age statement. The iconic bottle is designed to reflect “a small block of whisky” – embodying the rich, strong taste of the whisky within. The higher proof helps to merge the wide array of flavor compounds, while the 3-6 months of additional aging at Nikka’s aging cellar ensures a marriage of flavors to harmonize the liquid. beginning August 2018.Īn extremely complex blended whisky, Nikka From The Barrel was created to deliver full flavors and richness drawn from a blend of more than 100 different batches of malt whisky and grain whisky produced at Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries, and aged in multiple types of ex-Bourbon barrels and puncheons, ex-sherry butts, refilled, recharred and remade hogsheads. announced the arrival of Nikka From The Barrel in the U.S. First introduced in Japan in 1986, Nikka From The Barrel has developed a cult-like status in the world of Japanese whisky – often the most coveted expression to bring back from its homeland.
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