Nikka Taketsuru 21 Year Pure Malt

Long i have waited to try the real competitor of the almighty Hibiki 21. Since the day that Japanese whisky was first made, Masetaka Taketsuru's name was carved in gold. You can even say he was the Nikola Tesla of Japanese whisky. Having said that, this "pure malt" (blended malt) is one of Nikka's jewels. But, was it good? It was. Bottled at 43%abv, copper color. On the nose, incredible apple as soon you uncork it. Definitively some oakiness due to the 21 year maturation; cinnamon. Amazing brownies aroma. Old fruits, old sweet wine aroma. Smells thick. Old blackberries. Some very elegant floral notes. Orange peel. Lemon and other citrus notes has appeared after 3 minutes. Even with all this complexity, it feels like everything is too packed, it needs more time to open. Red fruit syrup. After a first sip, the sweetness exploded. Orange caramel. Sawdust. A third sip gave me a burnt hay aroma, maybe a little peat has been used in here. On the palate, it is very sweet at first. Then a mixture of gooseberries and salt. The oakiness is present in the palate, very salty in a nice way. Acid and sweet. Acid oranges, tangerine. Peppery. The oranges here have become very sweet and sugary. Very smooth. Aftertaste is mostly grassy. Ginger and salt. Very oaky. Elegant. Medium long finish. It has a nice "bite", you find yourself chewing the aftertaste which is actually just a sensation. Dry, very rewarding. There is this "second aftertaste" that appears in your palate after 10 seconds, that resembles cotton candy and feels like sugar syrup stuck in your mouth. Is a ghost caramel that now lurks in your palate. The empty glass aroma is all about sawdust. Overall, this is a fantastic, amazingly crafted whisky. The palate is not perfect and that is where it lost a couple of points, but really this dram gets close to perfection. Very elegant, very complex but at the same time easy to drink and suitable to any kind of whisky enthusiast or plain drinker. It is worth every cent. My score for it is 96 over 100. KANPAI!

This is a whisky without flaws. From first nose to the last sip’s finish, it just makes sense, and it makes no mistakes. That is very rare, and something to be cherished, these days. But it is not a perfect whisky, which is one that takes risks and makes mistakes, but the imperfections add to its perfection. This dram introduces itself with crisp, clean fruits such as peaches and plums. On the palate, the texture is very creamy and there is a rich caramel. The finish is dark chocolates and a soft pleasant woody linger. I’ve never smelled or touched sandalwood, but I’m guessing it is soft, and is what gives a well-aged Japanese whisky that meditative balance. This is not a beginner whisky, not just from a pricing standpoint, but beginners will enjoy it. There is a force of purpose behind this whisky and you can tell it is blended so that flavors synergize to increase the amplitude. This is more complex and textured than most single malts, and there is a lot of stuff for you to sink your teeth into. The closest comparison for me would be Compass Box This Is Not a Luxury Whisky. I do not remember Hibiki 21 that well enough to say for sure which one is better. I do remember that trying Hibiki 21 was not a moment when time stopped, as I was promised. Time did not stop for the Taketsuru 21 either because it did does not challenge you with any unique notes, but it is priced somewhat appropriately for a flawless, but not perfect, luxury dram. When I tried the Hibiki, it was on shelves for around $500. Today, if you can find it on a shelf, it’ll be more like $800. This Nikka Taketsuru 21 is much more common on shelves in my area, and it’s around $350-400. Certainly from a price standpoint, this is more reasonable. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $350-500 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $320

This note is from distant memory, so take it with a grain of salt. I enjoyed a pour of this whiskey at a work function last summer, and recall thinking it was quite pricey at $28 a pour (which is a great price now that a bottle costs $400+). The world's gone a little insane for Japanese whiskies, perhaps in excess of what they deserve. They are every bit the equal of Scotch whiskies, but they're now priced at a tremendous premium (probably have to pay twice the price or more for comparable quality). I recall being impressed by the rich, honeyed malt character of this dram, along with its smooth and lingering finish. The Japanese whiskies are some of the best at capturing the core malty flavor at the heart of a 100% barley distillate. There's a bit of smoke here, but less than in a Johnnie Walker Black or a Talisker 10. I would not recommending adding water, as it seemed well composed, and I don't see a dip below 40% ABV being to its benefit. I'm somewhat amused to see that reviews of Japanese whiskies tend to impute flavors to the whiskey that are Asian in origin (e.g., ginger, five-spice). I'm not sure I get those myself, but the power of suggestion is a wonderful thing. I'll give this a 4 while giving minimal consideration to price, since I didn't end up covering the tab, but it's not a noticeable step up from lots of scotches in the $75-100 price range. Nikka Whisky from the Barrel, which remains easily accessible whenever in the UK or EU, is better regardless of price (and, at $40 for 500ml, I'd opt for it every time). Note: Apologies for any confusion caused by my earlier mistake of posting this to the Taketsuru 12.

2020 Release Nose - Bold baked apples, toasted oak, poached pears, caramel, burnt sugar Taste - Bold baked apples, toasted barley, toasted oats, dusty oak barrels in a warehouse, gentle tannic oak, whole wheat toasted brioche? Finish - Lingering toasted malt, baked apples, dark chocolate, almonds Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - Although this is considered a "pure malt" I'm curious if there's really any Yoichi in this as I don't really get any peated influence at all and I'm curious if there is any Ben Nevis in this blend. Regardless, this isn't the most exciting whisky, but what's there is really well balanced and drinks exceptionally easy. Nice nose for the proof and no real off putting notes from start to finish. Definitely has that "older whisky" vibe that's hard to really put into words, but it's just something your tongue tells you as you drink it. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Not at current prices NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

"** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. This was the only Japanese whisky I tried at the festival (somehow I missed the Hibiki table for the 17yo). This one was really complex and smooth- I remember it being chocolatey and peaty. There was sherried fruit as well. It didn’t register right away but as I was walking to the next booth it all arrived on the finish. I should’ve went back later for an extra bump, but I ran out of VIP time because I was chasing @Telex away from the HP booth girls. At least, that’s my story...

An elegant, pure malt Whisky (formerly vatted malt), which means it’s a blend of malt Whiskies from different distilleries. & in the case of Taketsuru, that means a blend of the Yoichi & Miyagikyo distilleries. It has an oaky birth with notes of prunes & soy sauce, cocoa, espresso beans, a touch of anise, caramel, fruit, milk chocolate, coffee, chamomile, pineapple, sweet sherry monster; while a rich life adds notes of sherry monster, figs, chamomile, bitter & coffee, black pepper & hints of turmeric, ginger, mixed peels, hints of marmalade; that led to a long & rich death with notes of oak spice. September 2017 / April / June 2018 / August 2022