I am not 100% on board the Japanese whiskey train. Due to the recent explosion in their cost, driven by demand that leapt tenfold in the last few years, all of these bottles are getting hard to find. Ten years ago, however, these were the Ardbeg 10s or Balvenie DoubleWood's of Japan, and it's worth keeping that in mind. Once revered for being an underappreciated gem or good value, Japanese whiskies now tend to command the kind of prices that would fetch an older scotch from the finest distilleries in Scotland. If the choice is between a 12-year old Japanese whiskey or a 15-year old scotch, those extra three years are going to make a big difference. In Yoichi 12's case, the experience felt like getting yeoman's work after being promised the attention of a master artisan. This whiskey has an air of vinegar to it or a fruit wine, and a palate of Southern tea, plums, and a mellow, herbal peat. There's still a tingling, ethanol edge, so it's safe to say that the older age statement Yoichis should be better (not that those are easy to find nowadays). The smoke from the peat reveals itself at the very end. Not worth the current price, this is worth maybe $50 a bottle in my book.
About this bottle
Nikka Yoichi 12 Year is produced by Nikka at the Yoichi Distillery on the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is named Yoichi after the Yoichi river that runs alongside the distillery. It was aged for 12 years in oak & sherry casks. Discontinued as of 2015.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 8 parsed reviews.
Tried one of the old style wood cork tops likely bottled in the mid 2000s. As good or possibly better than later batches of Yoichi 15/20. Nose: Raisins, Dark Chocolate, Mackerels, Salted Toffee, Smoke, Brown Sugar, Peaches, Coconuts, Walnuts, Pecans, Burnt Honey, Sakura Palate: Raisins, Truffles, Dark Chocolate, Dates, Walnuts, Vanilla, Walnuts, Hazlenuts, Brown Sugar, Toffee, Hoisin Sauce, Plums, Barbecue Beef Ribs, Blackberries, Mocha, Cranberries, Mackerels, Salted Cod Finish: Dark Chocolate, Raisins, Honey, Walnuts, Mackerels, Smoke, Apricots, Cashews, Smoke, Truffles, Cranberries, Blackcurrants, Morello Cherries, Coconuts
Lightly sweet on the nose. Lightly oaky with notes of honey and vanilla. Well balanced with smoke and peat into the short-medium finish.
Smells more citrus than peaty. Taste has mellow peaty notes and hints of oak and sherry. Nicely balanced, easy drinking.
Nose: opens with apple sweetness, bleu cheese funk, nutty Palate: ethanol, sharp, almonds Finish: short, thin
a bit of tabacco bite, nice with a single ice cube
2 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
Tastes like this
Same style and price bracket, best rated first.
