Mystery Malt – Ichiro’s Malt 46.5% from Isetan Shinjuku

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

The Isetan Department store basement in Shinjuku has a remarkable whisky collection and sampling bar – a veritable wonderland for whisky afficianados.

I was like a kid in a candy store however trying to find someone who could help was slightly challenging given my non-existent Japanese. Hence figuring out what I was potentially buying involved some guess-work.

One goal was to track down something from the elusive discontinued Karuizawa, Kawasaki or Hanyu distilleries. Which definitely meant more carefully checking out the Ichiro’s Malt offerings as they astutely bought the Kawasaki and Hanyu discontinued stock.

Ichiro’s Malt 46.5% (Whisky Lady)

However… I’m not entirely sure if I succeeded in my mission!

My best guess is that this particular whisky is a special bottling for Isetan using a blend of both rare Kawasaki whisky with Hanyu, sometimes found under the label ‘Houou-uhi’ (roughly translates as Pheonix).

If I am wrong, I would very much appreciate being corrected and educated further!

Ichiro’s Malt 46.5% from Isetan Shinjuku (Whisky Lady)

Ichiro’s Malt 46.5% (Isetan Shinjuku)

Colour – Deep copper
Nose – Lemon, mustiness of the rainy season, mud from a wet forest, nori like the seaweed used in sushi wraps, hint of jasmine perfume… as it aired a subtle complex perfume enveloped
Taste – Like a dry fine cognac, wood, oil, pepper spices, matured roasted Indian spices, sense of sea, distinctly ‘Asian’ merging sweet, salt and spice perfectly
Finish – Long majestic finish, very refined

Ichiro’s Malt 46.5%… Houou-uhi? (Whisky Lady)

Impression:

Without a doubt this was the show stopper of the evening
A grand dame in her full finery!

Unveiling:

Part way through our discussion, I received an update from my Japanese friend in Amsterdam that she also believes it is Houou-Uhi – a blend Hanyu Distillery (12 & 20 year) and single grain whiskies from Kawasaki (30, 32 and 35 year)
Bottled exclusively for Isetan and, as far as I can tell, only available in its Tokyo Shinjuku store – or perhaps on auction?
The bottle and packaging alone are unique and elegant. The only other 200 ml bottle I’ve seen is on Whisyrific’s post about Ichiro’s Malt 1991 Hanyu

However I’m still not 100% certain we correctly identified it… The bottle I have does not state that it is a blend (whereas other labels do)… and the only number I can decipher in the notes is 30 (not the other years). Despite several attempts, I cannot seem to find a combination of Ichiro’s Malt, 46.5% and 30 other than the Houou-Uhi blend!

Ichiro’s ‘Mystery’ Malt 46.5% (Whisky Lady)

PS – A couple of us revisited it last night. Alas the delightful zesty lemon nose had evaporated. The sense of seaweed also dampened however there was more of a honey vanilla that emerged and the flowery perfume remained – I would still identify it best as jasmine. The cognac-like element was prominent, as was the oak. Some also described it as having a dark bitter chocolate quality. Key was unlike many whiskies that simply do not live up to their nose – this one absolutely does! Overall brilliantly balanced. Whatever this mystery malt truly is… if you spot it, grab it!

Similar labels:

Nonjatta on Houou-Uhi (including a mini language lesson)
AA Whisky and Whiskosity on Houou-Uhi
Whisky base with a Hanyu Houou-Uhi 12 year priced at Euros 599!
Scotch Whisky Auctions & Just Whisky on Ichiro’s Blend for Isetan

We sampled this together with Suntory’s Chita Single Grain Whisky, Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year and Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask as part of a Japanese themed tasting session held on 19 February and again on 26 February 2015.

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Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year 43%

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

While more accessible than the others, I couldn’t resist picking up Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year – largely as it came conveniently in a 180ml bottle! Nikka has quite smartly released a series of smaller bottles so us mere mortals without scads of money do not miss somewhat affordable sampling portions.

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year is a blend of the two Nikka single malts described as combining

“… the strong character of Yoichi with the elegance and precision of Miyagikyo. Both masculine and feminine, traditional and innovative, this outstanding pure malt whisky is a worthy tribute to Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky and founder of Nikka.”

It was voted the world’s best blended malt whisky in 2012 in 2014.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2004 described it as

“Not a whisky for the squeamish. This is big stuff, about as big as it gets without peat or rye. No bar shelf or whisky club should be without one.”

So yes, I admit I was influenced in the purchasing decision. The real test, as always, comes when sampling ‘blind’.

And what did our group discover? Let’s just say we were reminded of a few important lessons…

180ml of Nikka's Taketsuru Pure All Malt 17 (Whisky Lady)

Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure All Malt 17 180 ml (Whisky Lady)

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year 43%

First impression:

Colour – Amber
Nose – Musk like spicy sweat after a good work-out, lemon lime, tamarind, smoke
Taste – So dry it makes one want to drink water, not so much character… bit disappointing as missing elements noted in the nose
Finish – Limited – sweetness then stops

Conclusion:

Seemed young, not so interesting…
Disappointing after the first and second whiskies – Suntory’s Chita Single Grain Whisky and Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask

Unveiling:

One member simply could not believe this was the same Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year that is one of his favourites?!
We seemed to have missed many of what this particular whisky is known for! How….?

Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 (Whisky Lady)

2nd impression:

So we gave it more time to breathe, took a bit of a break and cleared our palates more fully with cucumber, unsalted bread sticks and water. Then tried again… Good thing we did!

Nose – Subtle tobacco smoke started to curl out, dried fruits, sweet… a mix of bright fruity notes of mostly apricot combined with a more masculine musk
Taste – Complex, oaky, oily, hint of chocolate, beautiful dance between dried fruits and roasted nuts
Finish – Impossible! It went from almost no finish to a delightful medium-long finish with impish spice and oak?!

What we learned is:

Breathe – Absolutely needs time to ‘breathe’… This was freshly opened and immediately poured. Excited by the earlier whiskies, we rushed into this one…
Order – Tasting order can hugely influence! Should have either tried it 2nd (which a latecomer experienced and loved) or taken a much longer break between tastings to clear our palate and minds of the Chichibu. Funny thing is I originally planned to have it 2nd then last-minute switched largely due to the Jim Murray review (last time I will let him influence!).
Revisit – Very important to set it aside and revisit after time – it was like two different whiskies!

Overall impression:

Complex and well worth savouring…
Please oh please I beg you, give it time to open up with air for a half hour or so… Do not rush!!

We sampled this together with Suntory’s Chita Single Grain Whisky 12 Year, Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask and Ichiro’s Malt Houou-uhi as part of a Japanese themed evening in February 2015.

Check out what others are saying:

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Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask 63.1%

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

When I spotted this cask strength Chichibu in the Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo in July 2014, our whisky tasting group had never tried anything from this distillery before. As my quest was to find something ‘different’ and ‘difficult to source’ outside of Japan, a recent release from Ichiro’s Malt seemed to meet the criteria perfectly!

Now, clearly great minds think alike as another Chichibu – specifically the 3 year ‘The Floor Malted‘ – was sourced by another of our whisky tasting members. We sampled it in October 2014 and it could easily hold its own against older whiskies.

So what about this particular whisky? Well… here is where it gets interesting!

Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask (Whisky Lady)

Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask 63.1%, Cask number 2357, Bottled in 2014

First impression – solo interpretation

Confession time – I lost patience waiting from July 2014 to February 2015 for my next turn to curate our whisky evening… so I cracked open the bottle early and here is what I discovered:

Colour – Bright gold
Nose – A delightful burst of notes – strong sweet vanilla, tropical fruits, overripe banana, a deeper hint of chocolaty mint and cinnamon
Palate – Something slightly ‘rancio’, the fruits having an overripe quality, woodsy, a tinge oily and very chewy, the chocolate re-emerging
Finish – Spicy, nutty, slightly disappointing – sense of being a bit brash and ‘young’
Water? – Most certainly!

Second impression – group effort

Now here is what happened when I shared the same bottle with our intrepid tasters:

Nose – Medicinal, sweet perfume but with more depth and fruit than the Chita, pronounced pears, the more it aired the more we discovered – a whiff of grain, warm breeze on grass… then French vanilla… after sipping could smell dark molasses and cinnamon
Taste – Immediate sense of an aged whisky bursting with character, had punch, spice, very chewy, leather, bit of brine, woodsy
Finish – Coffee, bitter yet warm, hint of nuttiness and dark chocolate
Add water – This was definitely one we wanted to add water… Even dryer, woody elements emerged, almost like eating rose petals, the French vanilla also became even more pronounced

Reactions:

Has ‘teeth’ and a ‘bit more alcohol’ than the Chita… perhaps 48%??
Also gave the sense of age given its robust character – something to feast on!
One suggested it was so chewy you felt like you could eat it!

Unveiling:

Very deceptive… absolutely unbelievable that it is cask strength at 63.1%
Also had the range and depth one would expect from an older whisky – remarkable it is only 2009 i.e. 5 year
I shared had opened it earlier so it had the advantage / disadvantage of a little bit of ‘air’ even before we sampled it together – in this case I believe it was an advantage
Overall an impressive whisky

I revisited my solo tasting notes only when writing this post – you can see that much overlapped but also some differences – including the finish.

What is so delightful about having a small group of friends taste together is the different descriptions and reactions. As we taste blind, we are also not influenced by origin, age, packaging, what we may have heard about a particular whisky… or even a previous acquaintance with the same whisky! Only the host knows what we are trying and we take seriously being ‘mum’ to not influence our fellow tasters.

Taste is deeply personal yet I find it tremendously enriching to have company when exploring the world of whisky… and pleased could share something less readily accessible.

Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask (Whisky Lady)

We sampled this together with Suntory’s Chita Single Grain Whisky, Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year and Ichiro’s Malt – possibly Houou-uhi in February 2015.

What others are saying:

Nonjatta – Brief note on the French Oak Cask and Chibidaru Cask
e-Ting – Mentions this release and the very same Isetan Shinjuku where I bought the whisky
Whisky Saga – On visiting the Chichibu distillery

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Suntory Chita Single Grain Whisky 43%

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

I was in Tokyo for a few days in July 2014 for work – just enough time to both fall in love with the place and hunt down some interesting whiskies.

My quest was to discover whiskies less available outside Japan – and there was oodles of choice!

Alas I was restricted in quantity – my next stop was Shanghai before Kuala Lumpur and then finally home to Bombay. The solution was to pick up a few sample sized 180 – 200 ml options and not restrict myself to the impossible choice of just one.

While my initial thought was to stay away from Suntory, given its international success and pre-eminent status producing whisky in Japan, it was hard to miss! So I avoided the more accessible Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and decided to give Chita a chance…

When you think of Japanese blends, one that immediately comes to mind is Hibiki… And one of the key elements in Hibiki is whisky from Suntory’s Chita Distillery in Port Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, an area better known for its production of sake.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of a single element of Hibiki however was sufficiently intrigued, it made the final ‘cut’ for accompanying me across multiple borders.

After sampling it in this month’s whisky tasting session, I’m so pleased it did.

Simple packaging for a superb dram (Whisky Lady)

Chita Single Grain Whisky 43%

Colour – Pale straw
Nose – Fruit basket, lemony, spray of perfume or a refreshing cologne, sweet honey, hint of peat… like a fresh meadow bursting with the scent of flowers
Taste – A delight – smooth, subtle, honey, a bit dry on the tongue, a tinge of tumeric, light spice, in short it seemed bright, likely young but utterly superb
Finish – Short happy finish
Water? – One sacrificed to try however would not recommend adding even one drop! It is perfection exactly as is!

Impressions:

Everyone found it exquisite – very delicate, yet still rounded with lots of subtle nuances
As it was so light, it gave the impression of youth with a dash of sophistication
A bright splash of perfume! None could recall having a whisky with quite this pronounced a perfume…
Once the region was identified as Japan, one thought of Hibiki – and he was spot on!

While not stated on the bottle in English, the Chita Single Grain Whisky is known to be matured for 12 years. Given its delicate character, one can be forgiven for initially thinking ‘youth’ however in truth it is deceptively mature with womanly charms.

After our tasting, I began to think of the geishas of yore – trained in the arts not only of seduction but learned in all matters be it art, literature, dance, games, conversation… every detail refined with tremendous discipline behind its beauty and grace.

Simply Chita (Whisky Lady)

We tasted it together with Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu 2009 French Oak Cask, Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Year, Ichiro’s Malt – possibly Houou-uhi.

Final verdict? While I’m generally not known for enjoying ‘ladylike’ whiskies, this is such a unique approach I would love to have a full bottle gracing my whisky cabinet.

Check out what others are saying about Chita:

Whisky Detectives – With extra points for including charming insights from their guest blogger Momoco with pics from her visit to the distillery!
Pete Drinks – Featured on his Whisky Wednesday from 2012
World Whisky – Who picked up on the un-whisky dimension to this whisky
Malt – Whisky Reviews

PS Singapore Airport has a NAS Chita expression from August 2016

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Ledaig 1997 46% (Gordon + MacPhail)

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

The more I explore the offerings from the independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, the more I want to check out even more.

Ledaig is the peated line from Tobermoray distillery, the only distillery on the Isle of Mull. It was bottled for La Maison du Whisky and I picked it up during a rather enjoyable early evening in Singapore last year.

Ledaig 1997 (Whisky Lady)

Ledaig 1997 Island Cask No 462 46% (Gordon & MacPhail)

Colour – Bright gold
Nose – Peat, smoke, tincture of iodine, orange, toasty warm, bold
Palate – After an initial punch of peat, hint of pepper, mellowed into a lovely elegant lady. The longer it aired the more notes discovered – fruit, more smoke, salty nuts, and more!
Finish – Sweet chewy finish, long and smoky, warm spice

This particular Ledaig was distilled in 1997, bottled in 2013 and is from cask no 462 with a total of 312 bottles.

We originally tasted this whisky as part of our monthly tasting sessions on 17 June 2014 together with Tyrconnel and Talisker Dark Storm.

It was definitely the whisky find of the evening. We had great fun with a guessing game of region, distillery… none came close until the hint was dropped that it is actually bottled by an independent company that specialises in bringing unique expressions and smaller distilleries whiskies to the world.

I revisited this whisky again last month… and enjoyed it even more. A delightful dance on the nose and palate. All the earlier flavours brightened and matured.

I added a dash of water and it ramped up the citrus, punched up the spice on the palate but dampened the smoke. Still lovely liquid gold but my vote is to go for it neat.

Definitely a very special dram – one to savour!

What other’s are saying about related whiskies:

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Talisker Dark Storm NAS 45.8%

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

Many whisky distillers are chasing after that elusive ‘different’ element. Some succeed, many do not.

Talisker Dark Storm is the latest Duty Free release in Talisker’s efforts after Talisker Storm.

Another thing we are learning is that the true test of a ‘good’ whisky is not in the initial impression… it is when it settles in… reveals another side… is revisited and even more nuances emerge.

Talisker Dark Storm (Whisky Lady)

Talisker Dark Storm 45.8%

We originally tasted this whisky on 14 June 2014 together with Tyrconnell and Ledaig 1997. I re-sampled it in February 2015.

First impression:

Colour – Copper
Nose – Rubber, leather, caramel, heavy burnt wood
Taste – Full-bodied, wet mud, medicinal, more leather, yet smooth with no harshness – in the ‘hoo whee that’s whisky!’ exclaim
Finish – Spicy, ash, doesn’t disappear instantly

The unveiling? Surprise! Most were not terribly impressed with earlier Talisker offerings… to learn this was duty-free, no age stated… and actually yummy?!

The stated gimmick is it is matured in heavily charred oak. Hmm…

Second tasting:

Unlike the 1st tasting when the bottle was freshly opened and we quickly snipped, swished, savoured and swallowed, the 2nd round was slightly more leisurely and less complimentary.

Did we get the same notes? More or less… the nose was exceedingly sweet, the medicinal taste seemed to have a vaguely manufactured quality to it. Same with the ash… which dominated both the palate and finish.

The other elements seemed considerably more subdued, less nuanced the longer it had time to breathe. If anything, it became increasingly ‘flat’ like pop loosing its fizz. Yet the ash remained.

Overall assessment

Given the unrelenting ash element and the highlighting the charred oak casks (um… aren’t they all?), clearly Talisker achieved its aim of celebrating burnt wood.

Does it work?

While certainly different from the Talker 10 year, it makes for more of a social gathering whisky than a top choice for an evening at home with a true whisky afficianado.

Up close with Talisker Dark Storm (Whisky Lady)

Other brushes with Talisker:

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Tyrconnell 10 year Madeira Cask 46%

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

And we are off to the races!

Tyrconnell was once the Cooley (now Kilbeggan) distillery‘s flagship whisky. Once an independent Irish distillery, the label celebrates the Wyatt family champion ‘Tyrconnell’ racehorse – best known for winning in 1876 at odds of 100 to 1 the Irish “The National Produce Stakes.”

In the last few years I’ve started to explore more Irish whiskies… and am quite impressed with the results of the ‘single pot still’ method that produces the remarkable Redbreast and Yellow Spot.

The Tyrconnell 10 year Madeira Cask won the Irish Whiskey of the Year in Jim Murray`s Whisky Bible 2008.

So… I was both intrigued and delighted when a friend from the UK included this in my ‘Irish whiskies’ shipment on her trip to India last year.

I first shared it with our tasting team on 14 June 2014 together with Ledaig Island and Talisker Dark Storm.

Tyrconnell 10 year Madiera (Whisky Lady)

Tyrconnell 10 year Madeira (Whisky Lady)

And what did we find?

Tyrconnell 10 year Madeira Cask 46%

Colour – Light gold
Nose – Tamarind, fruit and flowers, copper, sour dough, chikoo, a sense of being a bit ‘young’
Taste – An initial sharp nip then spice, coconut, leather, pronounced exceedingly ‘nice’
Finish – Alas nothing spectacular… a hint of light leather and mild fruit, while it doesn’t dash off instantly, it does not have the long linger some reviewers boast!
Add water? – Don’t… does nothing to improve and with such a light whisky not needed at all

In our blind tasting session, we speculated that while clearly young, it showed ‘nice’ promise.

In my recent revisit, it re-inforced the impression of a light pleasant whiskey. The mood is that of a gentle cantor in a ladies saddle rather than a fast and furious dash to the finish line.

While certainly enjoyable, it doesn’t have that extra distinctive and complex character that I find most attractive.

And I’ve come to learn the 10 year has been discontinued and newer offerings are now are either a standard NAS Single Malt or 15 not 10 years… perhaps an older incarnation of the Tyrconnell will gain those additional elements that can transform a whisky from merely ‘nice’ into ‘oooh baby!’

Special ‘nod’ to a fab lass who was our delightful ‘mule’!

Tyrconnell 10 year (Whisky Lady)

What others are saying:

Scotch Noob
The Casks on Tyrconnell (not the Madeira finish)
My Annoying Opinion

Other Irish whiskies sampled til date:

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Highland Park 1998 40%

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

Relatively early in my whisky sipping days, I was introduced to Highland Park’s 18 year by a dear friend. It was one whisky I kept returning to savour and enjoy – most often with the very same friend. That whisky and I have some good memories.

Along the way, I also tried other Highland Park options too :

12 year – Decent but for a few extra bucks, the 18 was sublime!
16 year – Good but not worth the raving one would hear, in my ever so humble opinion…
And even 21 year – Superb but not my price range!

Yet my favourite remained the 18 year which to me had a delightful balance – a complex nose, full-bodied palate with a finish that lovingly lingered. Add a dash of water and a whole new world of flavours opened up. It had enough going on to keep coming back…

Most important, the 18 year fit into my ‘pinch’ not ‘yeouch!’ pricing category and was easily accessible at Singapore’s Changi airport to grab when passing through en route home to Mumbai.

And then the year based approach took over – bottles of this Orkney offering were found in labels of 1998, 1994 and 1990 – with a sharp price jump – especially the older options.

Sceptical, I decided to start with the Highland Park 1998. The one I picked up was bottled in 2011 – making it almost equivalent to the 12 year.

And the verdict?

I cracked it open, sampled and sighed… in disappointment. Not even up to my memory of the earlier 12 year.

And here I will admit… I dismissed it, forgot about it. I didn’t even offer it as a sample at our monthly whisky sessions as didn’t think it worthy. It joined the league of left overs that would be available at social evenings for less discerning palates.

However in dusting my whisky cabinet the other day, I decided to revisit. After all… it is not improving with age just sitting there and perhaps – just perhaps – I may have been a bit too harsh in my initial assessment.

Highland Park 1998 (Whisky Lady)

Re-tasting the Highland Park 1998 40%:

Colour – Rich gold
Nose – Pronounced honey, sweet with little else initially then out peeped a hint of smoke with an underlay of peat… as it continued to breath, dried fruit notes emerged
Palate – The peat undertone was unmistakable, slightly chewy, dry, faintly bitter and sweet simultaneously. After letting it settle more, a light nuttiness also joined
Finish – While it doesn’t dash off immediately, the first impression is light smoke, still retaining the sweetness of the nose and taste yet also adding a clear bitter element too

In fairness, one really should not rely on tasting from bottles opened ages (years!) ago. However while it still lacks a certain quality that makes a truly superb single malt such a marvel, it isn’t a bad dram. It just isn’t a particularly good dram.

Perhaps I was just a wee bit harsh in my initial assessment.

A little more info: Aged in sherry oak casks from Spain. According to the label, the colour is natural.

PS. Interesting that most reviews seem to be of a version bottled in 2010 however unless the label on mine is a typo, it was a year later!

What others say about the Highland Park 1998 bottled in 2010:

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The Quandry of the Kininvie 17 year

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Carissa Hickling

I’m in a quandary… To open or not to open?

You see… on one of my many trips through Singapore in 2014, I splurged and picked up the Kininvie 17 year, batch 1.

Kininvie is based in the Coeval hills of Dufftown – built on the Balvenie distillery grounds and best known as a component in the rather yummy Monkey Shoulder. While Grant & Sons are well known, having this particular distillery come ‘out’ as Kininvie is relatively recent with just the 17 and 23 year on offer.

Kininvie 17 year

What do I know so far? Well…

1st batch bottled for travel retail market
Matured for 17 years in 80% American Oak, 20% Sherry Cask
Strength 42.6%

The official tasting notes suggest:

Nose – Rich and full aroma with fresh fruit notes and a deep vanilla sweetness. Uniquely fragrant with a characteristic floral note that is accentuated through the addition of a little water

Taste – Beautifully sweet, buttery vanilla and slightly spicy

Finish – Long and lingering with a notable sweetness

However those are not the observations of either our monthly whisky tasting club or I…

So… why not just crack open the bottle now and check it out?

Well… you see… This particular bottle is designed to be ‘rare’ and if the initial reviews are any indication, may be worth hanging on to for a bit.

Or perhaps it is just hype.

I have never looked at whisky as an investment or something to ‘save’ for a later day. Instead whisky to me is a sociable affair – something to be savoured, shared and enjoyed with others passionate about such pleasures.

So… what should I do? Open now or save?