Next up after the Teeling trio at the Whisky Live Singapore was Nikka. It was such a treat to try their whiskies side by side in this way… my previous experiences were all separated by months or years, in quite different contexts where it would be impossible to make a connect between the different whisky characters.

With the exception of the Nikka 12 year, all were NAS – a trend that cannot be helped with the popularity of Nikka Japanese whiskies over the years.

Miyagikyo NAS 45%

• Miyagikyo has always struck me as a charming whisky… I last had a Miyagikyo 15 year 45% however had not sampled the new NAS
• What did I find? Simply too young for my taste and not the nuanced delight I hoped for… must admit it was a bit disappointing

Yoichi NAS 45%

• By contrast, Yoichi has singularly impressed me with its bold character – particularly the Yoichi 10 year 45%
• In my ‘speed dating’ revisit of the NAS Yoichi, what did I find? It still had character however I confess I’m looking forward to a return (hopefully) of a more mature avatar

Pure Malt NAS 43%

• I’ve had a few Pure Malt whiskies over the years, most of which have not made it to our proper tastings – most recently the venerable Pure Malt 21 year in Winnipeg which did make it into my stash to revisit
• As for this NAS Pure Malt? It was more sherry berry than I remembered, also much more spice… certainly moving in the right direction

The Nikka 12 year 43%

• No stranger to this dram, The Nikka 12 year featured in a ‘Far East’ themed evening earlier in 2016
• What was the fleeting impression in my revisit? Fruity spice – an easy drinking dram, nicely balanced

Nikka Whisky from The Barrel 51.4%

• Similarly, this wasn’t my first sample of ‘From the Barrel’ – it first found its way into our tasting sessions in 2014
• No doubt this was intended to be the flourishing finish with its contrasting character of ripe plums, wood, sweet and spice… however equally this is a whisky best given time and a mere nip simply doesn’t do it justice

No regrets stopping by to sample the Nikka whiskies however I hope their popularity does not eclipse the possibility of giving a bit more time to let their single malts mature…

For more details on earlier Nikka tasting experiences, check out:

• Miyagikyo 15 year 45%
• Nikka
  • Coffey Grain Whisky 45%
  • ‘From the Barrel’ NAS 51.4%
  • Blended Whisky 40%
  • Pure Malt 21 year 43%
  • The Nikka 12 year 43%
  • Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 year 43%
• Yoichi Single Malt NAS 45% + 10 year 45%

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