A single malt whisky exclusively produced at the Yoichi distillery.
The series has a variety of styles, such as Peaty & Salty, Woody & Vanilla, and Sherry & Sweet, which highlight the character of the official Yoichi bottles depending on the casks and malt used. This series used to be released in a 12-year-old version, but due to the recent Japanese whisky boom, it has been discontinued due to the shortage of original whisky, and is now being released again as a non-aged version.
１．Company
Nikka Whisky Company, Ltd.
２．Distillery
Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido is known as the “Scotland of Japan. The distillery was established in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, a.k.a. Massan, as the predecessor of Dai Nihon Kaju Co.
Masataka Taketsuru believed that a cool and humid climate similar to that of Scotland, a rich source of water, and clear, dignified air were essential for ideal whiskey production, and selected Yoichi, located at the base of the Shakotan Peninsula west of Otaru, from among various candidate sites.
Masataka Taketsuru’s goal for his first distillery was to create a heavy and powerful malt whisky. He was determined to reproduce the whisky-making methods he had learned at distilleries in Scotland without making any compromises. The symbol of this commitment is “direct coal-fired distillation. The distillation process is based on the Longmorn distillery method that he learned at the distillery. If it is necessary to make genuine whisky, we will protect it, even if it is inefficient. This passion, which can be said to be the origin of Nikka Whisky, and Masataka Taketsuru’s desire to achieve his dreams are still being passed down today.
３．Product Name
Single Malt Yoichi Peaty & Salty
４．Characteristics
The smell of the oncoming tide and the strong scent of peat
Drinking it straight, the peat salt spreads out softly, just as the name suggests! It is well-balanced and quite tasty.
When drunk on the rocks, the aroma of peat, like iodine or Seirogan, hits you hard as if it is penetrated through your nose. The strength of the aroma exceeds that of Laphroaig 10.
The taste is mainly spicy and salty due to the stimulation of alcohol, with almost no sweetness. Even when watered down, the strong aroma and taste do not diminish, but the stimulation of the alcohol is suppressed and a citrus-like acidity follows.
Aroma: Black pepper, salted caramel, salted Daifuku, sweet and peaty, with a touch of rice malt towards the latter half.
Taste: richness of caramel, juicy orange, spicy black pepper.
Lingering: sweet smokescreen stays in the mouth for a long time, accented by a tidal taste.
Type: Single malt
Ingredients: Malt
Alcohol content: 55%.
５．Awards
６．Price
Reference retail price: 6,680 yen (tax included) for 500 ml
Mail order and online auctions sell for around 13,000 yen to 18,000 yen, more than double the regular price. (As of July 29, 2019)
Price at DiningBar Hidden Lounge
At DiningBar Hidden Lounge, this whisky is priced at
45ml: 3,600 yen
30ml: 2,400 yen
15ml: 1,200 yen
The whisky is available at the following prices.
７．Finally
Delicious without question! but the tidal taste is strong. Straight or on the rocks is recommended.
Sweet like vanilla ice cream at the beginning, but from there it instantly changes to a peaty flavor. The tidal taste is a bit strong at the end.
This is a great non-age whisky with this quality.
The price is rising due to the difficulty of obtaining it.
Please take this opportunity to try it at DiningBar Hidden Lounge.
