Black-50, 7 years, b.1987, Nikka Whisky, Deluxe, 40% abv.

Rod Stewart used to make commercials for this blend.

Nose: oily fruits, semi-cologne fragrances, hint of boiled peanuts in there; its basically a half and half of fruit salad and boiled peanuts. After a few sips, I get mellowed vanilla, fleshy fruits like melons or chamhwi, and rubber.

Palate: tastes young, imparts a feeling of drinking cough syrup but without those US cough syrup flavors I was brought up with, flavors are generally short, mid palate has an old fruit profile, almost like the fruit is getting past the ripe date, the spice is building up.

Finish: medium, but my tongue has a weird coat of old decomposing fruit jelly/cognac, sticky mouthfeel, a low level of spice builds up,  flavors seem to go towards old slightly sugar-deprived apple juice. Peculiar.

Another interesting one, especially after that 1970 Imperial where both seemed to showcase texture and mouthfeel, but the experience is quite different. This was less enjoyable than the decade older Imperial, and didn't seem to put much intensity in the flavor profile, perhaps because this Nikka was only 7 years old.

Grade: C

Couldn't find quantifiable, reliable reviews.

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

🇭🇰 🇺🇸(LA, SF) -> 🇯🇵 (京都, 東京) -> 🇰🇷 (서울, 부산)