Technically this bottle should be the last of its kind - after all, Nikka announced in 2020 that it would discontinue its age statement releases including the 17, 21 and 25 Year Old Taketsuru labels. This went on as down the line Nikka culled its age-statement whiskies and even some NAS ones as they begun to fall short on aged whisky stocks. For a whisky giant, that ironically meant little options were left for drinkers.

It was only in 2022 that Nikka announced some light at the end of the tunnel - the Yoichi 10 Year Old was being brought back! Hurrah! I've yet to see it anywhere outside of Japan.

So in the meantime, we must contend with what we are able to salvage from the past! Onwards with the discontinued Taketsuru 17 Year Old.

Nikka is notoriously secretive about what goes into their blends - and it's a widely (read: loosely) kept secret that the whisky giant relies heavily on the Scottish Ben Nevis Distillery as a workhorse for its blends.

So in this case, we know for sure there's going to be Yoichi and Miyagikyo malt whiskies, but I've always been curious to know how much Ben Nevis went into this.

After all, while the Taketsuru 17's label precedes the new Japanese whisky labelling rules which requires that all whisky in the bottle be made in Japan - nowhere on this label does it say "Japanese whisky"; it's simply "Taketsuru Whisky Pure Malt".

Very vague. Nonetheless, this label was a core part of the Taketsuru lineup for a long while before it was discontinued and had in its day picked up numerous awards for World's Best Blended Malt Whisky.

Nikka Whisky Taketsuru 17 Year Old Pure Malt, 43% ABV - Review

Color: Amber

Aroma: Immediately overtly woody - of incense, agarwood, sandalwood, with a side of candle waxiness that you find in Asian temples. There's also some very aromatic smoke here, and also florals, jasmine, orris, vanilla citrus. As cliche as it sounds, this conveys so much oriental-ness. There's a richness of cereals and malt, butter, and then again more on five spice and anise. Then more on kinako and kuromitsu (Japanese black sugar syrup). It's also leathery with notes of tobacco leaf, maltose candy. There's a refinement of antiquity and musk that has so much depth and gives a sense of maturity.

Underneath that there's cinnamon poached nashi pears, baked apples, Korean Soo Jeong Gwa (a sweet cinnamon punch popular in Korea). There's a farm-y musk and sawdust aroma as well. Finally, a flinty chalkiness to it.

There's a muskiness throughout that conveys a sense of antiquity. It's incredibly distinctive.

Taste: Honey herbal candy (Pi Pa Koa syrup), really syrupy, with a good serving of black pepper, and also heaps more waxiness and incense - that musky lacquered agarwood, sandalwood and cedar. It's richly malty, with butterscotch and some caramel custard, and also ripe with dried candied fruit - dates, figs, ginger candy, akin to Turkish delight. It's quite buttery. 

More on mint jelly, fennel, orange blossoms, vanilla - fragrant, woody and still incredibly oriental but coming at it from a totally different sense than its aromas. Light black tea astringency, and also somewhat umami, with deep notes of beeswax and burnt toast. It has amongst the most chewy texture I've had in a Japanese whisky.

Finish: Medium, the muskiness alleviates along with the waxiness to reveal fresher notes of apple pie stuffing, candied ginger, eucalyptus, and a slight umami-savouriness.

My Thoughts

If oriental came in whisky-form, this would be it. From its aromas to palate and finish, the whole experience is extremely... oriental. The flavors have a whole lot of depth and richness, albeit you have to be a fan of a more woody, savoury umami, musky profile. The muskiness is exceptionally distinctive and is apparent throughout, which by the way, is a Ben Nevis hallmark - something that's been quite in vogue as of late. But again, it's not for everyone. And yet it's a note that's best associated with a sense of antiquity - like stepping into a museum, old library, or an attic. It's a really interesting note - definitely worth trying out for yourself whether or not you're into it.

One big tip I've come to figure with Nikka's whiskies is that you've really gotta let the whisky air or aerate for a couple of minutes for it to open up. If all you're getting is a very muted woody beeswax (an experience I've had quite often with older Nikka's), give it some time to open up, it's worked quite well for me - almost revealing an entirely different whisky.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot