How funny is that one of the most anticipated Japanese whiskies of 2022 is technically something that's already been around for a while. We're hardly ever excited over the old are we? Well, Nikka's 2022 re-release of the Yoichi 10 Years Old bucks that trend.

And as a tale as old as time, you can already hear the parted seas - on the one side, you have folks getting hyped up, sending their local distributors "Happy Birthday" cards to butter them up, hoping to score a bottle; the other side is achingly loud with groans of "the old one is better!". 

(Image Source: Nikka)

The thing with fine spirits is that there's a massive sense of nostalgia - it's almost as if anything older is better. Let's make some tweaks to that: "anything unavailable is better". That makes a lot more sense doesn't it? When it comes to the paradigms of quality and luxury and craft; something that tugs at one's sense of higher order value, is it not scarcity that really dictates how desirable and positively viewed something is? If it's hard to get, doesn't exist anymore, can't be produced again - it's always going to be better.

As they say with art, it's only worth something when the artist is dead.

Nonetheless, the general excitement is quite palpable - I'll bet that even the detractors will give it a go if offered - it is after all the first aged statement Yoichi released from Nikka in 7 years. A total of 9,000 bottles released, focused on domestic distribution first, and then a possible global rollout. 

What is Nikka's Yoichi up to? (Image Source: Nikka)

One of the key (and more valued) discussions arising from this (re)release is the small output given Nikka's massive size and of course, long history. They could only squeeze out 9,000 bottles? The general consensus is that Nikka, having been badly burnt from the whisky shortage in the mid-2010s resulting in their discontinuing of their entire aged whisky lineup, seriously doesn't want a repeat. As such, they're focusing their aged stocks on racking up more age so they can bring back aged statements older than 10 years old. After all, how much can you really price a 10 year old whisky? Makes sense.

Will we ever see the full set of Yoichi's again?

In any case, I've tried the old Yoichi 10 Year Old (discontinued in 2015) a couple of years back so I maintain some general sense of my feelings towards that, and just as well, I'm able to give the new Yoichi 10 Year Old an unbiased spin. 

It is worth noting that the previous release and the new (re)release are both bottled at 45% ABV. Both have coloring added to them, which is fairly standard practice to maintain consistency across batches for standard release whiskies (so frankly, nothing alarming), however, the new release is chill-filtered while its predecessor wasn't. 

Yoichi 10 Year Old, 2022 (Re-Release), 45% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Color: Amber

Aroma: Immediately a strong scent of sandalwood incense, a sort of camphor and smoke - slightly striking at first, but quite aromatic and very distinct and well-defined. There's a honeyed viscosity and heady-ness to its aromas, almost syrupy and malty and of butter cookies. And then a more estery fragrance of yellow banana flesh and yellow banana candy.

Taste: Almost somewhat ashy with again lots of sandalwood but this time both the wood and the incense - a woodiness and a sootiness. Texturally, a nice buttery body with lots of maltiness, think ovaltine biscuits. There's a touch of black pepper and cough syrup as well. And then as with the aromas - lots of fleshy, creamy estery fruits - yellow banana and custard apples come to mind.

Finish: Medium length, clean, crisp, light touch of pepper and honey and oats.

My Thoughts

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this - it wasn't cheap, mind you - but I did enjoy it for just how distinctive and well-defined its profile was. This isn't where you go to seek complexity, but where it really delivers is in those three flavors - sandalwood, malt and fruit esters - were impeccably distinct and pronounced. It was cohesive from aromas to finish and you could singularly identify and appreciate each note to a ridiculously unambiguous degree.

There's no noise and at the same time the flavors are reasonably well-balanced and married. With the new Yoichi 10 Year Old, you're not here to look for an entire bouquet, but really a handful of flavors that are hidden in plain sight. No head-scratching needed.

I really like this. Big, bold, definite, hefty - if only it were more widely available. I'm looking forward to what should most likely be an announcement for the (re)release of the corresponding Miyagikyo 10 Year Old.

Till then, you're most likely to find this at bars in Japan or via Nikka's distributors, such as La Maison du Whisky.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot