Yoichi 12, 45% abv.

Founded in 1934, the Yoichi distillery is the oldest of the three main Nikka distilleries. The founder of Nikka, Masataka Taketsuru, apparently picked the Yoichi location based on climate conditions similar to his experience in Scotland, as opposed to a clean and reliable water source, or perhaps it's better to market the story that way? Yoichi generally makes peated malts from their coal-fired potstills. Supposedly, this 12 year release has more sherry casks in its vat relative to the younger 10 year old.

Nose: white grapes, sour plums, on a deep inhale it smells like vomit.

Palate: sour grapes and plums, mid palate is concentrated honey, back palate has old wet steamed lotus leaves, young tofu.

Finish: short, a little dry, wood, light old wet steamed lotus leaves.

On the surface, this Yoichi is very normal, but the more I dwelve into it, the more concerned I became with the vomit like aromas and old wet steamed lotus leaves appearing everywhere. All these aspects tried to hide behind the sour plums and grapes. Wait... is this 70s Bowmore gone wrong? Overall not my type of dram. Not what I remembered... Had this at Bar Fuji, Fukuoka, Japan.

Grade: D-

Whiskyanalysis.com, 8.75 ± 0.19 on 9 reviews
Malt maniacs, 87 points from 2 reviews
The whiskeyfiles, Barry Bradford, 84/100
LA whiskey society, Sku, B

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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