The Nikka 12 (43.0%): This blend got added to the core range of Nikka in late 2014 to commemorate 80th anniversary of Masataka Taketusuru opening the Yoichi Distillery in 1934 in Hokkaido and was available only in Japan when released. It is blended using malt whiskies sourced from Yoichi Distillery and malt and grain whiskies from Miyagikyo Distillery. As you can see from the photo it comes in a pretty fancy packaging and apparently the bottle design is inspired by the neckline of a Kimono... The golden badge on the bottle is Taketusuru's own design he created for the first Nikka bottling back then.
Color: Light amber with thin but persistent legs around the glass.
Nose: Banana galore..! Overripe baby bananas, banana shake and old school New York diner banana cream pie. Coconut shavings, vanilla and white peaches. Peach Melba, caramel syrup and pear compote. The nose is basically a huge fruit bowl topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. After the first shock of massive fruit wave fades away you get some linseed oil, nutmeg and rubber band ball aromas. Nice faint peaty undertones. Beautiful nose...
Palate: While the nose was mainly driven by malt whiskies the palate is dominated by grain whiskies and wood. Toasted wood, pencil shavings and leather upholstery. Less fruity more spicy and bitter on the palate. Over brewed white tea, thyme and soot. Burnt sugar, chocolate malt, cacao nibs.
Finish: Quiet long with toasted cardamom pods and black tea. Cheyenne peppers and nutmeg.
Overall: Another incredibly satisfying blend from Nikka. It is dangerously easy drinking, very reasonably priced and damn tasty. Obviously they are doing something right over there... Although the nose was the big winner in this case it's a great whisky overall. Thanks to JaNelle and Patrick Traylor showing up on a Sunday afternoon to pop open this beauty together and share it with us after carrying the bottle all the way from Japan. Whisky tastes definitely better when shared...
Price: $55
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