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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$91.99
The Yoichi Single Malt is a peated Single Malt Whisky made at Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, Japan.
Yoichi was the second distillery in Japan built specifically for making Single Malt Whisky. It was founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru after he finished working with Shinjiro Torii at Yamazaki Distillery. Founding Yoichi Distillery was the first step towards making Nikka the whisky company it is today.
Producer Description
"This is a single malt from the Yoichi distillery, Nikka's first distillery built in 1934. The founder Masataka Taketsuru chose Yoichi in Hokkaido because of the similar environmental conditions to Scotland, where he learned whisky making. Yoichi single malt has pleasant peaty notes and smokiness originating from the traditional direct coal-fired distillation as well as a briny hint delivered by the sea breeze during the aging process."
700 mlProducer's Tasting Note
Nose: Full-bodied, smooth. A mellow peat softly coats the aromatic palette at first, growing more powerful with time, as smoke, soot and salty notes transcend the initial nose. The aromas then evolve towards candied citrus fruit (lemon, orange), black liquorice and spices (nutmeg, ginger), and opens up with roots and dried twig aromas. Heady and floral (carnation, iris), it grows increasingly complex.
Palate: Firm, powerful. A well-balanced attack gives equal footing to aromas of peat, smoke, spices, fresh fruit (melon, kiwi) and nuts (almond, walnut), which it delivers in spades. The mid-palate starts off with chocolate notes, but the peat soon takes the lead once again.
Finish: Long, silky. Extremely mature, it overflows with ripe fruit (pear, Mirabelle plum, apple). The peat starts taking on an herbaceous and malty character, while the salty flavours gives the finish plenty of depth and coastal freshness. The final nose offers menthol, spicy (coriander, dill) and earthy (leather, chestnuts) notes.
$399.99
The Yamazaki 12 Year is one of the most iconic and recognizable Japanese Single Malt Whiskies. Bottled at 43%.
Yamazaki was the first distillery in Japan built to make single malt whisky, and it can be argued that its success is chiefly what lead Suntory Global to becoming one of the major global whisky-makers today. The distillery was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii and Mastataka Taketsuru, and has been operating for over a century now.
Producer Description
"The Yamazaki whisky is Suntory's flagship single malt whisky, from Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery. With a range of options from Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve to 12, 18, and 25 years old, all of these prized whiskies contain carefully blended components aged in American, Spanish, and Japanese Mizunara oak."
$91.99
We have been lucky to get a couple of dozen bottles of the Miyagikyo Single Malt, over the last few years allocations have been very tight. 45%. Hoping we see more of this single malt soon!
Producer Description
This is a single malt from the Miyagikyo distillery, Nikka's second distillery built in 1969. The founder Masataka Taketsuru chose this site in the mountains of Sendai to contrast with his first distillery, Yoichi, located in the coastal area. Using less peaty malt and distilled in a pot still heated by indirect steam, Miyagikyo single malt has an elegant fruitiness and a distinctive aroma with a strong Sherry cask influence."
$67.99
This whisky was featured on Day 21 of our 2024 KWM Not An Advent Calendar Tastings! You can read more about the whisky here.
Note: Nikka's own website notes that this bottle does not meet the criteria to be called a Japanese Whisky. The good news is that might mean it also contain Ben Nevis Single Malt, as Scotland's Ben Nevis Distillery is also owned by Nikka.
Nikka's venerated from the Barrel has been a staple of our whisky shelves for years and will hopefully remain so. This creation from Nikka is a blend of grain and malt from multiple distilleries owned by the company. It is always bottled at 51.4% ABV after the components are married in refill casks for up to half a year to marry together and become a cohesive whole.
500mL bottle.
From the Producer: “Produced from a blend of Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts and a single grain whisky, NIKKA FROM THE BARREL embodies the expertise of the distillery’s master blenders. Intense, round, and generous, this ambitious, powerful, controlled, high-alcohol blend is acknowledged for its originality. This is a bold whisky. It seizes you and seduces you. It asserts its own style.
$92.99
This is the newly reformulated Taketsuru Pure Malt, launched in 2020, to comply with Japan's new whisky regulations. Still predominantly made from Miyagikyo, with a prominent sherry cask influence, they have upped the presence of Yoichi single malt adding additional smoke to the mix.
