Tag Archives: #japanesewhisky

Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast: Nikka Discovery

Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast

47%

700ml

$279.95 (LCBO)

Medium and Herbal

Fruit aromas of Peach and Apricot

Pepper, spices, Tomato Leaf….haven’t heard that one before

From the Distillery:

After the remarkable Miyagikyo Single Malt Peated launched in 2021, the magic behind this unpeated version comes from the use of yeasts that encourage the development of delicately fruity aromas and flavours. An invitation to dive quite literally into a washback in the midst of fermentation, it begins first by laying the foundations of a deeply malty character. Then, as the tasting unfolds, deliciously luscious, floral, rich and even fruity sequences interweave with one another, like dissolving transitions in a film.

COLOR: Bright gold.

NOSE: Refined, full of ardour. The very exuberant first nose (lavender, marshmallow, marsh mallow plant) is also softly liquoricey and lush (malted barley). Allowed to breathe, succulent perfumes of comté cheese, flowering meadow, and fruits (peach, pear, apricot) intensely take hold of the olfactory arena. Gradually, notes of vanilla, coconut milk and lemon meringue tart draw out the first stage of the tasting.

PALATE: Radiant, well-balanced. The full-bodied attack is at first refreshingly herbaceous (barley field, fern). Very delicately, the mid-palate then becomes wonderfully rich (brioche, leavened baguette). Next, white peaches and pears release their deliciously tangy juice onto the taste buds as acacia honey spreads voluptuously around the sides of the palate.

FINISH: Long, silky. Closely linked to the end of the palate, incredibly fresh flavours of herbal tea (sage, camomile, verbena) cross through the start of the finish. At the end of the finish, grains of salt are placed gently onto a bed of cut grass. The mentholated, very slightly empyreumatic (smoking cigar) and spicy (fresh ginger) retro-nasal olfaction gradually reveals subtle floral notes (pear tree, lily of the valley). The empty glass releases fermentation aromas.

Yoichi Aromatic Yeast: Nikka Discovery

This month we have a double header, a pairing of unique whiskies from the Far East coast!

Born from the Nikka distillery these two special releases are sure to be interesting shift from our usual Scottish malts.

Nikka operates several distilleries across the land of the rising sun and these 2022 single malts come from the Yoichi and Miyagiko locations. 

Through yeast experimentation over a number of years they have been able to create unique flavours instead of the traditional maturation methods used, essentially by growing and aging yeast Nikka has been able to create a variety of flavours to use in their single malt whiskey, flavours that are normally only obtained by traditional barrel aging methods.

The reviews on both of these Bottles were quite good and with a limited number of each experimental bottle available in Canada, we would have to have Zombie brain to not give them a try!

47% ABV

700ml

$279.95 (LCBO)

This rare version of the Yoichi Single malt is from the Nikka discovery series. Focusing on Aromas selected from Nikka’s vast collection of yeast the expression is partially made a batch that has aromas similar to ginjyo sake, know to be fruit and floral which is balanced by the peaty, smokiness of the original Yoichi.

Cereal, Elderflower, licorice, berries, light peat