Category: Miyagikyo

[62.0%・18 Years Old・Distilled in 1996・Bottled in 2014・Official Bottling・Cask No. 42439・Single Cask Release]

Nose:

The nose starts off with pinewood and a thin brush of peat, unfamiliar but incredibly full bodied, fresh paper and cigar humidor as the ashy note begins to surface.  The fresh fruits and vanilla custard fare subservient.

Palate & Finish:

Citrus lemon and vanilla, honey and sugar as spices sprinkle down, the oak lends a sophisticated note to the affair.  Sandalwood and soft peat wraps around the clean sweetness.

Delicate peat follows the spices and continue to stretch in the finish, hint of orange marmalade as well.

Thoughts:

Peated Miyagikyo!  I would have picked this as a Yoichi, or not a Japanese whisky at all.

☆ [Recommended]

Cheers Clifford for the dram.

-Nicholas

Style: Musky Sherry bomb

Nose:

Hot Ribena boiling with peppermint leaves, quite stringent with all the spirit heat. Dunnage muskiness starting to surface. Woah, woah, what’s this? I haven’t tried a lot of Miyagikyo but this is something very different… Plenty of umami, a dash of chicken stock and soy sauce all simmering in a dusty room. Peculiar, to say the least. Blackcurrants buried deeply underneath.

Palate:

The deep sherry core breaks the dusky crust and showing its true colour on the palate. Syrup-thick black currants, icy mint slightly torched with fire. Incredibly sweet and rich. What caked within the sherry juggernaut seems to be a fresh stack of green grass. Brown sugar mixes with caramel sauce with distant amber smoke. Red fruits boiling with herbs. Very, very nice.

Finish:

Almost-Chinese herbal tones laying on overripe red fruits, tropical fruits cocktail punchbowl to finish. Delicious.

Thoughts:

Sometimes I just assume all Miyagikyo(s) are light and delicate but this is nothing like it, in fact, quite the contrary – Dusty and musky aroma followed by a powerful sherry bomb explosion on the palate. Incredibly moreish and lip smacking delicious. Certainly a memorable dram, too bad I didn’t get one when I had a chance…

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[60.0% • Independent Bottling • 2014 Bottled • 1996 Distilled • Aged 17 Years • Single Cask • Non Chill Filtered • Non Coloured • 479 Bottles • Matured in First Fill Pedro Ximenez Sherry Butt • 1 of 479 Bottles • **]

-Esmond

Tasted at Archie Rose Distillery, Sydney.

Style: Fruity and Spicy

Nose:
Fragrant apple and pear drops burst into scene with dazzling sweetness. A very pure and clean aroma… Strolling on spring glass and along meadow bank. Delicious lychee martini, with a touch of enthusiastic ginger and peppermint spice. Slightly drying towards the end.

Palate:
More frisky fruity notes, a clean interchange of fresh green apples and sweet red apples. Feisty cedar wood strikes early with an edge of bitterness, orange zest stringing a hint of tropical fruits. All sweetness slowly converges at the back to hit a sweet spot, yum! Powerful spice running rampant around the field till the end.

Finish:
Oaky bitterness still biding its time, more fruity gestures mixing in like a cocktail punchbowl.

Thoughts:
Very bright and sparkling whisky from Miyagikyo. Delicate, light character with a cheerful tone. Charming fruits which can easily win you over any day. The oaky, bitter bite comes in a bit too strong, too soon to my taste. But nonetheless a very lively dram.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/ distillery]

[59% • 2013 Bottled • 2000 Distilled • Original Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Chill Filtered • Non Coloured • Cask Number: 15805 • Warehouse Number: 25 • Aged 13 Years • t]

-Esmond