Nikka From the Barrel 51.4%
Tasted: Sept 2008
This must be the bargain of the century! This is a truly awesome nose. Very woody and so heavily spiced it’s untrue. The aromas are so dark and treacly with lashing of mature honey and liquorice. Being a vatting I would guess that there is a large dollop of mature spirits on display here, but the late vanilla oak keeps it all in check and balances it rather nicely.
The palate opens up quiet softly, almost deceptively so and then whoosh – Wood tannins, orange, dark fruit, liquorice and exotic spices arrive like a bullet train hitting the tongue. Amazing balance and hugely spicy. Although it’s at cask strength the alcohol is definitely not intrusive.
A drop of water definitely tames the beast pushing the spicy wood notes to the background and allowing the most gloriously, luscious orange fruit to shine. If you are at all unsure as to the quality of Japanese malt whisky, then buy this! You will not regret it!
Nikka From The Barrel 51.4%
Re-Tasted: May 2015
The nose is quite heavy on the sweet grain with hints of spicy sherry, burnt coffee, raisin, treacle and hints of herbs. Lovely depth with a late buttery and toasty vanilla note.
The palate opens with burnt raisins and sherry wood followed by sweet grain and excitable spices. Hints of treacle, dried sultana, prune and coconut appear on the middle. Very long and very spicy with lingering treacle and sweet gain notes.
Nikka Coffey Malt 45%
Tasted: Mar 2015
Softly grainy aromas with malt, tobacco and cigar smoke. There’s some chunky vanilla oak and maple syrup notes in the background along with hints of apricot. It becomes quite smoky with time – wood smoke not peat smoke. Superb depth!
Soft band elegant on the palate which opens with sweet bourbony oak, malt and a light grainy/ coffee spice edge. Very nutty on the middle with coconut and almond along with a touch of ample syrup and tobacco leaf. Very long and spicy (dry) with the sweet, grainy note reappearing. Absolutely stunning!
Nikka Coffey Malt 45%
Re-Tasted: May 2016
Subtle and slightly high toned aromas with nutty dried fruit and some lovely, malty bass notes. Hints of honey, acacia flowers, chunky barley and vanilla appear. With time the oak becomes quite toasty and a hint of fennel materializes.
The palate is pleasantly soft and gently spiced with apricot and dried fruit. Like the nose the malty notes form a bedrock over which the subtle coconutty oak and grainy spirit notes float. Long, with the grainy notes giving the finish some bite.
Nikka Coffey Malt 12 year old 55%
Tasted: Oct 2009
A dead ringer for a grain whisky, which must be down to the stills I would imagine. The nose opens with an immense hit of herbaly-sweet oak, earthy-sweet malt and vanillin’s which have a very grainy character. Absolutely gorgeous if you love this sort of whisky. Overtime a demerara sugar note emerges.
The palate is soft and oak as the nose suggests but there is plenty of complexity to interest – sweet barley and malt followed by earthy orange, light honey, Demerara sugar and alcohol. Intense, piquant and exceptionally long with a botanical laced finish. Superb length which fades beautifully.
A drop of water emphasises the buzzy, sort of grainy notes as well as bringing out some chocolate-coffee and buckets of wood spices. On the palate it softens the alcohol and allows the sweet juicy barley to shine, coated with luscious, maturing honey. Still pretty intense and there is still a veritable shed load of vanillin’s but a sort of resinous/ bark note creeps in. Amazingly good!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 