Monday, December 15, 2014

Nikka 17 Pure Malt

Today's drink: Nikka 17.

Here's a brief example of some tasting notes.

Nose: soft and sweet, plenty of fruit, I'll go with peaches and figs, but there could be some pineapple and such as well.  There is a nice dose of English leather, your choice if I mean the cologne or a library. Very nice nose that puts a quality feel to the experience.

Mouth: hidden buzz saw! Plenty of spice and heat to go with the nice leather and fruits. Not too much oak or too much burn, but definitely not reflective of that soft gentle nose.  This is a samurai slap to the face that is not nearly as gentle.  It isn't a punch, but it gets your attention.  There is very little smokiness to this, which I enjoy and approve.  The more you hold it the more the heat builds, seeming to rise from the back of the mouth. I don't know what it was aged in, but I want to guess bourbon barrels as I taste some hints at the vanilla and caramel flavors riding beneath the surface.  But the smooth grain, cute fruits and fire riding on top are much more prevalent.

Finish: returns to the soft gentle tones of the nose with a gradual fade.  Decent length, not so long that it generates any weird flavors, not so short as to feel cheated with the quality of the product.


Overall, I find this to be a very high quality drink.  It is very much a single malt style, but it is a good example of such, much like a Lexus is a good expression of a luxury vehicle.  While it might not be a BMW, that can be a good thing as well.  There is excellent quality, no off notes or tones, and a very even experience with this whisky.  I can't say about the price point...  I didn't pay a dime.  Thank you, thank you Dr. Green and White.  Looking at similar ages in Japanese whisky available locally, I can't imagine this would be affordable as a daily drinker here.  I'm not sure I would spend top dollar to have this as a showcase whisky, either. While sufficiently complex, I am not blown away by this like I was with the Hibiki 12 or the Yamazaki 18.  Both of those seemed to offer more "wow" factor to me.  That said, this is an excellent whisky that I would drink anytime.

No comments:

Post a Comment