Yuza 3yo 2018/2021 First Edition

Yuza 3yo 2018/2021 First Edition

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu 
Copper
61% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, honey, vanilla, lemon zest, hints of orange peel, hints of cream. With water, green tea, malted grains, honey, hints of yuzu. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, mouth coating, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Green tea, lemon zest, bergamot, vanilla, malted grains, hints of photocopy paper. With water, honey, yuzu, malted grains, cinder toffee, pomeloes. 
Finish: Long. Green tea, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Very citrusy, lots of floral notes (even bergamot) allied to a nice level of feinty malt. It opens up a lot with water, becoming even more citrusy. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Mars The Y.A. #2

Mars The Y.A. #2

Yakushima Aging, Mars
Vatted malt
Amber
49% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, sea salt, malted grains, honey, leather, smoke, hints of germolene. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Sea salt, malted grains, lemon zest, smoke, green tea, rubber bands, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, honey, orange peel, brown sugar. 

Comments: 

A combination of Shinshu and Tsunuki malt. It’s more peated than I expected, and sour as well as savoury. Some sulphur appears as well. Otherwise it’s a good, malty whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Okayama Triple Cask

Okayama Triple Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu 
Amber red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, vanilla, cream, orange peel, cloves, hints of cinder toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, mouth coating, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, orange peel, cloves, marshmallows, raisins, cocoa nibs, black tea, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Short. Chinese angelica, orange peel, black tea, hints of strawberry jam, hints of camphor. 

Comments: 

Creamy and sherried, lots of classic notes here, but also with sandalwood and camphor. It’s not a typical Japanese whisky, except maybe for the clarity of flavour. One dram I’m very pleased to be able to try.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nikka Coffey Grain Woody and Mellow

Nikka Coffey Grain Woody and Mellow

Official bottling 
Single grain - East Honshu
Copper gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, oak chips, apple juice, malted grains, dunnage, hints of roast chicken. With water, toffee, honey, magic marker, oak chips. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, marshmallows, magic marker, tutti frutti, malted grains, dunnage, hints of oatcakes. With water, magic marker, toffee, malted grains, oak chips. 
Finish: Medium. Oatcakes, magic marker, malted grains, apple juice. 

Comments: 

I like this Nikka series where they simply label the bottle with what it tastes like. Simple and straightforward. Not quite so with this whisky. It’s got lots of lovely grain notes, estery and smooth, but it’s also got the woody vanilla and some dusty dunnage. Intriguing dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kanosuke Single Malt 2023 Limited Edition

Kanosuke Single Malt 2023 Limited Edition

Official bottling 
Single malt - Kyushu
Amber
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, leather, cream, malted grains, hoppy beer, apple juice, marshmallows. With water, cinder toffee, apple juice, hoppy beer, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Apple juice, cinder toffee, photocopy paper, cream, malted grains, fresh cut grass. With water, cinder toffee, apple juice, tyre rubber, hints of marshmallows. 
Finish: Long. Photocopy paper, cinder toffee, marshmallows, sandalwood. 

Comments: 

It says a lot about Kanosuke that this is one of the less good ones that I’ve had. It’s still quite glorious - rich creamy apple juice, lightly peated and smoked. Some slightly sulphurous rubber appears with a bit of water.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Port Ellen 24yo 1982/2007

Port Ellen 24yo 1982/2007

The Whisky Fair
Single malt - Islay
Pale gold
59.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tyre rubber, fish sauce, farmyard, charcoal ash, leather, lemon zest, hints of nutmeg. With water, smoke, cream, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Charcoal ash, smoke, peat, farmyard, lemon zest, honey, cream, hints of nutmeg. With water, charcoal ash, tyre rubber, cream, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, honey, cream, peat, hints of charcoal ash. 

Comments: 

I like 1982 Port Ellen, even if I’m told 1981 is better. This one is savoury and ashy, with a slightly fishy flavour. It goes well with the smoke and peat. With some water it eases up, bring out some citrus and cream notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Akashi 3yo 2018/2022

Akashi 3yo 2018/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu
Straw
62% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, tablet, orange peel, vanilla, green tea, sandalwood, hints of cinnamon. With water, cream, condensed milk, hints of starfruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Tablet, vanilla, green tea, condensed milk, cinnamon, leather, hints of orange peel. With water, green tea, leather, peat, cream. 
Finish: Long. Leather, peat, green tea, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 101857 + 58. It’s tart stuff, but tart with the earthy sourness of peat rather than fruity acidity. Still, there’s some of that, especially with a bit of water. It’s also got notes of milk and cinnamon. Quite a lovely dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kornog 13yo 2007 Sauternes Cask

Kornog 13yo 2007 Sauternes Cask 

Animal Spirits
Single malt - Brittany
Mahogany
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, vanilla, orange peel, smoke, cinder toffee, tyre rubber. With water, raisins, candied oranges, vanilla, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peat, smoke, peanuts, leather, hibiscus, orange peel, cinder toffee, rubber bands, wet stones. With water, rubber bands, raisins, candied oranges, peanuts. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, wet stones, rubber bands, smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 937. Sweet wine cask on peated distillate can be hit or miss. This one is sort of a hit, I guess - lots of sweet floral notes that float on top of robust peat. I can’t tell whether the sulphur is from the wine cask or from the distillate. From a Singaporean bottler that’s new to me. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Brass Lion Single Malt Batch 001

Brass Lion Single Malt Batch 001

Official bottling 
Single malt - South West Singapore
Golden
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, sandalwood, vanilla, butterscotch, gooseberries, hints of cola nuts. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Butterscotch, gooseberries, orange peel, vanilla, cucumbers, menthol, sandalwood, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, hoppy beer, sandalwood, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Batch 001. Well, I managed to find this whisky, despite despairing of getting a sample. It’s rather good - quite intense with some buttery sweetness, malty strength and some hints of gooseberries. It’s also noticeably young, maybe it’s how whisky has to be if it’s made in the tropics.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dornoch 5yo 2017/2023 Cask 14

Dornoch 5yo 2017/2023 Cask 14

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden yellow
58.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, vanilla, magic marker, malted grains, hoppy beer, hints of gooseberries. With water, pears, sultanas, nail varnish. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Gooseberries, strawberry laces, rye bread, magic marker, pears, oatcakes, nail varnish. With water, pears, malted grains, nail varnish, gooseberries. 
Finish: Long. Oatcakes, rye bread, nail varnish, gooseberries. 

Comments: 

The pear and nail varnish notes are so strong one can smell them from several feet away. On the tongue, it’s malty and cereally as well. Lots of interesting notes, especially the combination of cereal and estery fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.