Yoichi 20 Years Old 52% NV

Professionele reviews

Serge Valentin (92)

Right, we've tried this wonder by Nikka several times already, but this is another bottle you understand, while life's too short for bad whisky (and bad wine, bad tea, bad coffee, bad brandy…) By the way, this is one of the few bottles that started the Japanese craze… Colour: deep gold. Nose: wow, extremely rich, camphory, deeply herbal and exotic, with notes of sawn teak wood, a family pack of macadamia nuts, some diesel oil, bandages, crème brulée… How unusual and complex indeed! I think bottle aging did it much good and I'll probably have to raise my score. With a drop of water: many fresh nuts, a touch of wax, and this little tarriness that's often made me think of Ardbeg. Mouth (neat): flabbergasting richness yet with a lot of elegance, always around teak and other wood oils, bananas and papayas, tobacco, overripe apples and pears, a drop of varnish once again, vin jaune, walnuts, camphor, tar (touches)… With water: absolutely perfect and, I'll say it again, rather a little Ardbeggian. We're talking 1970s Ardbeg, naturally. Finish: rather long, with stunning honeys mixed with eucalyptus honey and once again, a little tar. Comments: just splendid.
SGP:463 - 92 points (up from 91).

Whisky Notes (91)

It's a delicious and uniquely Japanese profile, but for some people it might be too extreme in its earthy savouriness. I love it though.
Nose
Big notes of cedar wood up front. Cigar boxes. Tobacco leaves. Old leather. Nice to see there's also an estery note (nail polish) but this fades away quickly. Dark forest fruits remain. After that, some earthy smoke, burnt cake and a little tar. Hints of dried mushrooms and soft spices. Incense as well. Light matchstick notes from the sherry. Excellent complexity and typically Japanese.
Taste
Punchy (bordering on pungent). Again quite savoury and leathery. Walnuts and roasted pecans. Deep, earthy peat smoke. Pepper, liquorice, anise, a pinch of salt. In the background a strong bitter-sweet harmony of burnt fruit cake and dark chocolate. Slightly sourish tobacco leaves.
Finish
Very long, smoky and chocolaty with traces of dry oak.

BOW (91)

Label
余市