Nikka 12 YO

ReviewsJapaneseNikka

Nov 28

Written By David Levine

Nikka 12 YO

Japanese

12 YO

43% ABV/86 Proof

Eye: Straw honey.

Nose: A little tight at first. Sweet and syrupy once it opens up. Dark fruits mixed with malt and grain sweetness. Hint of proof and cherries.

Palate: Hotter than expected, but it dissipates quickly. Balanced malt and grain notes bounce back and forth. This is oddly…flat? It tastes of Scotch but there’s nothing unique coming onto the palate. Mouthfeel is oaky at first, then creamy, mildly coating and light-to-medium bodied.

Finish: Long but uninteresting - could be any basic Scotch or Japanese malt.

Overall: I can’t help but be disappointed. Bottle bias definitely would get to me if I didn’t try this blind. It’s not that bad, it’s more that the pour should be so much more interesting as a 12 year old Japanese product, particularly now that so much of the age-stated stock is gone. Especially tasted blind against the Red and Black Pure Malts, this just falls flat…the others might be NAS, but at least they’ve got a character of their own.

Rating: 4.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)