Review #111 Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt: Japanese

Score: 7.7 / 10

Distillery: Nikka Distillery

Type: Japanese Pure Malt Whiskey

This was the first Japanese whiskey that I fell in love with and honestly probably single handedly created the Po It Up whiskey podcast. I won't bore you with the details, because you can bore yourself on episode 9 here. That bottle however, was the black label version of this that is now discontinued. The white label here is a re-vamp that was released late in 2020 and will replace the black label going forward.

Named after the father of Japanese whiskey, Masataka Taketsuru, is an epic tale of an employee that originally worked at Suntory and spun off yeas later to create one of the best whiskey brands in Japanese spirits. Speaking of the best..... the 17yr version of this whiskey (I have not had the 21) in my opinion is the best bottle of whiskey that I have ever P'od. Rest in peace my friend. I'll see you in 10 years when they come back on the market.

Whiskey Review:

Nose: Salty / brine, mixes with honey and tobacco tend to dominate on this one. White birthday cake comes and goes as you explore around.

Palate: Light and Floral, a bit more ethanol than desired. Butter mixed with a strong lemon and other citrus notes sting the palate.

Finish: Short and oily / malty (obviously by name). Oak with red grapes arises immediately and suddenly turns into a lingering light tobacco.

Score: 7.7

Scale:

S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)

A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)

B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)

C - competent (7-7.9)

D - disappointing (6-6.9)

F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)

Availability? Uncommon. This is a new release of a prior product, so it's tough to say if this is going to be widely distributed or not. So far I've found it in one place only, but I plan on that changing. For now, be on the lookout for this White, (or black) label expression.