Alas poor Yoichi 15 I knew thee kinda well, but now you’re gone. I’ve had a few glasses of you at the bar, I’ve had you at tastings and then there was the afternoon this review stems from where a friend brought this bottle of you over and I took notes over several glasses. I do still have a 2 oz sample of you left from that afternoon, but with your recent disappearance I don’t know if we’ll ever see each other again because there’s no way in hell I’m paying secondary prices for you or any of your kin.
A Victim of it’s own success (so the story goes) Yoichi and the rest of the age-stated Nikka line have been given the axe and replaced with NAS offerings like the Taketsuru. It’s a trend that’s getting to be all too familiar and a sign of an industry where demand is outpacing production capabilities, and existing stock, which is resulting in age statements disappearing and NAS whiskies appearing. A by product of that same process is the creation of a secondary market where obscene prices are paid for bottles everyday and my only question is… when is the bubble going to burst?
Yoichi 15 years Info
Region: Hokkaido, Japan
Distiller: Nikka
Mashbill: 100% malted barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 15 years
ABV: 45%
Price: $110
Yoichi 15 years Review
EYE
Golden Caramel
NOSE
Caramel, malt, burnt sugar, vanilla, citrus, dark rum and a touch of wood. It’s not a delicate aroma like many of the Japanese whiskies I’ve had, but is instead rich and deep. I enjoyed it immensely.
PALATE
Smoky and malty with some vegetal, spice and vanilla notes. Bold, but not overbearing, notes of charred citrus and burned marshmallow compliment a light bit of wood and give the flavor added dimension.
FINISH
Long and warm with notes of wood, charred marshmallow, citrus, vanilla and a hint of malt.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced with a medium body and a slightly rough texture. Comes across rougher than I expected it to.
OVERALL
Yoichi 15 years is a fantastic dram, but like most Japanese whiskies it suffered from being overpriced. Which is now made worse by the fact that it’s no longer being made so the price on the bottles I’ve found in stores recently have gone through the roof – it’s a little insane. Regardless, it’s a good whisky with a lot to offer across the nose, palate and finish. if you happen to find it for a price you can justify snatch it up because what’s left is all that’s left for the foreseeable future.
SCORE: 89/100