Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky with 45% Review by WhiskyJason

WhiskyJason reviews Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky with 45%
Whiskybase ID WB214439
Category Single Malt
Distillery Yoichi
Bottled 06/2022
Stated Age 10 years old
Number of bottles 9000
Strength 45.0 % Vol.

[@jimreichel1466]

I am somewhat new to whiskey and very new to Japanese whisky. I only have tried Nikka Coffey Malt. I truly love this whisky as it hits every note I could want. And at $73 US, to me it is a bargain. Thanks for yor videos.

[@WhiskyJason1]

$73 is a great price!!!

[@Exceler376]

Hi Jason, I've been living here in Japan for around 30 years and, thanks to Michael Jackson, learned about was fortunate enough to have to have bought a bottle of the Yoichi 10 around 2005 when they were still available at a local whisky shop. I was not a whisky drinker at the time so it and Macallan 12 and 18 were my intros to whisky--all fantastic! Fast-forward to the past few years I have made several trips to the Yoichi distillery which is now expanding under it's owner Asahi. I tried the 10 at their bar, but was disappointed and later picked up a 180 sized 10 yo online that also wasn't anywhere as good as I had remembered. However, a single wine cask 10 yo Yoichi at the bar was mind-blowingly good. Fast forward again to 5 days ago and my wife and I got lucky enough to join a blending seminar at Miyagikyo (Miyagi Prefecture + Kyo) using 5 55% bottles (Fruit, Malty, Sherried, Grain and Peaty) to create our own 180ml bottles of NAS 55% blends. To my surprise, I went with a Malty and fruity dominant option with only 10% sherry as the sherry was noticeably hot over 10%. On its own, the Peat was pretty good (good enough for one participant to bottle it plain!), but it didn't initially mesh with the other malts. The Grain was also a bit hot so I used little to none. If you or your viewers ever get a chance to take the seminar ($100), I can't recommend it enough. And, as a bonus, the bar had a single wine cask Miyagikyo 10 yo that was outstanding. End of novel! Thanks WhiskyJason for your great reviews which I have been enjoying over the past 5 years.

[@WhiskyJason1]

wow - envious

[@lyacoubian]

The only aged Japanese whisky I used to buy and still do despite the price hike is Suntory Yamazaki 12. It's that good. I will give Yoichi 10 a try.

[@WhiskyJason1]

Thanks Lorenz!

[@damienfoyer]

Love the Yoichi 10. Been to the distillery twice.

[@WhiskyJason1]

lucky you!

[@christinecamley]

That's wonderful. I would love to visit the distillery!

[@travismorita2236]

Some Japanese age-statements I've had, and how I'd order them (starting with the best): Hakushu 18, Yamazaki 18, Yoichi 10 (pre-1997), Hibiki 21, Hibiki 17, Yoichi 10 (2023), Hakushu 12, Yamazaki 12, Hibiki 12, Takamine 8.
You mentioned expecting to see more Hibiki 17 in the future. Suntory actually stopped production of Hibiki 17, but they are still continuing to produce Hibiki 21...there's just not much of it! (They produce others as well that you are likely to never find...Hakushu 25, Yamazaki 25, Yamazaki 30, Yamazaki 35, etc)

[@WhiskyJason1]

wow - thanks!

[@christinecamley]

Lovely whisky!

[@WhiskyJason1]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@troublesome89]

Hibiki 12
Hibiki 17
Hibiki 21
Yamazaki 12
Yamazaki 18
Hakushu 12
Hakushu 18
Nikka 12
Nikka 17
Nikka 21

[@WhiskyJason1]

that is a lot of money for bottles!

[@pillcozby431]

Issue is always price with Japanese whisky. Much rather drink Kavalan for that price. Lol

[@WhiskyJason1]

also another alternative