I grabbed a few bottles of Nikka whisky at the local grocery store and decided to have a little tasting. I had tried Japanese whiskies from Suntory in the US (Yamazaki 12, Hibiki 12, Hakushu 12), but not Nikka. At the little corner grocery store down from where I am staying in Tokyo, they have small bottles (180 mL) for about $10 a piece, so it's a good occasion to try them.
Single malt "Yoichi", 10 years
The nose is light (caramel, leather, smoke) but the taste is intense: tobacco, leather, spice. Long finish.
Single malt "Miyagikyo"
Nose is caramel, vanilla, green apple; taste has more green apple, almond. Some smoke in the finish.
Pure malt "Taketsuru" 12 years
Nose is very light. Taste is the less intense of the three (although it's the darkest). Honey, vanilla, green apple. Finish is very faint.
It was interesting to see the wide diversity of these whiskies. The third one is probably what I had in mind when thinking of Japanese whisky - pleasant, but not especially memorable. Clearly there is a lot to explore.
