Review #159: Nikka Aromatic Yeast - Miyagikyo

COUNTRY: Japan

MASH BILL: 100% malted barley

PROOF: 94

AGE: NAS

COST: $220 for 700mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample from Prime Barrel)

I recently participated in a Japanese whisky tasting put on by The Prime Barrel. It featured some high age Sato Shiki whiskies, but it also included 3 blind samples of Japanese whisky. This was my favorite of the 3 blind samples. While I did try it blind and had some notes, I finished this review after the reveal because it took me a little more time to really dig into it for a thorough review. Additionally, having never really explored Japanese whiskey before (really the reason for me wanting to participate in the tasting), I had about a snowball’s chance in hell at actually guessing what it was.

Here we have a limited release expression from the Nikka Whiskey Discovery Series. The Discovery Series started in 2021 as a way to explore various components from Nikka’s portfolio while leading up to their 90^th anniversary. The first edition from 2021 explored the influence of peat through two different expressions. The second edition was released in 2022, called “Aromatic Yeast,” and explored the influence of yeast through two different expressions. The culmination of the project was in 2023, the 90^th anniversary of Nikka, and featured a single expression called “The Grain,” and highlighted the various grains from four different Nikka distilleries and the art of blending them to offer an expression that was uniquely Nikka.

The expression being reviewed here is from the second edition of the Nikka Discovery Series and features an expression from the Miyagikyo distillery. The Miyagikyo distillery is apparently known for its fruity profile that is attributed from its yeast. Again, I did this tasting to learn a bit more about Japanese whisky, so I know nothing about Miyagikyo and their yeast, but I’m about to find out! 😊 So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: A golden color (0.6). Fast legs but leaves a few drops that cling to the glass.

NOSE: Big floral notes, bright blueberry and raspberry notes. A light honeyed malt brings an earthy sweetness. I’m not getting a ton here but what I get I like.

PALATE: Soft on the palate with lots of bright sweet notes. Fruity with notes of apple, peaches, and ripe berries. Thicker, sweeter notes such as honey and the syrupy juice from a fruit cup show up slowly. At mid-palate I start getting some grain notes. Corn flake cereal, slightly earthy malt and almond, some green apple shows up with the grain notes, and a subtle spicey tobacco starts to take this into the finish.

FINISH: A medium to long finish that is semi-dry. It starts off somewhat tannic, but then the fruit sweetness comes back with bright red fruit and peaches. There’s a bight lemony note but the star of the show is a refreshing eucalyptus note that just makes this dance on the palate for quite a while. As the sweeter notes fade some of the earthy, malt notes come back along with a drying spice to bring this to a close.

RATING: 6.9/10

OVERALL: Nice bright fruit sweetness that carries throughout the sip. These delicate fruit notes, as a bourbon drinker, make me think of the V yeast strain from Four Roses a bit. That familiar earthy grain note from malt shows up very subtle on the nose, more pronounced on the palate, and then again subtlety in the finish. For me, this is what I think of when I think of Japanese whiskey – light, bright, refreshing. This has all that. However, it lacks a little depth and complexity which could be provided from a bit more spice or darker notes to contrast the brightness a bit. Very good whiskey overall though and I really enjoyed this sample. 

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect