Nikka Tsuru 17 year old blended whisky

I don't know much about today's whisky, but I could not pass up a chance to try a 17 year old Nikka thingamabob. "Tsuru" comes from the surname of Japanese whisky pioneer and Nikka founder, Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru = bamboo crane. Tsuru = crane. Cranes decorated the bottom half of the white phallic ceramic decanter when Nikka chose that format. The same birds adorned the stopper of Tsuru's glass bottle editions. The Tsuru line also had a cheaper NAS version for some time.

Some sites say the Tsurus were retired in 2016-2017, while other folks say they tried the whisky at Yoichi distillery not too long ago. Either way, I'm pretty sure the Tsurus were blended whiskies, acting almost like little siblings to the Taketsuru blended malt range.

Ownership: Nikka
Range: Tsuru
Type: Blended Whisky
Region: Japan (and others?)
Distilleries: Miyagikyo, Yoichi, and Nishinomiya (and others?)

Age: at least 17 years

Maturation: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose is a bit vague and blurry at first. Some nondescript fruits and florals, with peanuts and almonds, gentle toasted oak. But, the citrus fruit notes sharpen with time, baking spices appear, and at times it smells like a bag of mixed Kasugai gummies.

The Nishinomiya grain seems to control the palate. It's very sweet, with some oranges and cream(-ish) sherry. Sometimes ashy, other times cardboardy, but frequently bitter, it doesn't work well as a sipper.

The palate's sweetness dominates the finish. Black pepper, tannins, and tangy citrus stay far behind.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I probably should have put this in an (expensive) mizuwari, because that must have been its purpose. One can't help but compare it to Chivas 18yo, thinking of all the great malt content buried within the blend. It smells nice, but even 17 year old grain whisky smells nice, and a higher ABV may not have solved the palate. A standard 17yo Nikka blend sounds like a very good idea in the current marketplace (or always), so perhaps this could be resurrected with a little more Yoichi in the recipe, perhaps?

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 77

Chichibu 2021 US Edition

I end this Chichibu week with a whisky I've eyed many times, and would have purchased blindly had it been $100 cheaper. Unlike the 2020 US Edition, the 2021 is not peated. And it has a bit more oak in the recipe. This time there are three new oak barrels, three new oak hoggies, and four first-fill barrels. Looks like Ichiro Akuto's crew is showing the US some love via the use of shiny, unsullied American oak. Will the spirit survive???

Distillery: Chichibu #1

Location: Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Ownership: Venture Whisky
Range: US Editions
Age: ???
Maturation: 10 casks, see above
Outturn: 2150 bottles
Exclusive to: USA
Alcohol by Volume: 53.5%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A burst of toasted barley reaches my nose first, followed by fruits similar to my fine single cask (okay, it's not MY cask, but gosh I wish it was): first kiwis and guavas, then citrons. Some lovely notes of roses, moss, ocean, and candied pecans pass through the background. A dunnage note leads the palate, followed by lots of sweetness via orange candy and National-Distillers-esque(!) butterscotch. It gains plenty of non-woody bitterness with time, as well as some caramel candy and chile heat. It finishes sweet and peppery, almost smoky, with some limes and caramel candy too.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose simplifies and focuses on kiwi, guava, candied pecans, and a bright mintiness. The creamy palate offers grapefruits, cherries, peach creamsicles, and a touch of barrel char. It finishes with maraschino cherries, limes, earth, and caramel candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Yes indeed, this is Chichibu for the American palate. It's almost like they mixed 10% great bourbon in with 90% classic 'Bu. And I like it. I don't think it's the distillery at its best, but all those fruits cannot be silenced, so it's still a powerful single malt. Though it's out of my price range, 8-10 year old Chichibu from a refill barrel sounds mighty fine right now. If I can source it, I will review it. But for now I take little issue with this American Chichibu.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - I'd rather not look
Rating - 88

Chichibu 2020 Peated US Edition

Chichibu has released one US Edition each year since 2018. Their 2019 version was dreamy, or, rather, "flabbergasting". That one was unpeated, while their 2020 Edition was peated. I enjoy both types of Chichibu spirit, so I've been looking forward to this one no less than Monday's pour, maybe even a touch more.

Though the bottle's label doesn't provide an age statement (though Whiskybase says five years), it does list the cask types and numbers of the whisky's ingredients: four first-fill bourbon barrels, three refill bourbon barrels, two refill Chibidaru (quarter casks), and one refill "wine" cask. At this point I trust this distillery's blending more than nearly any other producer in the world, so let's have at it!

actual abv: 55.5%

Distillery: Chichibu #1

Location: Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Ownership: Venture Whisky
Range: US Editions
Age: maybe 5 years old?
Maturation: 10 casks, see above
Outturn: 2109 bottles
Exclusive to: USA
Alcohol by Volume: 55.5%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Much like Yoichi's older malts, this Chichibu's nose is not overwhelming peaty, instead it's right in the Goldilocks Zone. A little bit o' farm, a touch of industry, and a few band-aids. Menthol, mango, and milk chocolate make up the rest. Uh-oh, the palate lands right in the Caol Ila / direct-fired Ardmore plane. Salty bonfire smoke, sweet oranges, and tart limes, with a bitter herbal rumble underneath. The citrus outlasts the smoke in the finish, while dried herbs and salt stay around even longer.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes a little louder. More farm, more ocean, wet stones. Less industry. Hints of grapefruit and guava in the background. The palate reads very salty, almost brothy. Limes and minerals in the middle. Soil in the back. The mouthfeel has become surprisingly thin. It finishes with limes, salt, and minerals.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A peated style seemingly tailored for my palate, this Chichibu could take on many of the better casks of the distilleries referenced in the notes above. It only shows its youth when diluted, while at full strength it seems like a 12-18 year old aged in 2nd-fill casks. The quarter casks and wine cask seem to have merged with the others without making a fuss, giving that spirit plenty of room to shine. Yep, another winner from Chichibu.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 89

Chichibu 2019 Travel Exclusive

If you haven't noticed, I like Chichibu's single malt, A LOT. For my palate, it's the lone young distillery (in the world) whose quality matches its hype. How they have nailed a high quality product at such a young age is a complete mystery to me. I just hope they keep on doing it, and perhaps release something under $300 someday.

I will be reviewing three Chichibus this week, with each whisky sparring against my fab lone bottle of the 'Bu. First up is the 2019 Travel Exclusive release. Yes, the travel retail market continues to be uninspiring, but perhaps the Saitama single malt can work its magic even on the brightly lit shelves of Haneda and Narita duty free stores...

Distillery: Chichibu #1

Location: Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Ownership: Venture Whisky
Range: Ichiro's Malt
Age: ???
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ??? bottles
Exclusive to: Japan Duty Free shops
Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins simple, though unremarkable, just barley, caramel, and a hint of vanilla. It takes time for the fruit to arrive, but when it does it is good, and there are flowers. Mangos and citrons. Roses and jasmine blossoms. Ovaltine lurks somewhere back there......then shows up in the palate, all malty and milk chocolatey. The same barley, mangos, and roses appear here too. It's all very sweet until tart and bitter citrus balances things out. Maybe some cloves in the background? It finishes sweetly. Lime candy, clementines, a little bit of banana. Plenty malty.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Bye bye, vanilla and caramel. Hello, oranges and guavas on the nose, with hints of lime and pine needles underneath. Tart, bitter, and sweet citrus dominate the palate, with that maltiness still rippling along. It finishes with good doses of tart citrus and smoky chiles.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is the first Chichibu I've had that feels a little young and slightly oaky. A contemporary version of Chichibu perhaps? It is still very very good whisky. The palate rocks at full strength. The whole thing loses some complexity when diluted, but expands its great citrus notes. So it's another one I'd love to have at any time, but not the distillery's A-game, which may be why it was shuttled out to the airport.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Hayner Original 6 year old Rye Whiskey

Though my friend, Heather, a lifelong Ohioan, is a bourbon fan, she's less keen on rye. She knows I'm a fan, so when her dad opened his bottle of Hayner 6 year old rye, she brilliantly saved me a 2oz sample. Thank you, Heather!

Hayner Distilling Co is a legally licensed distiller located in Troy, OH, but they bottle other producers' distillate. And they are fully transparent about that. For instance, their website lists the four bourbons that go into their Straight Bourbon Whiskey, as well as the mashbills and percentages of each whiskey. Diving for Pearls approves! Their Original 6 year rye, with its vintage label, is 100% MGP 95/5 rye. Diving for Pearls double approved!

BTW, it has been more than 5 years since I've reviewed an indie bottling of MGP rye. 'Twas an Old Scout, reviewed two weeks after my younger daughter Beatrice was born. Beatrice now drives a BMW X5. How time flies.

Yes, I already tucked into it. It's frickin' MGP rye, people.

Brand: Hayner
Region: Troy, Ohio (Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana)
Age: at least 8 years
Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
Maturation: 5 five years in new oak, then moved to another new oak barrel for one more year
Alcohol by Volume: 45%
(sample from my buddy!)

NOTES

A massive note of marble rye with pickles leads the nose. Pine sap and halvah fill the middle, with cherry candy and plum wine in the back. The bready, gently peppery, dry palate goes very light on the sweetness (a big plus on this site). Tangy berries, crisp green bell peppers, and mint leaves make up the rest. It finishes dry and salty, with mint, pickle brine, and ginger beer.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I forgot how much I enjoy MGP 95/5 rye. The nose's first note is a like a reassuring old friend, one I've missed so. The Hayner 6yo stood up to its sparring partner, Lot No. 40, more than adequately. In fact, hell, I liked it better. It won't spin your head on your shoulders like the Willet MGP single barrels, but it's a high quality sipper, if you dig this style. I dig this style. Might have to stop by the distillery shop...

Availability - At the distillery shop
Pricing - $49.95
Rating - 85

Kanosuke 1 year old 2018 New Born

Kanosuke is another one of Japan's baby distilleries, and by that I don't mean they distill babies, despite the name of today's product. Owner Komasa Jozo produced a barrel-aged shochu for decades before firing up the Kanosuke pot stills in 2017. Their whisky is now old enough to be whisky, with some 3-4 year old bottlings appearing over the past couple of years. But before that, the company sold "New Born" spirit (1-2 years old) in 20cL bottles. Intrigued, I split one of these bottles with Dr. Springbank...

Distillery: Kagoshima

Range: New Born

Location: Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan
Ownership: Komasa Jozo
Age: 1 year (May 2018 - May 2019)
Maturation: "white oak casks"

Alcohol by Volume: 58%

(from my half of the bottle pictured)

NEAT

Breakfast cereal oat clusters, pie crust, marshmallows, and caramel show up first in the nose, followed by a little bit of pine sap and some floral but farty ethyl. (Floral But Farty Ethel Merman is the name of my indie band.) Whew, that palate is capital 'N' New. Not far from raw spirit, kind of like malted rye white dog. Mostly burning, cassia, and peppercorns. And that's its finish as well.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL new born

The nose has simplified and focused into Nillas and graham crackers floating in ethanol. The palate has become very sweet, loaded with cherry candies up front, white bread crust and peppercorns in the back. It finishes like sweetened white dog.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

You may or may not have noticed that I did not begin this post's title with "Things I Really Drink". Though I do have this bottle, I'll be damned if I can get through 30mL of this stuff in a sitting. It's very raw without being actual new make. I should have bought their New Pot rather than this par-baked stuff. Their warehouses likely hold some five year-old single malt. I'd be much more interested in those casks than their New Born products.

Availability - Still around 3 years later
Pricing - $25-$30 depending on exchange rates
Rating - 71

Shizuoka 3 year old 2017, cask 2017-026 for Hasegawasaketen

Gaia Flow created something a bit different in Shizuoka distillery. Unlike most Japanese whisky distillers, some of their barley is sourced from local farmers. Inspired by sake production, the owners had several washbacks fashioned from local cedar trees. Their wash still is wood-fired, and somehow they acquired an old Karuizawa still which functions as one of their spirit stills. Clearly, Shizuoka aims for their own specific style.

But what will it be? The distillery started production in late 2016, and their oldest single malt is about five years old now, so unless they've discovered some sort of Chichibu-type miracle, plenty of time needs to pass to see how the whisky develops.

Today I'm opening my lone Shizuoka sample, a single bourbon cask bottled for Hasegawasaketen, a six-shop sake/liquor retailer in Tokyo. Its spirit was distilled using the Karuizawa spirit still and the wood-fired wash still (denoted as KS + WS on the bottle label).

Distillery: Shizuoka

Location: wait for it..........Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
Ownership: Gaia Flow
Age: 3 years (18 Nov 2017 - 27 Apr 2021)
Maturation: bourbon cask
Cask #: 2017-026
Outturn: 263 bottles

Exclusive to: Hasegawasaketen
Alcohol by Volume: 51.6%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It has a simple crisp nose. Honey over apples, bananas, and lemon slices. Pinot Grigio, and a hint of dijon mustard. The palate starts of with barley and pears. A little of lemon juice and honey. Witbier, kirsch, and a mineral hint. It's very sweet and new, right through the finish, where there's pear brandy, rock candy, and a lemon shady. (Sorry, not sorry.)

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose still has that light Pinot Grigio fruitiness with a touch of minerals. Subtler notes of shortbread, white chocolate, and mint extract linger in the background. The palate is simply marshmallows, barley, and ginger ale, and the finish shows the same.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though quite decent for a three-year-old whisky, this Shizuoka is still but a three-year-old whisky. Plenty of bright fruits appear in the nose, while beer, eau de vie, and sugar ripple throughout palate. It's thankfully free of vodka and ethyl notes, though I wonder if the low (for 3yo whisky) ABV has something to do with that.

While I appreciate the distillery's technical measures, it's difficult to divine anything about their future from a three-year-old whisky. Though I would normally grouse further about such a young release, this single malt reads fully-matured compared to the subject of my next review.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 82