Nikka Session, a world blended malt

Nikka's blends and vattings have held more than just Japanese ingredients for a long time, at least since their parent company, Asahi, purchased the Ben Nevis distillery in 1989. It wasn't until 2020 that they finally outed one of their creations as "world" whisky, just like their main competitor, Suntory, did the previous year.

Nikka Session mixes Yoichi, Miyagikyo, and Ben Nevis malts, and three fine malts those are. The label has a bit of a Vegas gentleman's club feel to it, which is......a thing. The whisky has been chillfiltered and reduced to 43%abv. It's probably been colored too but much less so than yesterday's grain. Was Nikka trying to create a "session" whisky like a session beer, something that can be casually consumed in quantity over an evening (or morning)? And isn't that what most major blends aim to do? Or maybe it's referring to a music session, or a therapy session. Or all of the above?

Sláinte + Kanpai = Sláin-pai

Ownership: Nikka

Type: Blended malt

Regions: Japan and Scotland

Distilleries: Miyagikyo, Yoichi, and Ben Nevis

Age: ???

Maturation: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

(thank you, Doctors Springbank!)

NOTES

Lemon blossoms, fennel seeds, and ginger snap cookies lead the nose, followed by bread and kiwi juice. Its vanilla note grows with time. The palate starts off light and floral, with a pretty note of passionfruit candy. Mild bitter, sea salt, and chile oil notes help mellow the sweetness for a while, but can't keep the sugar down forever, especially once the toasted oak spices arrive. It concludes with white peaches, brown sugar, and a slight sourness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Indeed, Nikka Session is an easy drinker. One could overpour this onto a big ice cube and drink it mindlessly. So the whisky probably achieved its purpose; as in, it could get someone terrifyingly drunk via fewer calories than session beers. I don't think I could have picked out the Yoichi or Ben Nevis, rather it seems like a young, diluted, slightly oaky Miyagikyo. Not bad, not great, and if it's still going for its SRP in Japan then the price is right.

Availability - Mostly Japan, and a few dozen retailers in Europe and USA
Pricing - it was in the $30s in Japan, but now $100-$200 in The West
Rating - 80

Chita Japanese Grain Whisky, Aichi Edition

You may think I ended my last grain whisky review saying that I'd never review grain whisky again, but the fine print in the penultimate review specified single grain scotch whisky. So what do I have here? A single grain Japanese whisky. Without an age statement.

Yep.

Internet whisperers say this whisky is in fact 12 years old and aged in red wine casks, but if Suntory doesn't put it on the label I'm going to ignore the rumors unless my palate tells me to do otherwise. Keep in mind, this is NOT the standard NAS "The Chita" that entered the market in 2016, instead this version was bottled in 2014 specifically for the Aichi Prefecture, where Chita (the city and distillery) is located.

Distillery: Chita

Ownership: Beam Suntory

Type: Single grain whisky

Country: Japan

Age: ???

Maturation: ???

Bottled: 2014

Exclusive to: Aichi Prefecture

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

As I'd feared, the nose is mostly Malibu Coconut Rum and imitation vanilla extract. The rubber bands, burnt wheat, and veg note in the midground doesn't save it. It kinda rolls over into a cream soda character after 30 minutes.

The palate is oddly hot, but not-so-oddly packed with sugar and vanilla. Peppercorn-coated cardboard moves between the mid- and background across each sip.

It finishes with cream soda and cardboard.

Things worsen once the grain is poured over a big ice cube. Picture: vanilla frosting smeared unevenly over a cardboard box.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I'm aware that my take on Nikka Coffey Grain ("one step away from being a total embarrassment" and would lose to Evan Williams Black Label in a blind taste test) is unpopular, but this limited edition Chita is worse than Nikka's grain. You know it's a sad pour when you're hoping the artificial vanilla note will return. And I don't really mind the cream soda aspect, in fact that might be its best part. But LOL the wine cask rumor. LOL my cat harrrfing up a hairball right now. LOL grain whisky.

Availability - Sold out, mercifully
Pricing - ???
Rating - 64

Glengoyne 14 year old 1999 Malts of Scotland, cask MoS 13044

Malts of Scotland had a significant presence in the indie bottling world 10 years ago, but I no longer see their single casks at European online retailers. Whiskybase shows MoS released 41 whiskies in 2023, so maybe their bottles don't leave Germany anymore. They've bottled some very good stuff and tend to have some bold sherry casks. Meanwhile, Glengoyne's spirit takes well to sherry casks...

Sadly I don't have any samples of the dreamy Glengoyne '72s, rather just a modest 1999 sherried hoggie that produced some dark stuff after only 14 years.

Distillery: Glengoyne

Distilled by: The Edrington Group
Current Owner: Ian MacLeod Distillers

Region: Highlands, but almost Lowlands!
Independent bottler: Malts of Scotland

Age: 14 years (July 1999 - October 2013)

Maturation: sherry hogshead
Cask number: MoS 13044
Outturn: 247 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 54.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Not just a generic sherry beast! Ocean water, raw walnuts, and citronella are the first nose notes to show. Then there's molasses and dunnage, orange oil and black plums. The moderately sweet palate delivers a mix of grape jam, orange marmalade, and cinnamon Red Hots. Hints of iron and musty old wood drift through the background. It concludes with sweet citrus, dates, and a whiff of iron.

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

Its nose holds on the walnuts and orange oil, while picking up creme de cassis. But it also gets meatier and finds a Hampden-esque funky note. The palate gets sweeter and oakier. Honey and marmalade up front, peppery mint leaf in the back. The finish nearly matches the palate, adding in ground white pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My read on a whisky's color does not work well with the current market. Dark whiskies that spent less than two decades in oak turn me off, because I see nothing in them but extraction. So this single cask's color didn't inspire me. But I should not have judged a whisky by its color, and I'm happy to say that this Glengoyne is neither oak juice nor a generic sherried thing. It has an excellent nose and a very good palate that wobbles a bit when diluted. So keep it neat!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - less than €80 ten years ago
Rating - 86 (neat)

Glengoyne 2008 sibling casks DL13643 and DL13468

It feels like only yesterday when I thought, "Wow, I'm not comfortable with all these baby whiskies distilled in the 2000s". Actually, that probably was yesterday. Today, most of the affordable single malts are from the 2010s, which makes me feel both mortal and not the intended scotch demographic. I don't mean the target demo is immortal, but clearly FOMO is.

And though Glengoyne's 25 year old official sherried beasts fuel FOMO plenty, independently bottled young single casks of the Dumgoyne distillery's spirit rarely sell out quickly. (How about that for a smooth segue!?) Because I enjoy the almost-Lowlander's whisky, I've been tempted aplenty to purchase a bottle, but have not yet gone for it.

Luckily, my whisky buddy, T.D., sent me samples of a pair of 'Goyne sibling casks both distilled in 2008 and released under Douglas Laing's Old Particular label. Both started life in refill bourbon hogsheads, then had separate final acts. Cask DL13643 was kept in that hoggie until it was diluted to 48.4%abv and bottled. Cask DL13468 was transferred to a refill Pedro Ximenez hogshead until it was bottled at full strength for K&L Wines.

I am now going to try them, side-by-side. Thank you, T.D., for this opportunity!

Glengoyne 11 year old 2008 Old Particular, cask DL13643 48.4%abv	Glengoyne 11 year old 2008 Old Particular, cask DL13468 56.3%abv	Glengoyne 11 year old 2008 Old Particular, cask DL13468  DILUTED to 46%abv
Nose: Apple eau de vie with a bit of yeast. Lemon oil mixed with brown sugar. Orange candy appears after 30 minutes.	Nose: That orange candy note leads raw nuts, black raisins, and currants. Flowers and maple stay in the background.	Nose: Very pretty. Flowers, honey, dried apricot, and vanilla.
Palate: Starts with a mix of blossoms, fresh ginger, clementines, and a hint of almond extract. It gains more barley and an eau de vie edge with time. Very very sweet.	Palate: The PX cask makes its intentions known here, bringing in almonds, fudge, and a dash of salt. But it can't smother the sweet citrus note. Drinks like a much lower ABV.	Palate: Dilution slightly tames the sweetness, yet turns up the intensity of the flavor, where golden raisins, salt, and cayenne pepper reign.
Finish: Sugary mix of barley and lemon.	Finish: Sweet and tangy with orange candy and fudge.	Finish: Sweet and bitter with a dose of vanilla.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Cask DL13643 is oh-so-close to new make, which is great! One could use it as the control element in a bigger Glengoyne taste off. Were this barley eau de vie not so tooth-rottingly sweet, I'd push it higher up the B-grade scale.

As expected, cask DL13468 offers a different adventure, but it holds onto the spirit's citrus note as it tries to fight free from the PX. It becomes a different creature once diluted, shedding most of the sherry influence and much of the sweetness, which are wins in my book. Whether neat or diluted DL13468 does read more mature than DL13643, offering a slightly more complex experience.

Ratings:

Glengoyne 11 year old 2008 Old Particular, cask DL13643 - 83

Glengoyne 11 year old 2008 Old Particular, cask DL13468 - 84

Glenburgie 24 year old 1993 Cadenhead, refill Claret cask

Yep, you read that correctly, a Claret cask. A Claret hogshead, in fact. This Glenburgie spent its first 15 years in an ex-bourbon hoggie, but then a nine-year second maturation in the wine cask. Because the Claret vessel was a refill, and because the whisky isn't pink, I decided to give it a try. Who knows what fruits lie within...

Distillery: Glenburgie
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Owners: Pernod Ricard
Independent Bottler: Cadenhead
Range: Authentic Collection
Age: 24 years (Sept 1993 - Autumn 2017)
Maturation: in a bourbon hogshead until 2008, then a refill Claret hogshead until 2017
Outturn: 216 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 53.0%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Indeed, the fruits thrive in this nose. Guavas, limes, Rainier cherries, and kiwis, with a hint of sawdust mixed in. There's a whiff of chalky Chablis somewhere in there as well. Mmmmmmango, honey, and guavas arrive first in the palate. It gets tarter and more acidic with time, taking on limes and grapefruits. The finish follows a similar path, but happily holds onto the sweet mango.

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

The nose shifts to floral honey, limoncello, and white chocolate up front; malt and brine in the back. The palate remains ultra tart, while gaining sea salt and flowers. Oranges join the limes. It finishes with oranges, limes, and salt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Of course, the Claret cask offers the most straightforward Glenburgie this week. It was a true refill, and probably a wise move by Cadenhead's cask management. The result reminds me of a super-citric Littlemill. Though it's not the deepest of single malts, this Glenburgie would be a bright, crisp, springtime pour for those of you bottle owners who drink your whiskies seasonally like I do.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - I think it was a mere €125 back in 2017
Rating - 87 (neat)

Glenburgie 26 year old 1995 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 6349

Whether or not yesterday's whisky was a Glenburgie, I can tell you that today's is. Glenburgie, yes. Bourbon cask, no. I've never had a sherry puncheon from this distillery before, but as this series' single casks have been very reliable, I'm optimistic about the whisky.

Distillery: Glenburgie
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Owners: Pernod Ricard
Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Range: Connoisseurs Choice
Age: 26 years (1995 - 27 April 2022)
Maturation: 1st fill sherry puncheon
Cask #: 6349
Bottles: 564
Alcohol by Volume: 56.8%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose delivers the sharp scent of actual Oloroso, which has become rather novel in sherry casks of late. Beyond that there's some raspberry jam, toasted almonds, toffee, and cherry gelatin. It picks up floral and saline notes after 30 minutes. The palate is slightly sweeter than Oloroso, with notes of blackberry and boysenberry jams up front, and salt + pepper + lime in the back. It finishes with the salt and pepper, while also adding notes of umeboshi and dark chocolate.

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

Things get more candied, but also earthier on the nose. The palate leans woodier, bitterer. Though some silky raspberry jam-filled dark chocolate waits behind. Its finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Yesterday's whisky did not have Glenburgie's name, but it certainly smelled and tasted of that distillery. Today's whisky carried the Glenburgie's name, but I would never have guessed 'Burgie if blindfolded. This because the brown liquor was all cask, which is something that frustrates me three-quarters of the time. But I liked this one. Diluting it takes it too far over the edge, so I preferred it at full strength. This is a whisky for sherry drinkers, a tiny subset of boozers. If you are among that ilk, enjoy!

Availability - Still available in the EU, mostly Germany
Pricing - $250-$300
Rating - 87 (neat)

Black Friday 22 year old The Whisky Exchange, 2021 Edition

Glenburgie in its pre-2004 + bourbon cask form can be one of the prettiest, fruitiest single malts. In 2004-2005, Allied Lyons leveled and rebuilt the distillery in a larger form, and then expanded it further the next year to support the Ballantine's blends' needs. I'm not shading the new era's distillate because enough time hasn't yet passed to see how it'll turn out.

This week presents a trio of 1990s Glenburgie spirit, though I can't guarantee that any of these were bourbon-cask-only productions. Today's 'Burgie, The Whisky Exchange's Black Friday 2021 single malt, is probably falls in that catgeory, but Billy Abbott and crew were very hush-hush about the ingredients, even leaving the distillery's name off the label. In fact, I'm not 100% certain this is actually Glenburgie, but a pair of little birdies told me it was. Should I listen to the birds, those tricksy spies?

Distillery: Glenburgie?
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Owners: Pernod Ricard
Independent Bottler: Elixir Distillers
Range: Black Friday
Age: 22 years (???? - October 2021)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: 1800 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Plenty of happy youth left in this 22yo's nose. Apricots and limes join up with hazelnuts, rye seeds, and touch of malt. Notes of cardamom and baked peaches arrive after about 30 minutes. Similar apricot-lime-malt start to the palate, then turns towards kiwi candy, peach schnapps, and a dash of salt. It finishes with a mix of stone fruit liqueurs, yet never gets too sweet, perhaps because there's a nice salty foundation beneath.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or <½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Orange blossoms and cream puffs take over the nose now, with mellower notes of rye seeds and pine in the background. The palate gets extra fruity, with peaches, tangerines, and a mango moment or two. A slightly bitter bite gives it an extra angle. The finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

It's probably Glenburgie, or at least one of its fruity Speyside cousins. Though the whisky is more complex when neat, I prefer how the diluted palate focuses directly on the fruit essences while easing up on the sweetness. As often happens, the small batch approach brings consistency and moderation to the whisky. So complexity isn't its strong suit, instead it's a comfy drinker without too much oak. There are evenings when such an elixir becomes necessary.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85