Whisky : Nikka Tailored

Country/Region : Japan/Blend

ABV : 43%

Cask : Various

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ HWG Series #3

Nose :  LLight and sweet with hints of buttercream, thin honey, and yellow corn.  Dried ginger gives a bit of spice and depth to the predominant sweet notes.  Additional hints of spice emerge as white pepper and whiff of cinnamon join the party.  Herbal rooibos tea and dried parchment lurk in the background.

Palate :  Mellow and restrained, the palate is simple and the body is quite light.  It is an easy drinker— a  nondescript sweetness is backed by just a hint of smoke.  Bits of ginger, orange, and tea give some complexity to the body with just a hint of cocoa near the end.

Finish : Faint but pleasant, the finish left lingering hints of dried plum, cola, and orange.

Score : 3

Mental Image :  A plate of amuse-bouche at Tea Time.

Something Better : Chivas Regal 18 Year (similar tea & pastry with more complexity)

Something Similar : Nikka 12 (similar effect, a bit sweeter, a bit bolder)

Something Worse : Dewars White Label (similar tea notes, much sweeter palate, less complex)

Notes : The Nikka Tailored is the replacement for the discontinued Nikka 12 Year.  It comes in the same familiar kimono inspired bottle shape and massive amounts of packaging.  Aside from the lack of an age-statement, the Tailored veers slightly more toward the savory side and gives the impression of having greater portions of Ben Nevis and grain whisky from Miyagikyo.  I would be shocked if the average age of the blend components is really much less than 12 years, but dropping the age statement likely gives Nikka more flexibility as they focus on maintaining a consistent flavor profile and bottle availability.

While I know there are fans of whisky packaging— I honestly find the amount of cardboard and paper used to dress up a $50 bottle of whisky a bit outlandish even garish.  My complaints hardly matter— the packaging is a cultural practice, it makes the bottle an easy gift to give, it gives the impression of luxury, it helps the whisky stand out in a bust Duty Free store, and for plenty of consumers it elevates the experience.  I recycle or trash it.  I would rather not sacrifice the space in my luggage for a double walled cardboard box with more cardboard and paper inside of it.

At the domestic retail price of ~$50 this is not a bad bottle of whisky to buy.  It is well balanced, easy to drink straight up, and a good fit for a highball.  At $100 a bottle, the price one might see on the secondary market or markets outside of the Japan, it is way overpriced and only suitable for a die hard Nikka fan or someone who only occasionally drinks and wants the bottle as much for its flavor as they do its look and the kitsch of it being Japanese.  I honestly do not have a problem with that— there are many reasons and different ways to enjoy whisky— but I would classify this bottle as really just something to grab from Duty Free on your way out of Japan if there is nothing else better available.