Whisky : Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt

Country/Region : Japan

ABV : 45%

Nose : Honey, herbal-grassy, and pastries.  Soft citrus and pastries gave the impression of lemon bars, mango scones, or banana bread.  Notes of hard candies and spice varied with guava hard candies, star anise licorice, black pepper, and melon gummies.

Palate :  Light and sweet with notes of honey, pastries, and herbal-grass.  Initial impression of chamomile herbal tea with honey, orange peel/lemon rind, and pineapple shortbread cakes.  Herbal notes came through on the mid palate with green tobacco, hay, and sweet honey oat cakes.  Buttery shortbread returned at the backend with mango and pineapple jam filling.

Finish :  Lingering grassy sugars with a mild dryness

Score : 6

Mental Image : Late Summer

Notes : It is a good sign when the more you drink something the more you like it.  Initially I did not care for this, but by the third time I sat down to jot down some notes and think about the dram, I realized the sweetness was nicely balanced and there was a fair bit of depth as the dram transitioned between layers of grassy sweetness, subtle fruits, and pastries.  While this was not the sort of dram that might blow your socks off, it was absolutely solid and sure to have mass appeal, even to those who do not drink whisky regularly.  I still prefer the Yoichi single malt a bit more, but the Miyagikyo rightly ranks as one of my favorite Nikka bottles now.

Overall, a light and approachable well-balanced dram with nice complexity.  I would not run off to hunt this down, but if I came across it at a good price (>$60), then I would certainly consider bringing it home.

Image Credit : thewhiskyexchange.com