Single Malt Yoichi 10 (2023)

This is the new version of the Yoichi 10 and I expected it to be different from the old release thanks to the great review by Mac of Kanpai Planet.

I am also a big fan of Yoichi and was looking forward to trying these whiskies together myself. Yoichi is an old school distillery in every way. They use a combination of distillers yeast and their own proprietary strain. Wood washbacks. Direct fired stills. Worm tubs. But they are also Japanese and they produce their single malt new make in different styles using different levels of peat, yeasts, fermentation times, etc… All of that before they go into barrel. And so the releases can be very different from each other.

Country/Region: Japan/Hokkaido   

Color: 0.8 deep gold   

ABV: 45%  

Nose: Vanilla, lemon, orange, yuzu, light smoke, white wine, grass stems, rich malt, light orange blossom notes, toffee.  Overall a yeasty and tart overall impression with other aspects balancing against that core. 

Palate: Rich with vanilla, and noticeable peat smoke, toffee, yuzu, pineapple, lemon zest, and a bit of worm tub funk, developing with maple syrup, earthy loam, cream, malt sugar 

Finish: Medium long though soft with vanilla, yuzu, loam, maple syrup, smoke and dried pineapple  

Rating: 87  

Summary: Initially on the nose the difference between this and the current Yoichi NAS does not seem especially large.  But moving into the palate, immediately the difference come straight to the fore.  This version of Yoichi 10 is much richer throughout on the palate than the NAS suggesting a significant portion of first fill ex-bourbon is going into the blend along with some other quality casks.  That’s not to suggest the NAS version is lacking or using poor casks.  It’s just that this version is has lots of little improvements that elevate it above the NAS.  A little richer vanilla, and toffee.  A little more smoke.  A little longer finish.  A little deeper flavor and longer finish.   

Single Malt Yoichi 10 (old version)

I’ve never figured out a way to decode the lot codes on Nikka bottles, so I don’t have any confidence in the year this bottle was produced, but it would have been before 2019.

Country/Region: Japan/Hokkaido   

Color: 1.3 russet   

ABV: 45%   

Nose: Quite savory and smokey on the nose with salty oloroso, bacon, wood smoke, almost like a ramen broth whisky.  Beneath that top layer there is rich toffee, sweet figs, orange blossom, a bit of spice, a bit of worm tub savory funk,   

Palate: Arrives with a medley of light notes of toffee, orange blossom water, somehow airy dates and vanilla before brine, bacon, wood smoke, and a dash of soy sauce and then kicks into development with apple sauce, cinnamon, clove, ground ginger and galanga, black pepper, maple syrup, loam, earl grey tea, and a dash of Guinness stout.

Finish: Long on toffee, black tea, cinnamon, clove, dried dates, fig preserves, lemon zest, yuzu and mandarin orange while being slightly drying, aromatic and complex.

Rating: 90 

Summary: I poured this alongside the new Yoichi 10 and NAS, but also a good sparing match I’ve found for Yoichi is Talisker 10 (from a fresh opened 2006 in this case), which I know very well.  This just has a tone more character and depth than even fairly old bottlings of Talisker 10.  There are complex light notes of flowers and fruits, but it also matches the rich caramel and brine notes of Talisker 10.  Somehow this whisky has a simultaneously light and thick texture like a marshmallow.  And likewise the finish is very long, but never seems heavy.  I’m honestly quite surprised how much I’m enjoying this.