100 Japanese Whisky's.......Plus 4

[dramtastic]

I've been been drinking Japansese whisky for 18 mths now so I thought that having just arrived back from Japan it was an opportune time to write out a list of what I've tasted so far with the highlighted colors representing gold, silver and bronze medals for those worthy of distinction

SUNTORY (30)
Hakushu 12
Hakushu Pure Malt 7YO
The Hakushu SM Aged 15 Years 56%
The Cask of Hakushu Bota Corta #3C40789 60%
The Cask of Hakushu Heavily Peated 1993 #3B40573 58%
Suntory Owners Cask Shinanoya Hakushu 1997 11YO 58%
Hibiki 17
Hibiki 21
Suntory Single Grain Whisky
Suntory Pure Malt Zen
Suntory Special Reserve Aged 10 Years
Suntory “Hokuto” Pure Malt 12
Suntory Hokuto 50.5%
Suntory Royal Aged 15 Years
Suntory Century 2001 Aged 15 Years 43%
Suntory Esquire Whisky for Daiwa Jitsugyo Group 1964 43%
Suntory Owners Cask (Yamazaki) 1996 Sherry Butt Bar Hermit 58%
Suntory Owners Cask (Yamazaki) 1996 Bourbon Barrel Bar Hermit 60%
Suntory Owners Cask Shinanoya Yamazaki Bota Corta Cask 1999 9YO 56%
Suntory Yamazaki Gold Sherry Butt 1970’s Bottling 42%
Yamazaki Pure Malt 7YO
Yamazaki 12
Yamazaki Sherry Cask 12YO 48%
Yamazaki Izuhara Tarudashi Genshu 58%
Yamazaki SC 1998 Sherry Butt # CM70006 59%
Yamazaki SC 1996 Yokohama 150yr Anniversary 63%
Yamazaki SC Takashimaya Buyers Selection 2000 10YO Sherry Butt 57%
The Cask of Yamazaki 1993 Heavily Peated #3Q70040 62%
The Cask of Yamazaki 1993 Heavily Peated #3Q70047 62%
The Cask of Yamazaki 1990 Sherry Butt #ON70646 61%

NIKKA (26)
Miyagikyo NAS
Miyagikyo 12
Miyagikyo Vintage 1989 50%
Nikka New Make
Nikka Single Cask Coffey Grain 55%
Nikka All Malt
Nikka De Ta Blend
Nikka Super
Nikka Pure Malt White
Nikka Pure Malt Black
The Blend of Nikka 45%
Nikka From The Barrel 51.4%
Nikka Pure Malt “Hokkaido” 12YO
Nikka 70th Anniversary Malt 100 12YO 40%
Nikka Pure Malt NAS Old Bottling 55.1%
Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky 43%
Taketsuru Pure Malt 17YO
Taketsuru Pure Malt 21YO
Yoichi NAS
Yoichi 10
Yoichi 12
Yoichi 15
Yoichi 20 52%
Yoichi Key Malt Peaty and Salty 55%
Yoichi Tarudashi Genshu 10YO #18114B 61%
Yoichi Tarudashi Genshu 20YO #24D42A 56%

MONDE (1)
Monde Crystal Blend 40%

TAKARA SHOZOU (1)
Sirakawa Malt Genshu 30YO 55%

CHUGOKU JOZO (1)
Togouchi aged 18 years

EIGASHIMA (WHITE OAK) (3)
White Oak Blend NAS 40%
White Oak Crown Blend 43%
White Oak SM Aged 5 Years 45%

MERCIAN/KARUIZAWA (14)
Karuizawa Oakmaster Blend
Karuizawa 1995 13YO Rouge Cask #5021 Chateau Mercian Barrel Reserve 63%
Karuizawa Vintage Cask 1987 15YO #2114 60.2%
Karuizawa 1992 #6978 62.8%
Karuizawa 17YO
Karuizawa Exceed Aged 12 Years 40%
Karuizawa 1991 19YO Sherry Butt for Oxfam #3206 60.8%
Karuizawa 1997 13YO Sherry Butt for Oxfam #3312 60.2%
Karuizawa 1990 19YO Whisky Live Japan 2010 Sherry Butt #6446 60%
Mercian Karuizawa Ootori Blend 40%
Mercian Karuizawa Tsutagura Spring/Summer 16YO 40%
Karuizawa SC 1989 12YO # 7410 61.3%
Karuizawa Vintage Cask 1982 20YO Sherry Butt # 2510 58.2%
Karuizawa Vintage Cask 1985 17YO # 6885 60%

HOMBO-SHUZO (MARS) (6)
Mars Amber Blended Malt 40%
Mars Moltage Pure Malt 8YO 43%
Mars Moltage Komagatake Sherry Cask 10YO
Mars Malt Gallery SC 1988 Sherry Butt #0565-107 58%
Mars The Malt of Kagoshima 1984 25YO 46%
Mars SC 20YO 58% # 618

HANYU/CHICHIBU/KAWAZAKI (17)
Ichiro’s Malt Vintage 1988 Hogshead 56%
Ichiro’s Malt Shot Bar Zoetrope 3rd Anniversary Bottling 60.7%
Ichiro’s Malt The Game 2000 9YO 61.2%
Ichiro’s Choice Kawasaki Single Grain Whisky 1981 62.4%
Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries 46%
Golden Horse Chichibu 12YO 56%
Golden Horse Chichibu The Single Malt 14YO 57%
Chichibu Newborn Heavily Peated July 2009 Aged 3 Mths #452 61.4%
Ichiro’s Malt The Final Vintage of Hanyu 1990 9YO 61.1%
Ichiro’s Malt 6 of Clubs 2000 9YO 57.9%
Ichiro’s Malt Ginkgo Blended Malt 46%
Ichiro’s Malt 15YO 4th release 46%
Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve 46%
Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve 46%
Ichiro’s Malt 4 of Spades Mizunara Wood 2000 10YO 58.6%
Ichiro’s Malt SC for Takashimaya 1991 18YO 46.5%
Ichiro’s Malt SC Puncheon 2000 10YO # 6080 61%

KIRIN-SEAGRAMS (5)
Robert Brown Deluxe Blend 43%
Dunbar Pure Malt 42%
Kirin Orchid Blend Sherry Matured 43%
Kirin 20th Anniversary Pure Malt 40%
Kirin Sanroku SM 18YO

[matteo]

Impressive!
Great list!!!
Why don't you edit all adding to each whisky a link to the tasting note on Nonjatta and scoring!?

Thumbs UP UP UP

[Swedish Chef]

Methinks you could make a good companion to Ulf Buxrud.

[AshDLS]

Good grief man! Nice work!

[dramtastic]

Just wanted to clarify the medal ratings I gave. This is not like MM's or ISC awards.
As simply as I can put it, bronze is a good/very good whisky that I would repeat purchase if the price was right. Silver is an excellent whisky that would definately be a repeat purchase and Gold for the most outstanding.

[johan brugge]

That is indeed very impressive DT! There's a lot of interesting bottle on that list if you ask me. I'll certainly get back to you for some more info on bottles that are obtainable in the shops over here.

[steveblack]

This confirms what we already knew. You are our resident expert on the Japanese whiskies.

Congratulation

[steveblack]

So the black text would mean what? Untried? Just OK?

[dramtastic]

I've had everything on the list Steve.

Black means I wouldn't buy it again. And half a dozen on the black list were shite.

The blackest of the black list are

Nikka De Ta Blend: For those that like a little whisky with their sulphur.
Kirin Robert Brown Deluxe Blend: Cheap to buy and for good reason, it tastes that way.
Karuizawa Vintage Cask 1987 15 #2114 60.2%: Perfume, kero, some kind of boiled meat, burning rubber.... and that's the good part.
Mars Malt Gallery SC 1988 #0565-107 Sherry Butt 58%: Pour some Old Spice Cologne or similar into a whisky glass then drink. Same effect.
Suntory Yamazaki Gold Sherry Cask from the 70's 42%: Shame on you Yamazaki. Warning! On sale at TWE for GDP90 (fortunately I only paid 10 Pound in Japan). Do not try this at home folks.....or anywhere else!
Kirin Dunbar Pure Malt: Just plain wierd. Current possible use, glueing together your next Airfix kit.

[johan brugge]

Any experience with the Karuizawa 1986 60.7 % cask 7387 by any chance?

[dramtastic]

No mate, but there are reviews here. Just go to the top of the page and click on the tastings section. Also Chris Bunting did a review on nonjatta of this one.

[johan brugge]

I've just read the reviews on whiskymag. I didn't know there were any notes on this one. I can't seem to find the review on nonjatta however. There is one Karuizawa 1986, but that's a 'No 1 Drinks' edition. I also found a note of Serge, which was very good and on whiskybase it scores a 90.25 (16 votes! which is a lot on whiskybase).

[dramtastic]

Here's the review on nonjatta. Probably the one you read. Don't know what the label looks like on the one you've seen but this is the same cask.

http://nonjatta.blogspot.com/2008/08/ka ... r-one.html

I am very wary of the ratings of Karuizawa'a on whiskybase. It seems a lot of people just read Serge's reviews and then score their bottle the same. Have to protect their investment I guess.

[johan brugge]

Thanks for the link. I've put both of Dave Broom's tasting notes next to eachother to compare them. Amazing how different both are!

[dramtastic]

And as an aside my Japanese Whisky's of 2010 are

Sherry Cask: Karuizawa 1982 # 2510
Pure Malt: Kirin 20th Anniversary
Peated: Golden Horse The Single malt Chichibu 12YO
Japanese Oak: Ichiro's Malt 4 of Spades
'Standard Range': Yoichi 20
Youngster: Chichibu Newborn Heavily Peated
Blend: Hibiki 21
Most Consistant Distillery: Yamazaki

[Klondike]

Wow, that's an impressive list of japanese whiskies! I can see that you "awarded" silver to the Nikka - From The Barrel 51,4%. Do you by any chance have the "lot" number or barrel-number or whatever it is? I have the opportunity to get one and it has the code 12J14C and am curious of what to expect, but I believe there are quite a few different "From The Barrel"s. I'll would choose to take a pass if it's a dud but I think there's only one way to find out

Thanks in advance!

[dramtastic]

Hi Klondike,
it's true that there have been many batches of From The Barrel and I've had a couple. Can't tell you what the batch codes were though. What I can say though, is where there may be slight variations in the flavour profile, there doesn't seem to be much variation in the quality. I know this because I've read many reviews from members here and on other forums that are almost universely positive. It's a blend but you'd never know it. As a bang for your buck proposition even at only a 50cl bottle it's hard to beat.
Highly recommended!

[Klondike]

Hi Klondike,
it's true that there have been many batches of From The Barrel and I've had a couple. Can't tell you what the batch codes were though. What I can say though, is where there may be slight variations in the flavour profile, there doesn't seem to be much variation in the quality. I know this because I've read many reviews from members here and on other forums that are almost universely positive. It's a blend but you'd never know it. As a bang for your buck proposition even at only a 50cl bottle it's hard to beat.
Highly recommended!

All I needed to hear, thanks! What's better than excuse to buy another bottle of whisky

I'll report back when I have tried it

[steveblack]

Thanks for the clarifications dramtastic. I can use it as a reference for my Jap whisky purchases. They are slowly but steadily becoming available here. Thanks.

[dramtastic]

Some things turn up in strange places
Was trolling around on the net this arvo and came across the following

http://www.clubdelwhisky.com/tapa3/inde ... =&ucat=50&

That's my list from above, though more stylishly presented . The worldwide web!!

[zannyh]

Impressive list never tried a japanes one now i have to

[dramtastic]

You definitely should zannyh and there are some very good quality ones that are good value as well.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

[dramtastic]

Currently up to 120 with about 6 more about to be opened soon, but can't edit the list on this site.