“Price Tag”
Whisky Review # 1083
Country: Japan 🇯🇵
Region: Sendai - Miyagi Prefecture
Brand: Nikka Miyagikyo Peated
Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky - Nikka Discovery Series
Age: NAS - Bottled: 2021
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 150-250 (February 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😒 No way at this price level. Would be okay at around US$ 75
Colour:
Light Amber (Artificially Colored)
Nose:
Light and Crisp. The Alcohol is noticeable. The Sherry influence is rather limited. It's only very lightly peated as well. It's modern but not really memorable. At this price-level I would have expected more. The Nose is mainly Sweet but not overly so.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Toast with Butter/Margarine Mixture, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Yeast, Apple and Pear, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Musty Oak, Cinnamon and Ginger.
Sweet Barley, Toast with Butter/Margarine Mixture, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Yeast, Apple and Pear, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Musty Oak, Cinnamon and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toasted Grains, Honey, Salted Caramel, Very light Smoke, Dry Earth, Dried Fruit like Raisins & Figs, Artificially flavored Candy (Banana, Pineapple, Cherry), Wet Stones, Floral Soap, Licorice and Mint. The slightest hint of Raw Meat.
Toasted Grains, Honey, Salted Caramel, Very light Smoke, Dry Earth, Dried Fruit like Raisins & Figs, Artificially flavored Candy (Banana, Pineapple, Cherry), Wet Stones, Floral Soap, Licorice and Mint. The slightest hint of Raw Meat.
Light, Thin and Bitter-sweet. The Alcohol is noticeable despite the reasonable ABV. Hardly any Smoke and Peat to speak of. Not really bad but no need to wake me up for this.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Grass and Straw, Apples & Pears, Lemon, Milk, Wet Stones and Paper, Dried Herbs, Musty Oak, Licorice, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger & Mint.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Light Peat & Smoke, Ashes, Dusty Earth, Salted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Dried Fruit like Black Cherries, Raisins and Prunes, Floral Soap, Tobacco, Gasoline and Grilled Pineapple. A touch of Oriental Spices.
Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitter notes towards the moderate dry end. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. A few Metallic and Gasoline notes that I could do without. I also find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, mild Peat & Smoke, Vanilla, Salted Nuts, Wet Newspaper, Musty Oak, Dark Chocolate, Mint, Dark Prunes, Grass and Straw, light Oriental Spices, Pepper, Ginger, Licorice and Dry Herbs.
Drinking Advice:
I added some Water and you will get additional Floral and Fruity notes on the nose while Palate and Finish become less harsh. You will lose some other Aromas so best try it out both ways.
Drinking Experience Neat:
I added some Water and you will get additional Floral and Fruity notes on the nose while Palate and Finish become less harsh. You will lose some other Aromas so best try it out both ways.
Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)
Nose: 7 - Taste: 7 - Finish: 6
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Okay at best.
Conclusion:
The Miyagikyo distillery is owned by the Nikka Group and was founded in 1969. In 2015 Nikka discontinued the entire Miyagikyo range. It was replaced by one new NAS Expression only that comes in 3 expressions i.e. Un-Peated, Peated and an Un-Peated with Apple Brandy Wood Finish.
This Nikka Miyagikyo Peated won't stay in my memory for a long time. First of all it's very lightly peated. Secondly the Sherry influence is very limited. And thirdly I find some moderate off-notes here and there. Nothing really bad but enough to be noted. The Alcohol is really noticeable as well. All this would still be okay at a price of around US$ 75. But the Price range for this Nikka is between 150 and 250 US-Dollars. And that's not acceptable for such an average Single Malt. Therefore I can't recommend this Japanese Single Malt.
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende February 6, 2026
