Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve

”Woman From Tokyo”

Whisky Review # 891

Country: Japan
Region: North of Tokyo

Brand: Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve - Leaf Series
Blended at: Chichibu Distillery

Type: Japanese Blended Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Possibly a mix of Bourbon & Sherry & Wood with Mizunara Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price : US$ 230 (October 2020) - Lowest Price: US$ 160 (October 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎Quite expensive for such a Young Whisky.
Buying Advice:😔It's not bad but at this price level I find it hard to recommend it!

Colour:

Medium Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Despite the fact that this Whisky is called Mizunara Wood Reserve, I don't believe it solely matured in Mizunara Wood. When nosing you will immediately get the specific Polished Sandalwood Aroma of the Mizunara Wood but I also get clear Ex-Bourbon Aromas. And there might be a few Ex-Sherry casks in the mix as well. A Mizunara Wood Finish is more likely here. On the Nose this Ichiro is Young, Sweet, Fruity, Floral and Malty. Toffee/Caramel, Honey and (Dried) Fruit lead the way. It's quite soothing and pleasant actually.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Honey, Dried Fruit like Plums, Figs and Bananas, Red Apple, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Floral Tea, Sandal Wood, American Oak, Mint and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Nectarine, Pear, Bounty Bars, Grass/Straw, Lemon, Sugared Orange, Fresh Herbs, Wet Stones, Nutmeg, Ginger and a hint of Green Vegetables. At times I got the light impression of a wine cellar.

Palate:

The Mouthfeel is on the Thin side and less elegant than the Nose. Its Youth is more clear and the Alcohol is noticeable. It is still Fruity & Malty but Wood and Spices are on the move. Mostly Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour components for balance.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Plums, Figs and Dates, Red Apple, Sandal Wood, Oak Shavings, Grapefruit, Lemon, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Salted Nuts, Pear, Orange, Bounty Bars, Grass, Floral Tea, Fresh Herbs like Rosemary, Menthol, Nutmeg, Green Vegetables and Milk Chocolate.

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long. Quite Sweet at first but showing increasing Bitterness towards the end. Its Youth is obvious and the mouthfeel is rather Thin. The Alcohol is also noticeable at this point. I find Barley Sugar, Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Caramel, Red Apple, Dried Fruit like Plums, Figs and Raisins, Grapefruit, Lemon, Sandal Wood, Oak Shavings, Bounty Candy Bars, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Ginger, Menthol and hints of Tobacco and Ashes.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Malt. It's Thin enough as it is.

Rating: 83

Nose: 22 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

This Whisky is named after Ichiro Akuto, the owner and founder of the Chichibu distillery founded in 2008. He is a grandson of the founder of Hanyu, a distillery that was closed in 2004. Ichiro managed to buy around 400 casks of Hanyu Malt. Ichiro's Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve is a blend of Malt Whiskies from these two distilleries. Over the years the Hanyu part in the blend will diminish as stocks decrease.

Ichiro's Mizunara Wood Reserve is quite pleasant and almost female on the Nose. But the Palate and the Finish show its Youth. Lately I have tasted too many whiskies that simply should have matured more in order to get a chance to shine. Economic reasons seem to rule worldwide these days as supply can hardly keep up with demand. Let's hope the tide will turn as it has done a few times in the history of Whisky. As it stands this Japanese Malt is certainly not bad although the Finish is on the Short side. But it could be so much better with more cask time and a longer marriage of the Spirit with the Mizunara Wood. 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      October 12, 2020

Chichibu Distillery

Laphroaig 1997 (Sansibar)

”Money Money Money”

Whisky Review # 890

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Laphroaig 1997-2016 - Limited Edition

Bottled By: Sansibar, Germany - 241 Bottles

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 53.4% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 300-350 (September 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎I like it but it's really expensive.
Buying Advice: 😋 Not the best matured Islay I've tasted but very nice anyway!

Colour:

Chardonnay (Natural Color)

Nose:

Well-Matured Islay Malt. This Laphroaig still possesses most of the maritime notes of a young Islay but it presents them in a more warm and mellow way. The Nose is mainly Sweet but there are some lightly Bitter and Sour notes for balance. It's not sensational but certainly pleasant.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Campfire Smoke, Maritime Peat, Burnt Rubber, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Hospital, Bacon and Pork on the BBQ, Lemon, Grapefruit, Red Apple, Damp Dunnage Warehouse, Salted Nuts and Menthol.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Biscuits, Wet Grass, Freshly printed Newspaper, Tar, Soot, Leather, Tobacco, Dark Chocolate, Dried Apricot, Herbal Tea, Pepper and Ginger.

Palate:

I really like fully matured Islay Whisky and while this Laphroaig isn't the best I have tasted so far it is certainly pleasant enough. It's probably a tad too Sweet to be a real winner but I love the coating mouth-feeling that matured peated Islay Malts offer. Only the price prevents me from sipping a dram of this type of Whisky every single day. But you should certainly enjoy one if you have the chance to go to Islay. I've been lucky enough to visit Islay in 2014 and 2017 and I can only recommend it with all of my heart.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Campfire Smoke,  Maritime Peat, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Red Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Menthol, Pepper, Licorice, Herbal Tea and Damp Wood.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Dried Apricot, Straw and Grass, Bacon on the BBQ, Salted Nuts, Tobacco, Leather, Aniseed, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Finish:

Middle-Long/Long. Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes for balance. Medium-Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Butter, Vanilla, Dried Apricot, Campfire Smoke, Maritime Peat, Cigar Ashes, Soot, Rubber, Tar, Charcoal, Bacon on the BBQ, Leather, Iodine, Dusty Oak, Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange-Flavored Bitter Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol, Licorice, Aniseed and Ginger.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Laphroaig.

Rating: 87.5

Nose: 22 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 22

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Laphroaig is located a few miles outside Port Ellen on the island of Islay and was founded in 1815 by Alexander & Donald Johnston. It was bought by Beam Suntory in 2014. Since, the distillery has launched a number of NAS Whiskies that received mixed critics. I find this a pity as I used to consider Laphroaig one of my favorite distilleries. The 10, the discontinued 18 and the old 15 Years are some of my all time favorites. I also love to visit the place and the people. I really hope Laphroaig is not steering too much towards mainstream Whisky but at the moment it kinda looks that way.

Sansibar Whisky is a German Indie bottler founded by Jens Drewitz and others who taste and hand-select almost all casks they buy at the distilleries.

Fully-Matured Islay Whisky is probably my favorite type of Whisky. There's no other Whisky that gives me this complete feeling of well-being on the Palate. And while this Laphroaig is a little too Sweet for me I thoroughly enjoyed the tasting session. It can't be cheap of course but US$ 300 or more is a really steep price. Do as I did and try to get a sample somewhere. It's worth the investment!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                               September 21, 2020

Glenfiddich 18 Small Batch Reserve

”Eighteen Without a Bullet”

Whisky Review # 889

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenfiddich 18 Small Batch Reserve - Batch # 3464

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 70-90 (September 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay
Buying Advice: 😔 Nice for Beginners. Not really interesting for the long-time fans

Colour:

Mahogany (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Can a Scotch Single Malt smell like Comfort Food? Probably not but it was the first thing that came to my mind when smelling this Glenfiddich. The comfortable but not overly exciting Aromas of a well-matured modern mainstream Malt. It's agreeable and forgettable at the same time. The Sherry notes are present but not in a very pronounced way. The Nose is Medium-Sweet and ever so slightly Meaty.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toffee, Marzipan, Sweet Apples & Pears, Dried Fruit like Figs, Raisins and Apricot, Grass and Straw, Nutella, Dusty Casks and Wood Shavings, Cinnamon, Mint and Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Demerara Sugar, Salted Caramel, Marshmallow, Honey, Vanilla, Wax, Floral Soap, Ripe Banana, Mixed Citrus Juice, Bounty Candy Bar and Pepper.

Palate:

Arrival and Mouthfeel are quite Thin. It should be a crime against the Whisky-loving community to bottle an 18 year old Single Malt at 40%. It's a damn shame! This would be so much better at 46%! Otherwise the Palate is friendly enough to appeal to beginning whisky drinkers. For the advanced fans it holds few secrets like most modern mainstream Malts. The Palate is mainly Sweet with a few light Bitter and Sour notes for balance.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Bounty Candy Bars, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Dried Apricots/Figs, Orange Peel, Sweet Apples/Pears, Nutella, Dusty Casks, Cinnamon, Ginger and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Fruit Cake, Straw, Wax, Espresso, Mixed Citrus Juice, Pepper, Nutmeg and Mint.

Finish:

Short/Medium-Long, Thin and mostly Sweet. A little bit Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Honey-Nut Cereals, Fruit Cake, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Orange Peel, Bounty Candy Bars, Dried Apricot, Sweet Apples & Pears, Dusty Oak, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint and Licorice. After a while some Strawberry Cake and Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

This Glenfiddich does not need added Water.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

Glenfiddich was founded in Dufftown in 1886 by William Grant. It's one of the few distilleries that is still in the hands of the founder's family. In the year 1963 it became the first whisky that was marketed worldwide as a Single Malt. It was the first Single Malt to appear in the Travel Retail and Duty Free shops as well and the chance is huge that Glenfiddich was your first Single Malt. It was mine! It is also the first distillery that opened a visitor centre, back in 1969. The current core range consists of the 12, 15, 18, 21, 26, 30  and 40 years old. We visited the distillery in May 2014 and May 2019. Despite the large number of visitors they still do a good job on the Tours.

After Maturation, Malt Master Brian Kinsman hand-selected 150 exceptional casks and married those in large wooden tuns for another 3 months. So the distillery goes a long way to present this Small Batch Reserve. And then bottles it at 40%! Does that make sense? To me it doesn't! Better to use this fine new bottle and packaging and present a truly up-graded 18 Years with 100% First Fill casks, Natural Color, No Chill-Filtration and a decent ABV of 46%. Now that would make an impact. As it is though the Small Batch Reserve is a nice gift for beginning whisky fans but that's about it. Come on Brian, think this one through again!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 September 14, 2020

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Chivas Regal 18 Mizunara Oak Finish

”The Sweet Escape”

Whisky Review # 888

Country: Scotland

Brand: Chivas Regal Mizunara Oak Finish - Ultimate Cask Collection

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon Casks and Sherried Wood

Finish: First Fill Japanese Mizunara Oak casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price Range : US$ 160-230 (September 2020 - 1 Liter)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😔 Quite expensive. At around US$ 130 it's a good deal.  
Buying Advice: 😄 Very Nice Blend. It's Sweet but quite Good.

Colour:

Mahogany (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

You immediately notice the Mizunara Wood when nosing this Chivas. It reminds me of Polished Sandal wood. I sometimes get Coconut as well but this time that's not really the case. It's a very nice smell actually but it's rather diluted here by the neutral Grain Alcohol. The Nose is Sweet with (Dried) Fruit, Vanilla and Spices. It's not really powerful despite the respectable ABV. I had expected more to be honest.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, Toasted Grains, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Apricot-Filled Puff-Pastry, Grain Alcohol, Rum-Tea, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Figs, very ripe Banana, Nectarine, Mizunara Wood, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Sweet Gelatin, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Sweet Apples & Pears, Bread Dough, Grass and Straw, Lemon, Dark Red Fruit, Herbs, Pepper and Cardamom. At times I got some Aniseed and Tobacco as well.

Strathisla, the Rainy Home of Chivas

Palate:

Quite pleasant. The Mizunara Wood gives this extra bit of character and it does not overpower the other flavors, probably thanks to the high ABV. It's difficult not to like this one unless you are allergic to Sweetness. Because it is Sweet!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Rum-Tea, Dried Fruit like Apricot and Raisins, Banana Ice-Cream, Nectarine, Orange, Mizunara Wood, Grain Alcohol, Dark Red Berries, Assorted Nuts, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Heather-Honey, Toffee, Grass and Straw, Sweet Apples and Pears, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Aniseed.

Finish:

Middle-Long and quite Sweet. Medium-Dry towards the end. The Grain Alcohol is quite present at this time but it's still a pretty decent Finish for a Blended Scotch Whisky. You do need to accept the Sweetness however. The Sherry Wood is quite noticeable. I find Sweet Barley, Resin, Sugared Honey Nuts, Toasted Grains, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Sweet Apples and Pears, Banana Ice-Cream, Nectarine, Orange, Lemon, Perfumed Soap, Mizunara Wood, Peanuts, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Chivas Regal.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21.5  - Overall: 21.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Sweet but Good

Conclusion:

This Chivas Mizunara is part of the Ultimate Cask Collection and was released in  2018. This interesting series had started in 2015 with the First Fill American Oak Finish, followed in 2017 by the First Fill French Oak Finish. It was initially released for the Travel Retail market.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by this Blend, especially considering the well-balanced Palate/Finish. I find the Nose to be a bit underwhelming though. But in general this exciting maturation in a mix of Ex-Bourbon casks & Sherried Wood followed by the Mizunara Cask Finish works really well. It's quite expensive but if you can spare the cash you won't be disappointed. Sweet but Good stuff!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    September 7, 2020

Mizunara Tree (Picture Credit: The Tozan Tales)

Lamas Nimbus Caledonia Review

”It’s a Long Way to the Top(If You Want to Rock & Roll)” 

Whisky Review # 887

Country: Brazil
Region: State of Minas Gerais

Brand: Lamas Nimbus Caledonia - Prototype - Limited Edition

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (My Guess: 3-5 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks with Fortified Brazilian Wine Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Future Price: US$ 25 (August 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐Okay
Buying Advice: 😕Not interesting enough as a sipping whisky. 

Colour:

Dark Amber with hues of Orange and Brown (Natural Color as stated by producers)

Nose:

Quite Sweet. It's Malty but other than that it smells quite different when compared to your average Scotch Whisky. There's a liqueur-like feeling to it. Some Fresh Oak might have been used for finishing this Lamas. You can sense the Eucalyptus Smoke but it's not very prominent. This is certainly a Young Whisky and it lacks complexity and depth. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing process.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Toast and Margarine, Caramel, Yeast, Ale, Smoldering Embers, Dark Red Fruit like Cranberries and Raspberries, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Butterscotch, Brown Sugar, Pencil Shavings, Dusty Road, Dried Plums, Orange, Red Grapes, Lemon, Grapefruit, Floral Soap and Varnish.

Palate:

Young, Thin, Medium-Dry, Bitter-Sweet and on the Hot side. The Alcohol is much more noticeable by now and so is the slightly Medicinal Smoke. The lack of sufficient maturation leaves it unbalanced. Not something I would enjoy as a sipping Malt.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Caramel, Toast, Sugar, Smoldering Embers, Red Berries, Plums, Lemon, Bitter Orange, Sour Red Wine, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Dusty Track, Dusty Charred Oak, Dried Fruit, Nuts and Nutshells, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Leather and Varnish.

Finish:

Young, Thin, Short and quite Hot. This Single Malt could certainly use 5 more years or so in the cask. The slightly Medicinal Smoke is even more noticeable at this point. Lots of Menthol after a while. I find Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Smoke, Iodine, Dusty Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Red Berries, Plums, slightly Sour Red Wine, Cocoa Powder, Bitter Oranges, Grapefruit, Menthol, stale Espresso and Varnish.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and while it helps to control the Alcohol it doesn't do a whole lot more. A few drops are okay I suppose.

Rating: 73

Nose: 19 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 17.5 - Overall: 18.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Borderline okay

Conclusion:

The Lamas I'm tasting today is actually still a prototype. It will be launched very shortly though. It's a limited edition based on the existing Nimbus. Both editions are made with Malt that is dried with fresh reforestation Eucalyptus wood giving them a slightly smoky character.

It's not easy to make a good Single Malt at a sympathetic price-level. And Whisky production in Brazil is quite a young activity. So I won't be too harsh on this Lamas. It's sufficient to say that it lacks maturation and it's not interesting enough as a sipping Malt. The "Smoky" touch of this Caledonia is certainly worth perfecting in the future as it provides a differential. Like is the case all over the world, new Whisky makers are tempted to launch young whisky to provide much needed cash-flow. I can understand the economic issue but from a consumer point of view I would prefer they would use Gin, Vodka and Liqueurs for that purpose, granting the Single Malt sufficient time in the cask. I would really look forward to taste a fully matured Lamas in the future and I wish this Distillery all the best!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       August 16, 2020