Japan’s Nikka Whisky began its experimental Nikka Discovery series in 2021, with two special releases, one from each of its two main distilleries. Nikka followed suit with another pair in 2022, making one wonder if it would continue the theme going forward. Well, here we are in 2023, and Nikka has announced that this will be the final release of the Discovery series, and rather than dropping multiple bottles, it’s releasing just one: Nikka the Grain Whisky, a blend of seven different whiskies from four Nikka distilleries; Miyagikyo, Nishinomiya, Moji, and Satsumatsukasa. The actual blend is c ..read more

Hikari Distillery has been around in Fukuoka, Japan since 1912, but its Hakata Whiskey brand is new to U.S. shores, a 100% single malt which has been partially fermented with koji mold, adding umami flavors to the distillate. All four expressions of Hakata are aged in sherry casks in a combination of traditional warehouses and a small number of open-air warehouses, “where they are exposed to humid summertime temperatures of 95°F and winter temperatures of around 38°F.” Each is bottled at 84 proof in 700ml bottles — and not at all what I was expecting. Hakata Whiskey 10 Years Old – The sherry ..read more

Yes, the name of this whiskey is Tiger Thiccc. Yes, with three Cs. To call it unique would be an understatement: It’s a blended whiskey, made from 80% American bourbon (a 99% corn mash from Indiana’s MGP) and 20% Japanese whiskey (55% grain, 45% barley), all finished in a mizunara oak barrel. No age statements or additional details are available, so let’s put all that aside — alongside with a Joe Rogan endorsement — and see what’s in the bottle. Well damn if it isn’t a pretty impressive product, definitely thicc, if not quite thiccc, though. The nose is fruit-heavy and quite corny, but temper ..read more

  We sampled the wares of Fuji earlier in the year, learning about its approach to grain whiskey, which involves three different mashbills and distilling processes. While Fuji’s standard Single Grain release carries no age statement, this edition is quite the opposite, bearing a 30 year old age statement — with some of the whiskies in the blend up to 40 years old. The whiskies in the bottle are all expressions of Fuji’s “Canadian style” distillate, all aged in used American oak barrels. Imagine my disappointment when I didn’t care for the finished product at all. Initially harsh and lade ..read more

The mad fanaticism over all things whiskey continued unabated in 2022, but with quality like this on the market, it’s hard not to see why. Some of this stuff is so insanely good that we can fully understand the wild price hikes and long lines and lotteries just to win the chance at buying a bottle… though, gulp, I can’t say that anyone on the staff is ready to plunk down four figures for 750ml of whiskey, no matter how good it is. That’s a long way of apologizing for the high prices and extreme rarity of a few of the whiskeys on this list, but with our top 10 whiskeys of the year list, our go ..read more

Nikka’s Discovery series, which launched last year, was a fun way to explore unexpected flavors from the Japanese icon’s two distilleries. While the 2021 expressions focused on the use of peat (or lack thereof), this year’s takes a deep dive into one of the unsung heroes of distillation: yeast. The two whiskies in this year’s collection are made using yeast from Nikka’s vast “culture collection.” These were initially tasted alongside three additional experiments from each distillery, each made using a different type of yeast. The results were really intriguing, but rather than bore you with n ..read more

As importer ImpEx tells us, “This small batch release of Fukano Whisky (limited to 3000 bottles, though it’s readily available) has been created in collaboration with Women Who Whiskey club to celebrate the career of Chizuru Fukano,” who is the former and recently retired Managing Director of Fukano Distillery. This 100% rice whisky is matured in a combination of refill bourbon, Manzanilla sherry, and red wine casks. No age statement provided. Results are solid, though you’ll want some familiarity with rice whiskies before delving into this to avoid too many surprises. To start with, things a ..read more

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