Nikka From the Barrel

You're a malthead and would never even dream of touching a blend? Try Nikka from the Barrel, it might just change your mind.

You're a malthead and would never even dream of touching a blend? Try Nikka from the Barrel, it might just change your mind.

Details about this bottle Edit
1543
Miyagikyo (Nikka)
Japan
Blended Whisky
51.4%
0.5 l
Original bottling
double matured
Chill filtration - With Artifical colouring - With
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
Calculated from 73 Tasting Notes
i
Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Spices:
Spices:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Orange:
Orange:
Honey:
Honey:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Oak:
Peat Smoke:
Sherry:
Floral:
Floral:
Oak:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Peach:
Peach:
Nuts:
Malt:
Herb:
Herb:
Malt:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Nuts:
Coffee:
Chocolate:
Grape:
Cinnamon:
Peat Smoke:
Sherry:
Coffee:
Cinnamon:
Chocolate:
Grape:
Berries:
Heather:
Pear:
Ginger:
Oil:
Wheat:
Walnut:
Fig:
Banana:
Clove:
Plum:
Apple:
Cake:
Mint:
Berries:
Leather:
Date:
Mint:
Cake:
Clove:
Fig:
Pear:
Ginger:
Apple:
Oil:
Plum:
Banana:
Wheat:
Date:
Heather:
Walnut:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Leather:
Tasting
Spices:
Spices:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Oak:
Oak:
Honey:
Honey:
Fruit:
Fruit:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Peat Smoke:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Orange:
Orange:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Malt:
Chili:
Herb:
Herb:
Peat Smoke:
Chili:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Malt:
Oil:
Nuts:
Ginger:
Sherry:
Oil:
Ginger:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Salt:
Maritime Notes:
Salt:
Leather:
Herbs:
Leather:
Maritime Notes:
Cinnamon:
Peach:
Wheat:
Peach:
Caramel:
Tobacco:
Cinnamon:
Herbs:
Wheat:
Caramel:
Tobacco:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Grapefruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Clove:
Nutmeg:
Mint:
Floral:
Cake:
Raisin:
Nutmeg:
Tropical Fruit:
Cake:
Mint:
Grapefruit:
Floral:
Sherry:
Dark Chocolate:
Heather:
Plum:
Plum:
Raisin:
Heather:
Dark Chocolate:
Clove:
Finish
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Spices:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Oak:
Oak:
Oil:
Nuts:
Oil:
Herb:
Herb:
Peat Smoke:
Peat Smoke:
Malt:
Malt:
Honey:
Coffee:
Honey:
Dark Chocolate:
Coffee:
Dark Chocolate:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Salt:
Fruit:
Plum:
Salt:
Caramel:
Plum:
Orange:
Zitrus:
Orange:
Chocolate:
Pepper:
Maritime Notes:
Caramel:
Chili:
Pepper:
Maritime Notes:
Zitrus:
Chili:
Chocolate:
Wheat:
Cake:
Dried Fruit:
Peach:
Leather:
Peach:
Cake:
Leather:
Sherry:
Dried Fruit:
Raisin:
Nuts:
Apple:
Wheat:
Apple:
Raisin:

Tasting Video

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Quality rating of this bottle

3.9 Rate
160
Tasting Notes 73

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unknown user
26. Sep 2013
unknown user
11. Jan 2013
unknown user
22. Jul 2018
SteelerCell2K8
22. Apr 2017
Nosing: Fruit Orange Raisin Dried Fruit Peach Plum Honey Sweet Caramel Vanilla Spices Oak Sherry Cake Alcohol Peat Smoke

Taste: Spices Oak Dried Fruit Sherry Orange Honey Caramel Alcohol

Finish: Spices Oak Vanilla Peat Smoke

Comment: Wonderfully complex for a blend, especially for its price point! The only mistake I made with NFTB was having it as my first dram before trying out my bottle of Hibiki Japanese Harmony (which was still pleasant nonetheless!) and the Glenfiddich 14 Y.O. Rich Oak (a favourite of mine from The Valley Of The Deer, but felt a little flat after having the Nikka).

Do not let the fact that this is a blend put you off. It has the harsh character of a bourbon at first, but with some proper air time (I usually let my dram sit for half an hour before sipping) it'll settle into a single malt-like dram which is potent, complex, and smooth (but still reminds you that it has a hefty ABV).

An interesting note I got from the nosing before my last sip was butter cake. The whiskies that are blended in this must come from a wide range of different barrels which housed a variety of different liqueurs and other types of whiskies, as the fruitiness can get quite diverse - I picked up sherry, and what I believe to be umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur), and even the sweetness of fresh fruit like peach, orange, and a slight crisp apple note.

Other notes and tastes that I enjoyed was the dominant spice and oakiness, as well as the slight smoke on the finish. Wonderful.

Letting this dram breathe really does change its character over time! Or maybe it's just me? Nonetheless, I enjoyed the hell out of this whisky, and it will be definitely be restocked in my liquor cabinet once I finish my current bottle.