Whiskylive Singapore Part 2: Hanyu The Game & Ichiro's 8 of Clubs

Who's got game?

Next, we had some fascinating whiskies from the Land of the Rising Sun. First up was a pair of Hanyus from Ichiro called The Game, one from a Mizunara cask (release #2) and the other from a Red Oak cask (release #3). These are special bottlings for Japanese spirits retailer Shinanoya and I believe almost impossible to find now. Those labels are absolutely gorgeous if anything else!

The Game 2nd Edition: Smells and tastes like a forest with fresh oak and grass dominating the palate initially followed by a vanilla sweetness and spicy, zesty lemon aftertaste. The Mizunara cask definitely adds an interesting dimension to this one.

The Game 3rd Edition: Herbacious with a little bite and peppery kick followed by a sweet minty finish. A very fine and elegant dram but if I had to pick, the Mizunara cask would be my choice.

 

A rare treat - 23 year Hanyu

To round off the Japanese whisky tasting, we tried a 3rd Hanyu which was the Ichiro's Malt 8 of clubs. This one is another exciting experiment by Ichiro to take an old Hanyu Hogshead cask and finishing it in an American Oak Puncheon.

Comments: An intriguing nose with vegemite, pepper and whiff of smoke. The taste is heavy on spice with hints of pine nuts and cocoa with a moderate slightly salty finish.

Yamazaki 12 Year

We're trying to beef up our Japanese whisky collection (and posts) to reflect the growing popularity of drams from the Rising Sun. Unfortunately, Japanese whiskies are pretty hard to find outside of the country which is why they are not very well reviewed generally. Anyhow, let's continue with the basic Suntory Yamazaki 12 year which is fairly easy to find in most bars and shops worldwide.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Maybe we're biased towards Japanese whiskies but this was a very good and easy to drink. It mimics a typical Scotch but with the touch of Japanese refinement. Keep one for your everyday collection!

Glendullan 12 Year

Glendullan is a low profile distillery that is situated in Dufftown, probably the most famous whisky town in Speyside and self proclaimed 'Malt Whisky Capital of the World'. Another little known fact is that it is one of Diageo's biggest distilleries but is mainly used in blends such as Johnnie Walker. However, Diageo has started marketing Glendullan recently by introducing the it in the Singleton series which has won rave reviews from whisky experts. Let's find out how this 'original' bottle tastes.

THE REVIEW

Comments: This is a fruity, almost herbal and fairly well balanced malt. The taste is 'yummy' and easy to drink but the finish, like most standard 12 year offerings, could have been more substantial. Worth buying but doubt you'll find it as it may be replaced by the Singleton series already.

Redbreast 12 years

It's been awhile since we sampled an Irish whiskey simply because we didn't have any others in our stash apart from the Bushmill's and Middleton that have already been reviewed. As luck would have it, one of our friends TB brought over a bottle of Redbreast after realizing the deficit in our collection. Redbreast is one of the pure pot still whiskies from Ireland available in the market. This traditional method of distilling the whisky, which combines both malted and unmalted barley, gives the whiskey a unique and strong flavour.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Fresh and floral with a slight nutty edge. Very complex for a 12 year whisky and has interesting sherry/wine-like flavours. Have one in your collection at all times to show what the Irish are capable of producing.

Balvenie Vertical

Balvenie has always been one of our favourite whiskies from Speyside. The fact that they grow their own barley, do the maltings by hand, imparts a special 'crafted' taste to the whisky that sets it apart from other labels. We are not alone in our praise for Balvenie as they have won numerous awards in recent years. Today we will treat ourselves to the Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood, 15 Year Single Barrel and 21 Year Portwood in our collection.

The Review

Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood
This is a very drinkable malt with vanilla and sherry layers dominating the nose and taste. It has a clean finish and balance. I would drink this baby anytime, anyday.

Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel
Mmmm....I fell in love with the rich malty flavour the moment I sipped this. The oak and and hint of apricot kicks in nicely after. Truly delicious.

Balvenie 21 Year Portwood - Gold Medal 2005 International Spirits Challenge
The marriage of oak and port casks has been delicately balanced in this malt. Is it a whisky or a wine? Hmm... As an oldtimer would say 'stop thinking and just bloody drink the damn thing!'

Verdict
The quality of Balvenie shows in every bottling we tried. We attest it to the quality control and adherence to time honoured traditions at the distillery. Hopefully it stays like that for a long time to come.

Yoichi 12 Year

The Yoichi 12 year is the first single malt Japanese whiskey that we have tried. Before, we only tried the blended Suntory Hibiki series, which is excellent. Yoichi is the flagship distillery for Nikka. Let's see how it tastes:

The Review

Comments: Oak and vanilla dominate the nose and tongue. Pleasant. However, like a great wine, somehow it is a bit lacking at 12 years and I feel that it has potential if aged more. Will have to buy the older statements to confirm this judgment. Stay tuned.

Strathisla 12 Year

Here is an interesting bottle that we dug up from our collection: a Strathisla 12 year bottle. Strathisla is one of the oldest (some say the oldest distillery) in Scotland and is the showpiece distillery for Chivas. Naturally, this single malt is dominant in the blends for Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

The Sample

The Review

Comments: A bold scotch with weighty malt, dried fruit and vanilla flavours. A good standby for any occasion.

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Well, let's try a blended whisky now. The Johnnie Walker Black Label is a popular and one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Check out our review below.

The Review


Taste Profile


The Scoring

Comments: The traditional stand-by dram for most people. it is the base to judge other whiskies by.