Tokyo tastings - Ichiro's Malt Single Cask, Balvenie from the 80s and The Spoon

Bar Keith named after the Glen Keith, the owner's favourite distillery

Tokyo always never ceases to amaze me with the infinite number of whisky bars that have fascinating collections. Went to Bar Keith in Shinjuku after doing whisky shopping in Shinanoya and had the fortune to try 3 sublime whiskies thanks to the owner Koji-san, who was extremely knowledgeable AND spoke decent English.

Interesting label for an Ichiro's Malt

First up was a hidden gem, an Ichiro's Malt Single Cask! Bottlings from the now defunct Hanyu distillery are really hard to come by these days. This is my first Ichiro's Malt review and hopefully many more to come from this cult whisky maker...

THE REVIEW

Comments: Bursting with fruits, citrus and plums come to mind, followed by hints of cinnamon and vanilla notes finished. Drops of water bring out the maltiness just a tad. Great whisky! If only I could get my hands on some.

Is this Balvenie masquerading as Cognac? 

I mentioned that Balvenie was one of my favourite distilleries and this was what showed up on the table, a 1980s bottling of a Balvenie 18! It must've been my lucky day as there was only 1 serving remaining in the bottle. I could see Koji-san holding back the tears as he poured the last drop from the bottle.

THE REVIEW

 

Comments: The distinct Balvenie cereal malt taste is more mellow and a fresh vanilla and oak finish hits you with hints of leather at the end. The water, barley and casks used must have been different back then. How the taste of Balvenie has evolved over the years.

Balvenie and Glenfiddich elope

Time for a nightcap and I was shown this interesting bottle called 'The Spoon' which is essentially a 23 year Balvenie single cask diluted with a teaspoon of Glenfiddich (in whisky circles Balvenie+teaspoon of Glenfiddich=Burnside). Apparently, this is done as stipulated by the distillery so the independent bottler cannot label the whisky they bought a single cask and dilute the parent distillery brand. Nonetheless, a 23 year Balvenie single cask is a 23 year Balvenie single cask, even if diluted with a drop of Glenfiddich. I was more intrigued by the cool label then anything else. On to the review...

 

Comments: Spice, honey and citrus tones with a medium long finish that is tannic and oaky at the same time. Quite enjoyable and a great way to end the night.

Ballantine's Finest

A blend! It has been awhile since we sampled one (I think our Suntory Hibiki series was the last one) and we've sampled quite a few fancy blends before (Royal Salute series, Middleton, JW Blue Label). I also remember that the Ballentine's 17 year was also one of our first few reviews and we ranked it quite favourably. Now, let's see how it's 'younger brother' stacks up.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Scorched plastic was what we used to describe this. The nose was decent enough but the taste and finish was pretty and disappointing.

For Relaxing Times, Make it Suntory Time

Japan is the baby and nascent darling in the world of whisky. Ever since Masataka Taketsuru visited Scotland in the 1920s and brought home the knowledge of distilling whisky, his work gave birth to what is widely regarded as the new whisky superpower alongside Scotland and Ireland. To read more about Japanese whiskies, go to the wikipedia link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_whisky

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce a very interesting and candid Japanese Whisky blog that we've been reading:

http://nonjatta.blogspot.com

Nonjatta is probably the most comprehensive Japanese Whisky resource on the Internet (in English which helps). I especially love the Mizuwari Deathmatch Championship that he has going on. To find out more, check out his site. :)

Billboard from the movie 'Lost in Translation'

For those of you who watched 'Lost in Translation', I'm sure you get quote reference in the title of this post. Tonight, we are going to sample the Suntory Hibiki 17 and 21 year bottlings. Here are the results.

The Review


Taste Profile



The Scoring

Suntory 17 Year Old HibikiStrong peach and oak notes especially on the nose. A soothing dram that is easy to drink but ends up just a little short on the finish.

Suntory 21 Year Old HibikiEven fruitier and more floral than it's 17 year old sibling, this bottling just delivers on all aspects. Very clean. Very good. Highly recommended.

This man knows his whisky

Middleton Very Rare 2004

What is the main difference between Irish and Scotch Whisky? Irish Whiskey is usually triple distilled (compared to double distilled for Scotch) which makes for a much smoother and sweeter drink. Debating which is the better dram has been the source of national pride for many years for these two countries. The Middleton Very Rare represents a blend of the finest Irish Whiskies handpicked by Middleton's Master Distiller Barry Crockett each year.

The Review


Taste Profile

The Scoring

Conclusion: It's nice to taste an Irish Whiskey once in awhile as the peat flavour in most Scotch Whiskies is completely absent due to the fact, well, they do not use peat in the process (duh). While we generally like Irish Whiskies because of the smooth flavour, this blend was a tad too saccharine sweet for our liking.

Royal Rumble!

Strange Bedfellows

Chivas Brothers launched The Royal Salute range of exclusive blends on 2nd June 1953 as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day. Tonight we will sample both the 21 year and the very rare 38 year 'Stone of Destiny' bottlings.

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Royal Strip Tease

Royal Salute 21 Years Comments: An exceptional, well balanced blend that is perfect for any special occasion. Comes in multiple flagon colours (red, blue and green) so collect them all!

Snoop Dogg would be proud...

Royal Salute 'Stone of Destiny' 38 Years Comments: The Royal Salute 'Bling' Edition. Check out the size of that rock! Another excellent blend from Chivas. They really take pride in their older blends and it shows. Although at US$400, it is only marginally better than the 21 Year and debatable if it is worth that much more.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Tonight we are going to try the "Rare and Exclusive", award winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label. According to the website (www.johhniewalker.com), it is made of the rarest malts handpicked from a range of exclusive distilleries. One of the distilleries includes the relatively unknown Royal Lohnagar, a small distillery situated on the boundaries of Balmoral, the British Royal Family's holiday home. The website also nonchalantly states that it has *gasp* "superior grains", a phrase that would surely put off any single malt connosieurs.

The Review


Taste Profile


The Scoring

Conclusion: Tis' a good whisky with excellent balance and sweet, fruity tones and understated peat. The Blue Label feels like a mellower, smoother and more refined version of the Black Label. It is always a great gift or drink to splash out at events as it is branded as a luxury whisky. However, is it worth the hefty price tag (US$200)? We don't think so. You are paying for the great marketing and salaries of the Mclaren Formula 1 Team. You will be better off doing more research and finding something more interesting and better value at the same price.

Ballantine's 17 Years

Ballantine's is another popular brand in the world of whisky. Tonight we will try the 17 year variety. While it is a blend (I can see all you snobby 'Single Malt Only' connossieurs looking the other way), we've heard good things about this bottling. Let's take a sip...

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Comments: This is a wonderfully complex blend that most people would enjoy. We hear it is a common nightcap for the mature crowd.

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.