Yoichi Single Malt

Blind Tasting

In this single malt I could not find and sign of Japanese whisky. The closest analogies (and also my blind guess) would be Oban, or more likely Highland Park. There is no age statement and in the blind tasting I would pick from 8-10 years range. Good density and mouthfeel, this Yoichi even exceeded my expectations. The only weak point is the price, as in Europe it doubles the cost of the same malt in Japan or Taiwan.

Nice japanese touch as that minty fresh bamboo in the nose, with a fruity peaty Caol Ila like profile. Flavor wise I give it 84, price wise, it’s 78

The quality is questionable considering the price. It's just so-so, nothing special.

Citrusy, Floral, little bite, smoky, very elegant whisky

S 6 Sampled at a blind tasting. The subtlety I used to enjoy in Yoichi has now become distracting bitterness all the way from palate to finish, disappointing. 71-80 - Drinkable, worth the experience at least

N A burst of citrus on the top! Vanilla-like sweet scent A slightly malty, savory aroma light smoky No booz, intuitive citrus with a hint of sweetness + savory grains And a softly layered smoky A balance of scents with no off-putting elements N Fruitiness like pears or apples and citrus Weak pit and smoky definite vanilla First of all, Pit is really weak, maybe about the same level as Ovan? The fruitiness and citrus are intuitive and It has a vanilla feel. It has a malty quality and a slight woody flavor. It's quite tasty and good. P Overall, the finish is short and A savory malty flavor lingers on the tongue It's quite delicious, and it costs about 4,000 to 5,000 yen in Japan... If I really can't find any other whisky, I'm thinking of taking a bottle. If you try it, I think even peat beginners can drink it without any difficulty.

A Yoichi amputated from everything that led him to his past highs. Lack of concentration, materials and length. Pity. If it had to be given a subjective rating, it would be an 80.

Floral, sweet, peated, berries, balanced, nice and enjoyable

RATING: 84pts – |83 – 86 (B) → Good| — Not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.

Yoichi Single Malt (45%). Consumed July 2019. Aroma is crayons, plastic, subtle Rescue Remedy, lavender. Some subtle nice floral notes. Not bad. Taste is salty boozy, has an oily denseness. Some floral and woody notes. If there's peat it's not coming across as smoky it's more oily and floral. A faint note reminds me if sausage rolls. Tastes boozier than it is. Good without being great. Rough around the edges. 3.4/81

I ended up deciding on a rating of 81, but I fear that, having tasted this right after a Laphroaig 10, with just a sip of water in between, the experience was quite dulled by the contrast between the two. It doesn’t have the power of the Laphroaig, neither in nose nor mouth. There were some complexities in the taste that I could only identify as being there, but I couldn’t really put a finger on any of them. I will try this again in the future in a more pure tasting and update my score if needed.

Smell: Yellow fruit, pear, stone fruit, canned peach, smoke only very discreetly in the background, great balance, Taste: again pear/yellow fruit, very well integrated alcohol, medium-long aftertaste, again with great balance Color: corn colored, medium water rim, clear Conclusion: It's fun - the sometimes over-harmonized Japanese standard whisky gets the slight smoky edge for individualization...

I have just been going through my notes, and it looks like I have had more from the Nikka stable than from any other Japanese whisky maker, but very little in the way of single malts. This is my first Yoichi, and I was hoping I could draw a line directly from it to the experience I have had with some of the blends, but as it turns out, not so much. Instead, what it reminded me of was some of the Speyside distilleries that Masataka Taketsuru spent time at while studying in Scotland. There are some classy bitter elements in the tail that seem similar to what I remember of Longmorn, and it has quite a dense texture to the spirit, which made me think of Craigellachie, which, as well as Yoichi, employs the use of worm tub condensers, which can really contribute to that. However, Yoichi also heats its wash stills directly using finely powdered coal, and that has also been pointed out as one of the potential causes. Though, as it is not done much in the Scotch world, except for Glenfarclas, so it is hard to be sure. I found this to be very good.  In all aspects, apart from the smoke, it is less subtle than I am used to from Japanese whisky, but that is no bad thing, and it still has a well-honed balance of taste and texture. I got a cereal burst right towards the end of the mid-palate that was the peak of the experience for me and tied the whole thing together masterfully. I would happily own a bottle of this, but its price brings it just into the lower end of where you can find IB Longmorns nowadays, and I am not sure I would choose this over that.

A little simple but without any flaws.

Not very complicated at all, which means it could do with a slight more complexity, but as far as "entry-level" whiskies go, the Yoichi Single Malt is a really good one.

Apple, pear, orange blossom, honey, orange, melon, banana, vanilla custard,

I am not a huge fan of NAS whiskies. With few notable exceptions, you are simply paying more to get less. After Nikka discontinued all single malts with age statement, I thought this Yoichi would be a big disappointment. Well, I was wrong. Full and fruity with growing hints of smoke, the nose features sour plums, milk chocolate and incense sticks. Rich fruitiness, green tea and a potpourri of sweet, bitter, dry and spicy notes add up to a well-composed palate. The finish falls a bit short and fades rather quickly. Nevertheless, a pleasant surprise. Wabi-sabi! RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]

Really nice profile. Even though its youth (and its price) it´s a good starting point before tasting other Yoichi expressions.

Pleasant, light whisky with a slight smoke.

Light fruit with a gentle peated smoke. Long finish for a young whisky. Punches above its weight.

boring as

Pleasant, but not overly exciting.

right from the start, it seems simple and alcoholic.. then there comes a moment when i say - hey, this is really not that bad - this dram has power and sweetness and a distinct spicy coconut note that is so very Asian.. but it all feels so forced, so overimposed and lacking in depth.. the finish is short, dry and sad.. you can only do so much with make up!

I didn't expect much, but I have to say I'm impressed.

The nose is reminiscent of Bruichladdich, a light, fine peat nose. The taste is spicy, pleasant, very round. This is a nice introduction to this brand. I personally like it very much…

Refreshing green fruit. A calming pit balances out.

A well-composed single malt indeed, the only thing lacking is more oomph. At the same time it displays a gentle complexity that makes it more than an aperitive dram. Full review with tasting notes on: https://whisky-odyssey.com/nl/TASTING-NOTES/Yoichi-Single-Malt/

A special whisky bought for my birthday.

Well, it's also very tasty and unique, but I miss 10-year-old Yoichi very badly and wish for a time machine. What is interesting here, however, are the slightly smoky components in the aroma, which remind me a lot of Nag Champa incense sticks.

Revisited it on an Whisky Networking Event where we had a flight of Japanese Whisky. I want to rate it up because in direct comparison with the other Whisky I had there it shows a more complex body and a nice unique flavor profile. So I rate it up from 85 to 86 points. I really like the lime flavors in combination with the light smokiness.

The nose is pleasantly fruity without being too sweet. The palate and finish are simpler, and the palate, in particular, lacks some depth and is not very pleasant in my opinion.

Boring, smoky young

By Serge Yoichi (45%, OB, Japan, +/- 2017): 86 Punkte

Surprised me positively, had the young Yoichis not in the head, was more of a Miyagikyo fan, but the NAS can do something, would be a top 40-50 € candidate.

Well drinkable!

Yoichi (No Age Statement) ABV: 45% Nose/Taste: An exuberant aroma of lemon and fruit, with peat smoke and a breeze blowing against you. The body is on the younger side with a very short finish. However, it‘s not at all inferior to many Islay whiskies on the market today. If you want to try Japanese whisky, this one is a great choice for around 400 RMB. Score: 85 [Recommended to try]

Nose: Spirit, cooked vegetable Taste: Flower, malt, mint Finish: Malt, smoke / Too young

Whilst Yoichi Single Malt is quite a straight-forward whisky, it’s a well-made one that demonstrates good balance and is evocatively coastal. It’s arguably better than the 50cl NAS that is has in effect replaced, but at the same time, not quite in the same league as the discontinued age-statement Yoichi range. It also doesn’t to my palate taste particularly Japanese – whilst that’s no big issue by itself assuming the underlying quality it good (which is is), it does start to beg questions when one looks at the price point – around £75 here in the UK. Expensive NAS’s are nothing new, but does this one offer anything over and above similarly priced competitors? Hard to say. But, as replacement that is hopefully only temporary for a few years, it’s certainly better than I expected it to be. https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/yoichi/yoichi-single-malt/

Bright, straw color. Slightly oily structure.

Deliciously balanced, slightly smoky, think of an extinguished campfire. Sweet undertones of banana and cassonade.

Layered in nose and on the palate. Constant: nose, palate and finish are in harmony; no real surprises but intresting enough for another dram.

probably very young, but therefore well-made whisky, which simply lacks maturity. I hope Yoichi manages to fill his storehouses again.

Nose: smoke, Montpensier lollipops, grass, bitter citruses, young alcohols, flowers, dried plums Mouth: fruit smoke, some rubber and creosote, cherry resin, vanilla. Aftertaste: woody, flat, short, wet cardboard or paper. Total rating: 84

Mild peat, honey, fruity notes, and herbal notes on the nose. Palate is oily, with herbs, honey, a touch of peat. The finish is medium with herbs, honey, and smoke.

Aroma: Cereal-like, honey, green fruits, green apples in honey, delicate campfire smoke, ripe tropical fruits, vanilla Taste: True to the aroma, sweetness of ripe tropical fruits, plenty of honey, notes of vanilla, everything wrapped in subtle minerality and delicate campfire smoke, lingering finish, honeyed and smoky, quite spicy, with notes of ripe tropical fruits Overall Impression: A very pleasant whisky, dominated by tropical fruits and honey, everything wrapped in delicate smokiness

I haven’t been impressed with the Suntory and Nikka NAS products I’ve tried, until now. This is actually quite good. More depth than the Miyagikyo, possibly an effect of direct firing, and thankfully free of obvious young notes. The value proposition isn’t there still, but it is a nice whisky. I’d love to try some of the age-stated stuff. I’ve heard Nikka is reintroducing the 10-year version, but I’ve yet to see it and I can’t imagine the price will be friendly.

N- Nervous, fine line between musky sea notes liked salted fish and sweet tropical fruits, two dimensions and evolving, aroma of sauvignon blanc, apple and chocolate cookies emerge. Pleasantly complex for a NAS. P- Sweet malt from the alcohol, lychee smokes with hint of oily tar. Tasty. F- Medium-long, oily coating with echoing tropical fruit sweetness. — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.

On the nose, spices, a little honey and a slight smoke. On the palate, fleeting orange yellow fruits, dried fruits, malt, honey and a little cocoa on this salty smoke that stings. In the final, it's pretty short, monolithic! A simple dram, lacking relief!

Great, intense, yet fine nose, in the mouth then on the spicy side, relatively short finish (yes, NAS stop) - very beautiful, albeit young, Japanese.

2020-07-18

28.03.2022

A single malt whisky. Matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and new American oak casks. Chill-filtered, coloured. Thick fast primary legs. Mid-size slow straight secondary legs. Trailing droplets. A methanol note.

I like it a bit better than the Miyagikyo. But it also has that perfumed Granny Smith note with freshly cut grass. Unlike the Miyagikyo, however, it is captured quite well by the smoke. But I'm not a real fan of it anymore.

Masataka Taketsuru, who sought to replicate Scottish whisky-making in Japan with a cold climate, fresh water and traditional methods. You might easily be mistaken thinking this is a light Scottish malt in a blind tasting. Hint of peat. Light, citrusy, malt cereals, meaty with smoke, florals and fruits. Taste however feels quite engineered, clean, salty, sweet and sour nothing really complex to wow you in an authentic way.

A competent and pleasant whisky.

Never been really keen on Japanese whiskies but I was kind of impressed by this one. Not too complex but intriguingly savory-sweet. Tastewise it definitely can keep up with similar priced peated islay malts.

This is a neat one. It starts in the mouth light, fresh, and fruity, but as you keep it in there, it gets darker and creamier. Let's start with the fruits: at least melons, plums, bananas, cherries, pears, and pineapples. As these fruits rest in your mouth, they're grilled, mashed, and salt and white hand moisturizer are added. Hints of incense waft in. In the finish, the experience reverses, slowly returning back to fresh fruits.