Nikka Miyagikyou 1988 20 Years old

Although Yoichi is the best known part of the Nikka company, their second distillery, named Miyagikyo, is actually bigger. Malt whisky is produced there using eight stills. A Coffey Still was installed in 1999 but is only used intermittently.

This 20 years old 1988 vintage is a mixture of four Miyagikyo whisky styles, with different peating levels and different cask types (recharred casks, remade casks and a sherry butt).

Nikka Miyagikyo 1988 (50%, OB 2008, 1500 btl.)

Nose: nice and sensual, with lots of apricots and vanilla. Yellow plums. Slightly exotic. Furniture polish and beeswax. Gooseberries. A little frangipane. It shows elements of 1970’s Glen Grant, or 1972 Glengoyne, or 1970 Glen Keith. Good enough, right? Plus, there’s the softest hint of peat in the background. Mouth: starts on peppery wood, with slightly more pronounced peat. Leather. Overall rather sweet, with dried fruits (plums again) and a kind of bubblegummy / synthetic fruitiness. Evolves on a cheapish lychee liqueur (not as bad as it sounds, really). Finish: quite long, on dried apricots and old furniture.

A great nose with a slightly less appealing palate. Overall very nice, with a unique all-round profile among Japanese whiskies (subtle sherry, subtle peat, exotic fruits).

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