Nikka Yoichi Discovery - Non-Peated

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 47% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: Yes

Special Features:

This edition puts Yoichi's unpeated side in the spotlight. Only whiskies made from unpeated malt were selected for this single malt. The stills remain directly coal-fired, however, lending a smoky character of their own. Fruity sweetness and a rich mouthfeel therefore come to the fore differently than in Yoichi's typically peat-influenced bottlings.

The first release in the Nikka Discovery series appeared in 2021, ahead of the company's 90th anniversary in 2024. Its theme was the influence of different raw materials on whisky character. Yoichi Non-Peated was paired with the deliberately peaty Miyagikyo Peated edition. The series opens up Nikka's experimental stocks and production choices to whisky drinkers. A total of 20,000 bottles of Yoichi Non-Peated were offered worldwide.

The whisky is bottled at 47% alcohol without chill filtration. Its clear glass bottle differs from the tinted bottles of the standard range and highlights the discovery of a less familiar side of the distillery. This release contains 0.7 litres and comes with gift packaging.

The whisky displays sweet-tart fruitiness reminiscent of berries, pears and apples, coming together with robust malt notes.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, malted barley combines with green banana, Golden Delicious apple and acacia honey. With air, pineapple emerges alongside coriander, ginger and black pepper. Chervil and lovage add herbal accents, followed by a balsamic, medicinal nuance.
• Palate: The whisky opens vibrantly on the palate with lemon and grapefruit. Vanilla and coffee-like roasted notes follow. Sweet and salty impressions balance one another, joined by an appetite-stimulating bitterness.
• Finish: The long, rich finish begins with malt. Star anise, courgette blossom and creamy coconut milk gradually unfold. Breathing out through the nose reveals hazelnut, almond, cashew and juicy pear. Malt, cinnamon and clove linger in the empty glass. The finish is also smooth and reminiscent of caramel.

Distillery/Bottler:

Masataka Taketsuru founded Yoichi in 1934 as Nikka's first distillery. On Hokkaido, he found conditions that reminded him of Scotland: a cool climate, water and humid air. The distillery stands at the foot of the Shakotan Peninsula, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the Sea of Japan. The Yoichi River supplies water for production, while the cool climate favours slow cask maturation.

Yoichi continues to use directly coal-fired pot stills. Their straight heads and downward-sloping connecting pipes form part of the technical foundation of its robust spirit. The distillers must carefully control the coal supply to regulate the heat. Taketsuru knew this method from his training at Longmorn in Scotland. Cooperage also has a long history at Yoichi: to establish whisky production, he brought in experienced coopers whose expertise, initially acquired in making beer casks, was developed further to meet the demands of whisky maturation.

Facts: