16:48 Thank you for giving praise to Nikka's screw-tops. I've always thought Nikka's screw-tops were top-notch (not thin bendable metal caps) and are so much easier to live with than corks.
Hi Ralfy, quite recently there was a regulation introduced in Japan regarding the labeling of what is "Japanese whisky". Specifically to combat this import from other countries and then calling it Japanese. It went into full effect as of this week! Anyhow, love Yoichi as well, thanks for the review!
Worth noting that it's not _law_ but a voluntary designation by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association industry group and only applies to JSLMA members now that the three-year grace period has ended. There is also no enforcement mechanism, it has no teeth except shaming brands that break its rules. It's a good start but it's far from solving the problem.
I've enjoyed Yoichi for many years. The older age statement bottlings were non-chill filtered. Hopefully they will reconsider their use of it now. Love your thoughtful reviews Ralfy.
Went to the Yoichi Distillery and everything you’ve mentioned is spot on. All the care and attention they pay to the process creates a wonderful product. FYI The distillery sells glasses of 10 year cask strength Yoichi that is open to the public. At 1,300 JPY per glass it’s more than worth the trek out there. The tour itself requires reservations through their website. Cheers!
So happy to see this malt up for review. Having visited Japan many times, I have experienced the Japanese obsessive attention to detail in all things, a relentless pursuit of perfection while accepting the concept of wabi-sabi and its contradiction of impermanence. During a recent visit in February for the Sapporo Snow Festival the availability of official bottlelings was pretty wides spread and reasonable. Was able to finally have a taste of the Hakushu 12 and it was absolutely amazing. Looking forward to their stocks catching up! thanks so much for the great review, Ralfy!
Have lived in Japan for 33 years. Been drinking Japanese whisky since 2005. We all have our "top whiskies" we have ever drunk. Yoichi "non chill filtered" whisky has many up towards the top. Breath-taking stuff.
I just picked up one of these about 3 weeks ago, my first ever Yoichi. I was delighted to find what is now one of my new favorites. I found similarities to 10 year old springbank in here. Great review Ralfy! Cheers
Thanks for the review Ralfy! Read today on the Japan Times that the new Japanese whisky rules are in effect starting from today. To what extent that will help, who knows.
You might e surprised to know, Ralfy, that both Yoichi and Miyagikyo have non-chill filtered versions bottled at 48%ABV in travel retail. I’ve seen both in Singapore Airport and picked up the Miyagikyo for a friend.
We have that Yoichi here but I've been put off when Nikka stopped putting age statements. I set aside 1 of 2 Nikka Miyagikyo 12 year old single malt that I bought for $100 in 2014. It's climbed in value between 8 and 10 times. I still want to drink it some day unless I really need the money. I guess I'll pick up a couple of these Yoichi bottles in the meantime. Sounds like I won't be disappointed. Thanks for reviewing it...and I do love the thick plastic caps. I have some Nikka Pure Malt NAS. Funny thing that I was buying the 12 year version back in the day but liked the NAS better.
Japanese whisky also seems to have a big issue with pricing. Being honest, I do shy away from it because of the dishonesty and the outrageous prices. But I know there is good Japanese whisky out there worth buying. Seeking them out is easier than ever now
I took your advice and have been trying malternatives over the past year or so and I'm currently enjoying a bottle of Bumba rum, but I have always wanted to try a japanese whisky. The issue is that the cheapest I have found was £45, which was a bit rich for a first try, and I haven't found any pubs that sell it. This video was a big help, so thankyou, I may just take the plunge.
Oddly enough, as I've commented on this fine channel before, the best Springbanks can be found in Japan. I stayed at a hostel in Tokyo in late 2022 that had SB 15-year old with the green label available at the bar. A visit to the distillary in Yoichi to the west of Otaru on the Hakodate Line is worth it. You can walk to the distillary from the train station.
True, there was a lot going on in Japan re their whiskies. Fortunately, they have created their counterpart of the SWA which then defined Japanese whisky, starting late 2022. I was in Japan on a Diplomatic Posting many moons ago, albeit short-term. Lucky for me, I could skip the weekend Sushi-Sake formal evenings, allowing me to savour Japanese whisky. This was when the Japanese were heavily into Scotch and prices of Japanese liquor were reasonable on Civvy Street. Diplomatic prices were about 40% market price and I picked up as many as I could afford. I brought back one apiece of Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Yoichi, all 12 YO. The Yoichi Peated, Nikka Miyagikyo and Chita Single Grain were NAS. If I was asked which one I liked and would recommend, I'd say Chita Single Grain, which is a fabulous whisky and at half the price of a Yamazaki or Hakushu NAS. Toki is amazingly cheap, for a good whisky. About GBP 30.
I’ve only had two Japanese whiskey but enjoyed them very much. And for the most part are affordable under 100 in my area in the states. Your knowledge is valuable to many of us. Thanks for what you do sir. Enjoy!!
I was able to try a Yoichi 10 yo single cask in Japan.( Nikka bar, sadly it's already closed) Probably the best Japanese whisky what I ever tried and the best grain whisky in my life was also the Nikka 12 y coffey grain at cask strength from this bar. Both of those were in an affordable price.
One of the first Whisky's i tried on a Local Bar/Club. To me Ralfy, it reminds me alot of wolfburn, or is it wolfburn that reminds me of Yochi? Both came to me as Salty, lighlty peated, fresh and right amount of sweet.
“One company that has been open about its sources is Nikka, which makes whisky in Japan and owns the Ben Nevis distillery in Scotland. Emiko Kaji, Nikka’s manager of international business development, said that domestic supply shortages force the company to use “a small amount of whiskey from overseas” to meet demand. She also said that imported Scotch is a critical ingredient in creating Nikka’s flavor profile, in the same way that an American baker might swear by French butter in making an apple pie.” Clay Risen, The New York Times, Published May 29, 2020 Updated May 30, 2020
No matter how it is phrased or excused, it’s sneaky, dishonest and underhanded. If people want to taste scotch, then they buy scotch - not Japanese whisky. It’s been proved by plenty of other distillers from around the world that you CAN produce whisky that tastes very different to scotch and has it’s own distinct character. However, thank you for sharing this :)
It's a nice dram, I also have the NAS Miyagikyo in my cupboard, IMO the Yoichi is the more interesting. The price is the big issue here though, it's just too expensive for what it is. It's hard to justify when there's superior scotch available for the same money or less.
By the fill level I knew that the stuff will get a good mark 😄 I spent some time at Nikka stand (as a guest) during GWF persuading people to try Yoichi. Nobody had regretted it 🤩
On your point about screw caps, i just opened a bottle with a bit of age on it, Glen Garioch 10, old style, and the cork broke, leaving a few fragments floating in the bottle. To get them out, I'd have to decant the whole lot into a jug, remove the bits and pour back, which would presumably oxygenate the content somewhat. Is that necessary, in the interests of least damage to the whisky overall? Or live with a few bits?
I guess it doesn’t matter where whisky is produced, as long as it is good. Honesty about the source distillery might be difficult if the seller insists on non disclosure as in ‘secret speyside’. That said it is not right to define it as a Japanese whisky if the spirit is from a non Japanese source. Equally, we should expect declaration of additives such as colours.
My go-to whisky online shop just reduced it to 70€ (60£). Also: the website says, that it has coloring in it. However, I think in Germany you have to make a statement, if it has coloring in it, so sometimes, when they don’t know for sure, they play it safe and just say it has, as to not falsely leaving it out.
I’m fascinated by Japanese culture especially as it pertains to manufacturing, koi fish, and food. I’ve got a bottle open here and I’m enjoying it. Yes, too bad about the filtering if that’s the case.
Your mention of cask purchasing has piqued my interest. Respectfully requesting you consider a series of extras on cask purchasing -- the ins & outs, do's & don'ts, cost expectations, barrel management, bottling, etc. Thanks for all you pass on to the community.
This one wins in my club’s blind tastings with scotch that is much more expensive almost every time, it’s incredible. Only ¥4500 or £23 a bottle in Japan as of Feb 2024. Price-wise It’s a shame it’s an import and a Japanese one at that.
Oh - I love Yoichi. The NAS is one of my favorite standards and the 10Y old is just superb. But to pay 70 EUR for the NAS and 140 EUR for the 10Y hurts a bit.
I hate screw tops! Hate them! 😅 not only because I'm on the land of the cork but we have here one of the bigger closed whisky bottle collections in the world, and 40-50 years later the screw topped bottles are the ones with more evaporation.. Cheers!
Fascinating dear Ralfy, why don’t they just bottle at 46% and state NCF? They would sell out and be among the top enthusiasts selections. Anyway I thank you 🙏 as always, S.
Ralfy, you have the wherewithall to get your hands on a aged single cask Yoichi. Do it. Doesn't have to be a 20 year old cask. Just something 12 years old+, bottled before 2015.
I have to disagree. I’ve been enjoying this one for quite a while. I hope they don’t change a thing about it. I’m a fan. I do enjoy your attention to detail and your reviews.
one of my biggest whiskey regrets is that I had my bottle of Yoichi 10 (about 10 or 11 years ago now) before I was really to appreciate it. No way I can justify paying for an aged statement Japanese ever again. Even the NAS are silly now.
I think that while good, many of the so called Japanese whiskies are not evenJapanese in the strictest sense. Many are also overrated. Too many Japanese fan boys tend to get overexcited with flavors they are too lazy to seek out elsewhere. Let’s all not get too far ahead of ourselves. The really outstanding Japanese whiskies I’ve had are now all gone or extremely difficult to get.
The Scottish/Canadian distillers shouldn’t sell their spirit to the Japanese if they then claim its is Japanese. They could write it into the contract to prevent it - or just refuse to sell to them again. Just like Springbank could not sell to companies who then profiteer by selling at multiples of the RRP
According to Japanese law, as long as it's bottled in Japan it is a product of Japan. I'm not saying I agree with that, but that's their law. It's also worth noting that the international market is generally the only ones who care about the provenance of Japanese spirits. Most domestic Japanese bottlings are poured into highballs for salary workers at bars who don't care where it's from, the domestic market is largely imported blends and it's mostly only foreign consumers who care if the expensive bottle they're buying was actually distilled in the country it shipped from since they're paying substantially more than the average price for a comparable domestic bottle.
Ralfy, does this mean, that by giving whiskey good reviews and then flipping several bottles after a favourable review, that you are manipulating the whiskey auction market for your own financial gain?
I do not purchase Scottish whiskies that are not integrity whiskies. I certainly shall not purchase whisky from Japan for the same reason. Maybe I would, if they become more honourable.
16:48 Thank you for giving praise to Nikka's screw-tops. I've always thought Nikka's screw-tops were top-notch (not thin bendable metal caps) and are so much easier to live with than corks.
Hi Ralfy, quite recently there was a regulation introduced in Japan regarding the labeling of what is "Japanese whisky". Specifically to combat this import from other countries and then calling it Japanese. It went into full effect as of this week! Anyhow, love Yoichi as well, thanks for the review!
Worth noting that it's not _law_ but a voluntary designation by the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association industry group and only applies to JSLMA members now that the three-year grace period has ended. There is also no enforcement mechanism, it has no teeth except shaming brands that break its rules. It's a good start but it's far from solving the problem.
I've enjoyed Yoichi for many years. The older age statement bottlings were non-chill filtered. Hopefully they will reconsider their use of it now. Love your thoughtful reviews Ralfy.
Went to the Yoichi Distillery and everything you’ve mentioned is spot on. All the care and attention they pay to the process creates a wonderful product. FYI The distillery sells glasses of 10 year cask strength Yoichi that is open to the public. At 1,300 JPY per glass it’s more than worth the trek out there. The tour itself requires reservations through their website. Cheers!
So happy to see this malt up for review. Having visited Japan many times, I have experienced the Japanese obsessive attention to detail in all things, a relentless pursuit of perfection while accepting the concept of wabi-sabi and its contradiction of impermanence. During a recent visit in February for the Sapporo Snow Festival the availability of official bottlelings was pretty wides spread and reasonable. Was able to finally have a taste of the Hakushu 12 and it was absolutely amazing. Looking forward to their stocks catching up! thanks so much for the great review, Ralfy!
Have lived in Japan for 33 years. Been drinking Japanese whisky since 2005. We all have our "top whiskies" we have ever drunk. Yoichi "non chill filtered" whisky has many up towards the top. Breath-taking stuff.
I dropped my bottle of Yoichi 15 last year more than half full too... 😯 Came in a speacil edition gold box......Little bit gutted to say the least...
I’ve got an old bottle of Yoichi 15 YO open in the cabinet right now. Great dram.
I just picked up one of these about 3 weeks ago, my first ever Yoichi. I was delighted to find what is now one of my new favorites. I found similarities to 10 year old springbank in here. Great review Ralfy! Cheers
Thanks for the review Ralfy! Read today on the Japan Times that the new Japanese whisky rules are in effect starting from today. To what extent that will help, who knows.
You might e surprised to know, Ralfy, that both Yoichi and Miyagikyo have non-chill filtered versions bottled at 48%ABV in travel retail. I’ve seen both in Singapore Airport and picked up the Miyagikyo for a friend.
We have that Yoichi here but I've been put off when Nikka stopped putting age statements. I set aside 1 of 2 Nikka Miyagikyo 12 year old single malt that I bought for $100 in 2014. It's climbed in value between 8 and 10 times. I still want to drink it some day unless I really need the money. I guess I'll pick up a couple of these Yoichi bottles in the meantime. Sounds like I won't be disappointed. Thanks for reviewing it...and I do love the thick plastic caps. I have some Nikka Pure Malt NAS. Funny thing that I was buying the 12 year version back in the day but liked the NAS better.
Japanese whisky also seems to have a big issue with pricing. Being honest, I do shy away from it because of the dishonesty and the outrageous prices. But I know there is good Japanese whisky out there worth buying. Seeking them out is easier than ever now
The Japanese Yen just crashed hard so expect prices to go down very soon.
Great review Ralfy. I fully agree that Yoichi and Hakushu are the Japanese distilleries that people should be taking notice of.
Hi Ralfy, could the temperature during barrier filtering resulted to lesser mist. Yoichi’s location is colder most days.
. . . yes, for sure !
I took your advice and have been trying malternatives over the past year or so and I'm currently enjoying a bottle of Bumba rum, but I have always wanted to try a japanese whisky. The issue is that the cheapest I have found was £45, which was a bit rich for a first try, and I haven't found any pubs that sell it. This video was a big help, so thankyou, I may just take the plunge.
Oddly enough, as I've commented on this fine channel before, the best Springbanks can be found in Japan. I stayed at a hostel in Tokyo in late 2022 that had SB 15-year old with the green label available at the bar. A visit to the distillary in Yoichi to the west of Otaru on the Hakodate Line is worth it. You can walk to the distillary from the train station.
Love this stuff. Cheers Ralfy.
It has a beautiful and integrated soft peated flavour
True, there was a lot going on in Japan re their whiskies. Fortunately, they have created their counterpart of the SWA which then defined Japanese whisky, starting late 2022. I was in Japan on a Diplomatic Posting many moons ago, albeit short-term. Lucky for me, I could skip the weekend Sushi-Sake formal evenings, allowing me to savour Japanese whisky. This was when the Japanese were heavily into Scotch and prices of Japanese liquor were reasonable on Civvy Street. Diplomatic prices were about 40% market price and I picked up as many as I could afford. I brought back one apiece of Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Yoichi, all 12 YO. The Yoichi Peated, Nikka Miyagikyo and Chita Single Grain were NAS. If I was asked which one I liked and would recommend, I'd say Chita Single Grain, which is a fabulous whisky and at half the price of a Yamazaki or Hakushu NAS. Toki is amazingly cheap, for a good whisky. About GBP 30.
I was looking forward to this review. This is a whisky I love
I’ve only had two Japanese whiskey but enjoyed them very much. And for the most part are affordable under 100 in my area in the states. Your knowledge is valuable to many of us. Thanks for what you do sir. Enjoy!!
I was able to try a Yoichi 10 yo single cask in Japan.( Nikka bar, sadly it's already closed) Probably the best Japanese whisky what I ever tried and the best grain whisky in my life was also the Nikka 12 y coffey grain at cask strength from this bar. Both of those were in an affordable price.
One of the first Whisky's i tried on a Local Bar/Club. To me Ralfy, it reminds me alot of wolfburn, or is it wolfburn that reminds me of Yochi? Both came to me as Salty, lighlty peated, fresh and right amount of sweet.
I visited the distillery last fall while staying near by in Otaru. Drank Springbank 15 at my hotel bar.
I've just bought a bottle of this, and am looking forward to tasting it.
“One company that has been open about its sources is Nikka, which makes whisky in Japan and owns the Ben Nevis distillery in Scotland. Emiko Kaji, Nikka’s manager of international business development, said that domestic supply shortages force the company to use “a small amount of whiskey from overseas” to meet demand.
She also said that imported Scotch is a critical ingredient in creating Nikka’s flavor profile, in the same way that an American baker might swear by French butter in making an apple pie.” Clay Risen, The New York Times, Published May 29, 2020
Updated May 30, 2020
No matter how it is phrased or excused, it’s sneaky, dishonest and underhanded. If people want to taste scotch, then they buy scotch - not Japanese whisky. It’s been proved by plenty of other distillers from around the world that you CAN produce whisky that tastes very different to scotch and has it’s own distinct character. However, thank you for sharing this :)
65 euro here in austria, 77 gbp sounds like a lot!
Like the new angle on this video - your mic is a lot clearer as well
It's a nice dram, I also have the NAS Miyagikyo in my cupboard, IMO the Yoichi is the more interesting.
The price is the big issue here though, it's just too expensive for what it is. It's hard to justify when there's superior scotch available for the same money or less.
ニッカウイスキーの「余市」は、本当に良いウイスキーです。大好きです。
私はあなたに同意します。 😊
By the fill level I knew that the stuff will get a good mark 😄
I spent some time at Nikka stand (as a guest) during GWF persuading people to try Yoichi. Nobody had regretted it 🤩
I appreciate your passion. I dont buy any spirit under 46% thats been chill filtered
On your point about screw caps, i just opened a bottle with a bit of age on it, Glen Garioch 10, old style, and the cork broke, leaving a few fragments floating in the bottle. To get them out, I'd have to decant the whole lot into a jug, remove the bits and pour back, which would presumably oxygenate the content somewhat. Is that necessary, in the interests of least damage to the whisky overall? Or live with a few bits?
Use a straw and suck out the cork bits?
I guess it doesn’t matter where whisky is produced, as long as it is good. Honesty about the source distillery might be difficult if the seller insists on non disclosure as in ‘secret speyside’. That said it is not right to define it as a Japanese whisky if the spirit is from a non Japanese source. Equally, we should expect declaration of additives such as colours.
Unless you promote it’s from one place but in fact it isn’t. That’s called integrity and honesty. Very important.
100%… if the quality is good and the price fair I don’t care if it claims to be from Mars.
Picked up the Miyagikyo Grande at the airport in Haneda for about $100 AUD and it is delicious!
I've bought 2 days ago a bottle for my japan themed bar chart. Featuring Souchu (interessting stuff), Sake and even Japanese Rum.
In your position? I would sell the Yoichi 15, but then I wouldn't be a hypocrite about everyone else that does it.
Oh wow, so it is Glencadam barrel. I can only imagine.
Always have had a great experience with Yoichi!
My go-to whisky online shop just reduced it to 70€ (60£). Also: the website says, that it has coloring in it. However, I think in Germany you have to make a statement, if it has coloring in it, so sometimes, when they don’t know for sure, they play it safe and just say it has, as to not falsely leaving it out.
mighty malt mountaineers
I’m fascinated by Japanese culture especially as it pertains to manufacturing, koi fish, and food. I’ve got a bottle open here and I’m enjoying it. Yes, too bad about the filtering if that’s the case.
Your mention of cask purchasing has piqued my interest. Respectfully requesting you consider a series of extras on cask purchasing -- the ins & outs, do's & don'ts, cost expectations, barrel management, bottling, etc. Thanks for all you pass on to the community.
Good Evening 😊 Another awesome review Mate👌🏽Thanks for sharing and enjoy your pour 🥃 Greetings From South Africa 🇿🇦
This one wins in my club’s blind tastings with scotch that is much more expensive almost every time, it’s incredible.
Only ¥4500 or £23 a bottle in Japan as of Feb 2024.
Price-wise It’s a shame it’s an import and a Japanese one at that.
Hi. What bottles more expensive lost in the blind taste, if i can ask?
Oh - I love Yoichi. The NAS is one of my favorite standards and the 10Y old is just superb. But to pay 70 EUR for the NAS and 140 EUR for the 10Y hurts a bit.
I hate screw tops! Hate them! 😅 not only because I'm on the land of the cork but we have here one of the bigger closed whisky bottle collections in the world, and 40-50 years later the screw topped bottles are the ones with more evaporation.. Cheers!
Fascinating dear Ralfy, why don’t they just bottle at 46% and state NCF? They would sell out and be among the top enthusiasts selections. Anyway I thank you 🙏 as always, S.
Ralfy, you have the wherewithall to get your hands on a aged single cask Yoichi. Do it. Doesn't have to be a 20 year old cask. Just something 12 years old+, bottled before 2015.
There was a new law for Japanese whisky in 2021. It must be fermented, distilled and matured in Japan. But there was a 3 year transition period.
It really is a great whisky, absolutely love Yoichi
I have to disagree. I’ve been enjoying this one for quite a while. I hope they don’t change a thing about it. I’m a fan.
I do enjoy your attention to detail and your reviews.
one of my biggest whiskey regrets is that I had my bottle of Yoichi 10 (about 10 or 11 years ago now) before I was really to appreciate it. No way I can justify paying for an aged statement Japanese ever again. Even the NAS are silly now.
Ralfy, have you ever tried Newfoundland Screech? Rum?
Hi Ralfy and thank you for ten review , Is the 19 yr worth buying at $370 Au ?
Ralfy, can you possibly do a review on the Loch Lomond blended malts,the Noble Rebel series. And possibly Dram mhors ,Dumbarton Rock, please.
check Dramface for Dumbarton Rock. its really goid 👍 mark 🥂🙋🏻♂️
I think that while good, many of the so called Japanese whiskies are not evenJapanese in the strictest sense. Many are also overrated. Too many Japanese fan boys tend to get overexcited with flavors they are too lazy to seek out elsewhere. Let’s all not get too far ahead of ourselves. The really outstanding Japanese whiskies I’ve had are now all gone or extremely difficult to get.
A toast to ex-Prime Minister of Japan 安倍 晋三 and ex-Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries 松岡 利勝
❤🥃👍
Glad you try Japan Again they love scotch as much as you
they put enough 12 year old for the price
They love Scotch so much they've been putting it in their whisky and selling it as Japanese!
@@leojudkins2040at double the price
97 bucks here in OR, USA. I'll pass.
The Scottish/Canadian distillers shouldn’t sell their spirit to the Japanese if they then claim its is Japanese. They could write it into the contract to prevent it - or just refuse to sell to them again.
Just like Springbank could not sell to companies who then profiteer by selling at multiples of the RRP
According to Japanese law, as long as it's bottled in Japan it is a product of Japan. I'm not saying I agree with that, but that's their law. It's also worth noting that the international market is generally the only ones who care about the provenance of Japanese spirits. Most domestic Japanese bottlings are poured into highballs for salary workers at bars who don't care where it's from, the domestic market is largely imported blends and it's mostly only foreign consumers who care if the expensive bottle they're buying was actually distilled in the country it shipped from since they're paying substantially more than the average price for a comparable domestic bottle.
Calling 83.
$115 USD in my area, no age statement, No Thanks!
Ralfy, does this mean, that by giving whiskey good reviews and then flipping several bottles after a favourable review, that you are manipulating the whiskey auction market for your own financial gain?
No nose? What has happened to this format Ralfy. Unsubed
17:05 because japanese usually drink whisky on ice, thats why they filter the products
I do not purchase Scottish whiskies that are not integrity whiskies. I certainly shall not purchase whisky from Japan for the same reason. Maybe I would, if they become more honourable.