Stuck at home all the time, I keep polishing off the whiskies one bottle at a time.
Glencadam 21 Year Old
I bought it because people said it was creamy, but I am not sure I get it. It is a smooth, high-end whisky, mind you..
Samaroli’s Cragganmore
The odd thing was that the whisky smelled of apples. That really was fascinating, but at 45% the strength is on the low side, which was a bit of a shame.
Linkwood 24 Year Old
Malt sweetness with a light touch of peat. To think that I was the one who bought a drink this good.. I could not help praising my past self.
Whisky at the convenience store..
Korea is getting more whisky in convenience stores too, but the level in Japan is something else.
The fridge at Hanamasa
Yamazaki NA at 8,800 yen is a bit much..
Yamazaki NA
The nose has that chocolate-like side you expect from Yamazaki, but the taste is a little rough.
Miyagikyo
There is no real sense of age to it, but it does not have Yamazaki’s roughness and the nose is fruity, so it goes down easily.
The Nikka Tailored
The cap is seriously heavy. It looks great, sure, but I am not sure there is any reason to go this far on a whisky at this price. Being a blended whisky it drinks easily, and there is a faint peat note, but it falls a little short on maturity.
Yoichi 10 Year Old
A 10-year-old rather than a no-age bottle is a proper rare item, but I opened it for a friend I had not seen in ages. Drinking it again after all that time, it is a touch rough, yes, but it has a class that is on a completely different level from the NA. Honestly the 15-year Yoichi is the real value champion.. whether I will ever get another chance to drink this in twenty years or so, who knows..
Clynelish
Malt sweetness, a peat note, and on top of that something like honey. I have always liked Clynelish, and this one was a success too.
A Craigellachie done as a collaboration with Shinanoya.
As you can tell from the ruby color, it is a full-on sherry bomb. There was nothing about it that felt like Craigellachie, and blind I do not think I could ever have named the distillery.. but a sherry bomb is tasty in its own way. Not bad at all.
Ao
The selling point seems to be that they blended the world’s five great whiskies. So that is why the bottle is a pentagon, apparently.. The main flavor is naturally dominated by the Yamazaki and Hibiki character. It is better than Yamazaki NA, but it is true that it still falls a bit short. You have to settle for catching a faint hint of the whisky aromas of the old days.
Black Nikka Rich Blend
Better than Yamazaki NA, though not exactly at any great level. Highball material, I would say.
Chita
It is a grain whisky, and it is the best value of the no-age bottles. I like that the alcohol does not sting. I suspect it is because supply is better than for Yamazaki or Hibiki. Thinking about value for money, making highballs with Chita has to be number one.
Hakushu
Hakushu is known as a whisky that tastes good in a highball, and the NA is about that level too. The alcohol does sting a little.
Kanomori craft gin
It uses a plant called kuromoji, so it has a botanical feel. It is not bad, but I honestly cannot tell whether this is a good gin or not.
Nikka Coffey Vodka
Very clean, without a single off flavor. The quality is almost too good, no? It made me think, of course, this is Nikka.. but it is pricey for a vodka, so I am not sure it is good value.
Gordon’s
I would guess it is the most standard of the gins you can get here in Korea.. but it feels watery, like something is missing. Maybe that is just me.
Jung One gin
Korea finally has a whisky distillery of its own, and before aging any whisky in barrels they have started out by selling gin. We have to buy the gin if we ever want to taste Korean-made whisky. The price is on the steep side, but the flavor is definite, with the malt sweetness you get in whisky. It is a little different from an ordinary gin, but on the flip side, if you like whisky this is a gin you will like even more.
Cognac
I opened one.. Paul Giraud is good stuff..
Bombay Sapphire and Jägermeister..
With Bombay Sapphire I could not really see why it counts as premium, and it was not to my taste; Jägermeister tastes like sweet herbal medicine, but mixed with tonic it is perfectly drinkable.
Hendrick’s
I once had a lovely Hendrick’s gin and tonic with cucumber in it.. but when I make the gin and tonic myself, it does not taste like that?? I have no idea why, but I do not think I will buy it again.
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