Following on from yesterday’s post, where I tried to do two things on the same night, I now found myself dashing across to Manchester Whisky Club for our Japanese whisky tasting.
We now have a new host venue, The Castle and though I was a little late, but still in time to enjoy the tasters on offer and hand over my box of sushi to the group, who were all suitably impressed. Or just being nice.
We had five beauties on offer and so I quickly played catch up.
First was Yamazaki 12 – common enough that it’s the first to pop into my head when you mention Japanese whisky. It’s rather fruity, with pineapple and dried fruit on the nose and a hint of nuttiness. On the palate it’s quite gentle and sweet with some spice to it, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Secondly was our cuckoo in the nest, the Nikka Coffey Grain. Produced using a coffey still, this is an odd one – sweet, custardy, with vanilla and honey, it was so unlike the others on offer and took a little getting used to. Once you got past your expectations it was easy to settle into and enjoyable.
Our third was Yoichi 10 year old single malt. Another one from the Nikka Distillery, this is one of their ‘normal’ whiskies and one of their most well known and well thought of. On the nose it’s sweet and round, hinting at sherry and a touch of peatiness at the edges. On the palate, this is lovely, a good no nonsense whisky with lots of layers of fruit, nuts, honey and floral notes floating around the roof of the mouth. No wonder this is a popular dram.
Our fourth and for me, one I’m not so fond of, Karuizawa Spirit of Asama. This proved to be a bit of a marmite in the room – most of the group was torn between this and number 5. On the nose is oodles of sherry, fruit cake, and a damp moss note to it. On the palate, it’s spicy, dry and nutty with a herbal note that sits at the back of the mouth. It’s got a good oaky finish to it and it’s probably the strength of this that puts me off. But that’s just me.
Finally we reached what would be my favourite for the night, the Hakushu 12 year old single malt. As soon as I put my nose to the glass, it was love – it’s light, floral and citrussy, but with a touch of peat that draws you in closer. On the palate, it’s got a minerality I didn’t expect, alongside green apple and rounded by vanilla. The finish is brief, nutty and slightly sweet, but that just keeps you popping back for more. And more.
And the sushi? It all went very well with the whisky, in particular the nuttiness of the sesame seeds and freshness from the cucumber in the maki working really well.
I wonder if I can do this again next month with our around the world whisky tasting…
But where to start?