Nikka From The Barrel

An interestingly named whisky, this is. Is the emphasis on the "barrel"? Well, where else would the whisky have come from? Nikka From the Store doesn't quite have the same feel, does it? Emphasis on..."the"? Which barrel then? What's so special about it? "From"? Not likely..."Nikka"? Doubt so.

So, not quite sure where to place the stress, or which part of the name I'm supposed to focus on to understand the product. But thankfully, we don't have to be able to know its name to master it (though linguist-philosophers might dispute that).

Nikka From the Barrel (51.4% abv)

(No picture here because Blogger is giving me problems and I can't seem to upload pictures. I'll try again later.)(Edit: Picture is up!)

A blended whisky, much cheaper than the Royal Salute previously reviewed. This beautifully bottled whisky sells for under $100 - usually in the high 90s range, though I managed to get it on sale at Cellarbration for $72 two months back. Quite a steal! Just remember that this is a 500 ml bottle, rather than the usual 700ml. After buying it, I had no idea what to do with it for a while, until DS invited a few colleagues over to her place, and this was just the perfect gift to bring over.

The packaging of From the Barrel is very Japanese - minimalist bottle, minimalist label. The bottle looks like it could have been procured from Muji or even Daiso. The shape of the bottle opening makes it a little hard to pour. It almost feels like it's made for swigging, not pouring...Tempting, except that it would be very poor form to swig from a bottle I'm giving away as a gift. Maybe next time...

Nose - Some sherry notes, that are quickly taken over by sweet, floral honey. Pretty strong vanilla backing behind the honey too. With some time in the glass, the whisky develops some more floral notes, that are then joined by a nutty profile - hazelnuts and pistachios, I think. A suggestion of sweet syrup - hazelnut syrup? The kind you get in Starbucks coffee? Yea, that one.

Palate - All-round sweetness with a strong spice kick. Nutmeg and cinnamon, some pepper. But the overall flavour profile should still be considered as sweet - honey and vanilla with sherry notes. Some fruitiness that reminds me o the syrup in canned fruits, but the spices and alcohol heat stops it from becoming cloying. With water, this becomes lighter and more floral/fragrant. Honey sweetness tones down while vanilla and floral notes go up. The general mouth-feel is slightly tannic - tea and dark chocolate?

Finish - Oaky and spicy, while tinned-fruit-syrup lingers to give a nice smooth fruity end to this whisky. Finish is medium length, and becomes short with water. More drying with water too.

Overall - Considering that I bought this for $72, it is amazingly value-for-money. Even at $100, which would make it a slightly premium blend, I think this offers good bang for buck. Good complexity and roundness, easy drinking despite the high abv. Good stuff.