Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Whisky

Product Description

Yoichi 10 Year: Nikka's Jewel, Back After a Seven-Year Absence

Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old is produced at Nikka's Yoichi distillery, founded in 1934 on Japan's northernmost main island, Hokkaido. Masataka Taketsuru, Nikka's founder, chose the site specifically because its elevation and cool climate reminded him of Scotland, the same landscape he'd studied years earlier. In 2015, Nikka discontinued its full lineup of age-stated Yoichi whiskies, including this 10 Year, due to depleted aged stocks. After a seven-year absence, Yoichi 10 Year returned in 2022, though still in tightly limited quantities of roughly 9,000 bottles annually.

How Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Is Made

This single malt is distilled from 100% malted barley using old-school methods rarely seen even in Scotland today: a proprietary yeast strain, wooden washbacks, direct coal-fired pot stills, and traditional worm tub condensers. That traditional approach gives Yoichi its distinctive character, muscular, peated, and full of maritime, salt-tinged smoke. It's bottled at 45% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Honeysuckle, pear, fino sherry, smoked honey, and a hint of mint chocolate.

Palate: Rich and vibrant, almost tropical, with earthy smoke enveloping brighter notes of pineapple, vanilla cream, honey, apple, and pastry.

Finish: Rich and lingering, with musty honeyed notes and a persistent trace of smoke.

Food Pairings

The honey and tropical fruit character in Yoichi 10 Year pairs well with grilled pineapple, smoked salmon, or a honey-glazed ham. Its smoky finish also complements aged cheddar or dark chocolate.

Serving Suggestions

Yoichi 10 Year is best enjoyed neat in a tulip-shaped glass or Glencairn, giving its layered smoke and fruit character room to develop. Given its rarity, this is a whisky worth taking your time with rather than mixing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Yoichi 10 Year discontinued? Nikka paused its full age-stated Yoichi lineup in 2015 due to a shortage of sufficiently aged whisky stock.

When did it return? In 2022, after a seven-year absence, though production remains limited to roughly 9,000 bottles worldwide per year.

What proof is this whisky? 45% ABV (90 proof).

Where is Yoichi made? At Nikka's Yoichi distillery on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island.

Explore More

Looking for more from this legendary Japanese whisky house? Shop the full Nikka collection for Miyagikyo, Taketsuru, and other Yoichi expressions, or browse our complete Japanese Whiskey collection for more from Japan's top distilleries.

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