Nikka Yoichi 10 Years Japanese Whisky – 70cl

A landmark moment for Japanese whisky — the return of the age statement. Discontinued in 2015 as surging global demand outstripped Nikka's reserves of mature stock, the Yoichi 10 Year Old was one of the most mourned casualties of the Japanese whisky boom, its absence felt acutely by enthusiasts who knew that Yoichi's bold, coal-fired character reached a particular point of roundness and integration at a decade of age that no NAS expression could quite replicate. Its relaunch in 2022 — commemorating the designation of ten buildings within the Yoichi Distillery site as Japan's Important Cultural Properties, an official recognition of the distillery's irreplaceable contribution to the nation's whisky heritage — is one of the most significant and welcome returns in the category's recent history.

Crafted using the same traditional methods Masataka Taketsuru brought back from Scotland in 1920 — direct coal-fire distillation, wooden washbacks, proprietary yeast strains, and worm tub condensers — the Yoichi 10 Year Old presents the distillery's signature character with the additional dimension that a definitive decade of maturation uniquely delivers: greater roundness, deeper integration of fruit and smoke, and a viscous, oily richness that the NAS expression, for all its virtues, cannot fully match. Limited quantities released annually. Bottled at 45% ABV.