Miyagikyo 12

To quote the nikka.com website: "This soft and luxuriantly fragrant single malt whisky is distilled and matured at the Miyagikyo distillery in Sendai. At Miyagikyo, the different natural environment and the use of steam heat distillation results in a malt whisky with a different character from that of Yoichi."
I didn't think the 12yo 70th Anniversary Miyagikyo was too special, although some folks like it a lot, but for me there was a little bitter edge in it that I didn't like. So let's see how the standard 12yo fares. This one is bottled at 45% vol. alcohol.

• Nose: Malty, hints of smoke, honey, spicy and juicy oak, a bit mineral, dry earth with patches of grass
• Mouth: Corn, Adzuki, malty and oily, sweet chestnuts/marrons
• Finish: Medium long, malty, earthy, juicy oak and a bit fruitiness comes trough

Comment: I quite enjoy this one and also like it a lot better than the 70th Anniversary Miyagikyo. The nose is great and very Highland'ish. At the finish it lacks a bit but is still good.

85 points
(2012)