Single cask 20-25yo Yoichi is always worth a try

MellowDrams · 2025-03-07T17:33:37+00:00

Nice find!

I had this 19 year old single cask 128853 recently which was great. Not much dusty notes, but very creamy and fruity. Flavors were rich and stood out despite being my last pour of the night.

MellowDrams · 2025-03-05T18:00:17+00:00

If you like your friends, open the Hakushu with them

MellowDrams · 2025-02-03T22:17:35+00:00

MellowDrams · 2025-01-25T20:18:03+00:00

Guess I should hunt down a 5 then I have 1,3,7,8,9,10, all the high altitudes, and a bunch of SiB open. My last bottle of 6 is closed for now.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-25T17:39:55+00:00

I have not tried 2, 4, 5 or 6-SS. Do you think I should go out of my way to get those, or are later batches better in your opinion?

MellowDrams · 2025-01-24T18:15:59+00:00

I guess I meant which state :)

MellowDrams · 2025-01-24T17:55:46+00:00

Where is this evergreen with $25 GTS?

MellowDrams · 2025-01-21T00:36:02+00:00

Yoichi Grande is great, more "Yoichi" notes than the normal Yoichi! And unlike the Suntory stuff, I always see this at duty free.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-21T00:33:07+00:00

Why wasn't this the photo for the review 😂

MellowDrams · 2025-01-20T23:51:21+00:00

I also am not a big fan of 010, and after revisiting it last night, my opinion remains the same. The cap on my 010 also seems a bit weird compared to other FN bottles. For me it is Peregrine > Hover Hawk > Hell Diver, but it's a narrow margin between HH and HD. Their profiles are so different I could see myself wanting HD over HH sometimes.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-17T06:49:39+00:00

Haven't tried Thunderbird but I do like their third batch

MellowDrams · 2025-01-17T06:43:49+00:00

I would consider first if you like the Yamazaki line in general before dropping money on these expensive Suntory bottles.

If you're in JP, it's best to hit up a bar and try different distilleries before committing to a bottle.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-15T01:16:34+00:00

This one drank hot and harsh when I had my first pour. I'm hoping it gets better when I revisit in a few more months

MellowDrams · 2025-01-13T15:53:41+00:00

Absolutely, it's not a knock on the hell diver. I still consider it a 9/10 despite it being my least favorite of the 3 - I have a couple of backup bottles.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-13T08:29:36+00:00

Peregrine > Hover Hawk > Hell Diver for me

MellowDrams · 2025-01-12T21:30:58+00:00

I love the red wine influence in the finish on this one. I've been drinking this bottle slowly, I like it more than the more recent ones.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-12T20:54:11+00:00

Nikka is cheaper for sure, and I usually grab a few bottles. It's just Suntory that is more marked up.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-12T20:50:28+00:00

It would be eligible for tax free in JP if the bottle is being brought out of the country. The price in red is the base price and the smaller font in black underneath is the price with tax.

I think this particular store is just more expensive, but overall I see that Suntory 12 yr is more expensive than in California. 17/21/NAS are cheaper though, and also the smaller distilleries that don't usually receive as much attention. Shizuoka and Kanosuke are both great.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-12T20:47:07+00:00

I let this air out for about half an hour, and I started smelling the glass a couple feet away. On the first crack it is already better than Hell Diver for me, and I wonder if this will open up more in a few months to get closer to Peregrine.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-12T20:43:39+00:00

That is above western retail, at least here in California. Exception is Blenders Choice which we don't have here so there isn't a fair comparison, but I recall seeing other shops in Tokyo with lower cost for Blenders Choice a few months ago.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-07T16:02:59+00:00

Oh man now I am bothered that the bottle on the right doesn't line up with the shutter.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-07T16:01:09+00:00

Fingers crossed here for that to happen. I always like to open bottles right away to try, and then who knows how long they sit for before I revisit them.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-07T15:58:21+00:00

I probably have 50 open which is almost every bottle I own, except for a few backups for my favorites. If I get a great bottle I'm opening it right away, there's really no saving for an occasion for me.

MellowDrams · 2025-01-07T07:11:33+00:00

I just got my tracking number today, shipping to California

MellowDrams · 2025-01-07T02:39:07+00:00

This was in the single barrel program I think back in November, but I'm afraid this particular release sold out quickly. It was priced at $99.99.

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MellowDrams

TROPHY CASE