Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Whisky 700ml
Japanese Single Malt Whisky - 45% ABV - No age statement (2016) - Traditional coal-fired pot stills, peated style | Yoichi Distillery, Hokkaido, Japan

Coal Fire, Sea Air, True North

Founded in 1934 on Hokkaido's rugged coast, Yoichi was built to make whisky that could stand in the wind. Masataka Taketsuru chose the site for its cool climate, clean water, and proximity to the sea, then insisted on direct coal-fired pot stills. It is a difficult method that keeps copper blazing and creates a muscular, smoky spirit with crisp edges and depth.

This modern Yoichi Single Malt, introduced when age statements were retired in 2016, is the distillery's steady voice. Parcels across styles are vatted to balance peat, fruit, and oak without sanding off character. You can feel the coastline in the glass: a brush of brine, measured smoke, and a calm weight that reads hewn rather than engineered.

Lift the glass and the nose moves from soft peat to grilled citrus, apricot, vanilla, and warm oak. The palate follows with smoky barley, pear and apple, roasted nuts, and a lifted line of pepper and ginger. Texture is firm but never heavy; sweetness stays in check; oak guides rather than drags. The finish is long and steady, tapering through embered peat, dried fruit, a saline echo, and clean oak tannin.

Built On Fire, Steered By Sea

Yoichi does not chase novelty. It trusts coal, copper, and climate to do the talking, letting process and place set the tone for a whisky that rewards slow attention and a second pour.

Final Thought

If Miyagikyo is the green valley, Yoichi is the pier at dusk. Robust, sea-kissed, and precise, it is Japan's classic statement of strength held in balance.

Awards:

World Whiskies Awards 2020 - Gold

World Whiskies Awards 2024 - Bronze

International Spirits Challenge 2020 - Gold

Whisky Advocate Japanese Whisky of the Year - 2016