Miyagikyo 13 Years Old 1999 124.3 All the Complexities of Summer (61.9%, SMWS, Refill Butt, 509 Bottles, 2012)

• Category: Japanese single malt whisky
• Origin: Miyagikyo Distillery
• Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 124.3
• ABV: 61.9%
• Cost: £13.50/dram at Duck’s Inn (£12.15 SMWS Member’s Price)

What they say:

The slightly bourbonesque nose was full and summery – vanilla, beeswax, exotic fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, blackberry jam), lemon sherbet, spices (ginger, cinnamon), coconut, sawdust, saunas and later chocolate and cigars. The palate had more of the fruit skins (slight bitterness) with chocolate, bananas, white pepper, peppermint tea and Cadbury’s mini eggs. The reduced nose had ‘tons of vanilla’, foamy bananas, refreshers, pear drops, orange Cremola Foam and Green & Black’s ginger chocolate. The palate delivered milk chews, condensed milk, mango, nutella, walnuts, Jamaica cake, then coconut and tobacco in the finish – a very complex dram from Nikka’s Sendai distillery

What I say:

Our second hand-selected dram of the evening at Duck’s Inn took advantage of their SMWS partner bar status and the slightly peculiar time-warp effect they have with the relaxed atmosphere out at Aberlady in East Lothian. Drams like this SMWS 124.3 have long since disappeared from SMWS core venues yet at Duck’s Inn there is a good chance you can find real gems like this still glinting under the bar lights at you! A single cask 13 year old refill sherry cask Miyagikyo – mmm…

Colour:

Rosy gold (8/20) loose thick legs and numerous droplets

Nose:

Estery and fruity; mango, pineapple, pear, plum and cherry, fragrant and floral, sugared almonds, cigar boxes, jasmine tea, leather and a tannic spice with cinnamon and cardamom, rich sherry influence, plum sauce, dried fruits and balsamic vinegar add to the spirity burn

Taste:

Hugely drinkable and hides the ABV well, silky chocolate and spiced fruit cake mix, pickled ginger, vanilla and coconut icing, cherry blossom, plum sauce, banana, pineapple and mango fruits, nutty hazelnut and chestnuts, cigar boxes and tobacco leaf, more tannic leather, tea and jasmine

Finish:

Medium-short fragrant floral with a depth of oaky spices, dried fruit and chocolate

Overall:

A wonderful expression from SMWS representing the finest ‘feminine’ side of Nikka’s Miyagikyo distillery, designed to be presented with a whisper of sherry influence.

Score: 89/100

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