SHIN 10 Year Malt Whisky Mizunara Oak Finish

Rating: 16/23 Before I begin, I must mention that this bears a strong resemblance to Nikka From The Barrel. If it didn't have a cheap plastic cap, I would have assumed the Nikka was the imitation and this was the original. Nose: Young, fruity, smoky, somewhat malty. It's more of a campfire smoke than a peat smoke. The fruits are reminiscent of apples. There are some spices, like cinnamon, emerging from the malt. I also detect minerals and a very faint hint of powdered sugar. Palate: Quite potent. There's some alcohol heat, but it's not harsh. I notice some sweetness overlying minerals and clean water, along with a mild maltiness, apples, spices (cinnamon, ginger, pepper, a touch of clove), campfire smoke, and a bit of peat. The wood is present, with definite vanilla notes. It suggests that some relatively new casks might have been used, but not for the entire 10 years. I infer this from the pronounced apple and vanilla flavors. Perhaps that's the mizunara finish. There's a lot happening here, but the balance is slightly off, and it tastes young. I truly believe it is only 10 years old. Finish: Leans sweet. There are notes of apples and smoke, with subtle spices and wood. - Conclusion - This comes across as more intricate than Nikka From The Barrel, but also more assertive. It's a definite trade-off. I found the two to be reasonably comparable, but I can't shake the feeling that this is the lesser whisky. Amrut Peated offers superior flavors compared to this, though it is less complex. Between the two, I would likely choose the Amrut. It's a close call, however. This is intriguing and I enjoy it, but it definitely has flaws. The dominant mizunara finish flavor here is unusual. It strikes me as both a luxury and an indicator of youth. Pure Scot Virgin Oak has a more pronounced oak finish to its profile. That might be because French Oak is stronger, but I'm uncertain. This has greater complexity, but is also more disjointed. I also found Laphroaig Quarter Cask to have a more mature taste and generally preferred it. This is quite enjoyable, but it requires more aging. I prefer Nikka From The Barrel and Laphroaig Quarter Cask. The difference in quality isn't significant, but it exists. I rated them both a 17, so this will be a 16. I also find Johnnie Walker Green Label (rated 17) to be more refined and simply better than this. In fact, this could be a 15. I'm leaning towards a 16, though. This tastes considerably younger than I anticipated. I likely would have guessed it was around 8 years old. Moving across categories slightly, this is more complex but less balanced than Westland Peated. I do appreciate the added complexity here, so I think I'll favor this one. I can actually detect the alcohol in this, and it's not just an artifact of the proof. I'm seriously contemplating lowering the rating to a 15. Wow. So this is clearly not a 17 anymore. I would really like to try The Shin 15 to see if it resolves some of those youthful characteristics while retaining the complexity, but I'm hesitant to spend that much money after being somewhat disappointed by this. I spent enough time considering this as a potential 17 that I'll settle on a 16 for now. I still have a considerable amount left in this bottle, and I can certainly envision dropping it to a 15, regrettably.

Nose - caramel, floral notes, honey, fig, rich malt, mild peat, apple, cinnamon, sandalwood, sawdust, cocoa, walnut, dry oak, hay, vanilla, lemon, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, earthy mint, ginger, cocoa, coconut, cereal grain, sawdust, vanilla, honey, anise, orange, chili pepper, peat smoke, fig, apple, cinnamon, apricot, walnut, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with fig, chocolate malt, honey, and peppery ginger flavors. Will my next Japanese whisky experience be an improvement over the Yamazaki 12 Year I tried yesterday? Some might argue this isn't truly Japanese, but that's a discussion for another time. The nose is rich, fruity, and floral. The casks used present themselves quite well here. There are honeyed and sherried fruits from the Oloroso casks and perfume-like sandalwood and coconut, presumably from the Mizunara casks, though I have less experience with those. The palate is equally rich, with more fruits, mint, pepper, ginger, and a pleasant nuttiness. There’s also a hint of peat throughout the entire experience, although I’m not sure if this is a peated distillate. Overall, this is certainly an improvement over the weak Yamazaki 12 Year. It has a pleasant richness that I don't typically find with Japanese whiskies. The Shin tastes rather youthful, but it does have a nice oiliness to the mouthfeel. I tried the 15 Year version a while back and enjoyed it as well, but it's been too long to make an informed comparison. Thank you to a friend for providing the generous sample!

An intense Japanese spirit from Shinobu Distillery in Niigata Prefecture, aged a decade in Mizunara oak. It presents with an aromatic beginning of fruits, grains, and spices. Its bold character includes notes of barley apple, lemon, licorice, honey, almonds, and butterscotch, concluding with a long, spicy finish of cinnamon, pepper, and a touch of sea salt. February 2020 / January / August 2022

Strong clover and nut aroma immediately. The distinct oak gives it a rough edge. Allegedly apple and pear, but I don't detect much of those. The sweetness does resemble pear somewhat.

Licorice, orange, and French Pernod on the smell. Oaky, with spice and sweet notes on the palate. The finish is a great mix of peat and vanilla.

Sampled neat from a friend's advent calendar on Christmas Eve. The aroma is initially strong with notes of pears and caramel. On the palate, I detect banana and caramel.