The palate offers grainy sweetness, the richness of candied orange peel balanced by flecks of pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Whisky From the Barrel benefits from a few drops of water to unlock the subtler flavors in a smooth finish that belies its strength.

Nikka Whisky From the Barrel is firmly on the top shelf of Japanese blended whisky expressions and would impress even the grumpiest Scotch whisky lover with its fluidity and fullness.

2. Hakushu 12 Year Old

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This top quality Japanese single malt peated whisky comes from Suntory’s Hakushu distillery, which can be found in the forests adjacent to Mt. Kaikomagatake in the central region of Honshu.

The tasting notes feature toasted barley, seeded nut bread and almonds. Hints of milk chocolate and dried grass bring sweetness to the aroma which you can pick up on the tongue alongside subtle fruit flavors and herbs. Its finish is swift but satisfying with more forest flavor and a touch of smoke char.

Due to being an age statement expression at a time of limited aged whisky production, the Hakushu is one of the more expensive bottles on this list, yet you’ll find it’s well worth the price, as it received the Liquid Gold Award (2014) in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

3. Suntory Whisky Toki

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Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo created Toki by first selecting American oak cask matured malt whisky from the Hakushu Distillery. Fuykuyo then chose heavier grain whisky from the Chita Distillery to add a clean taste to the green apple and malt with clean notes of sweetness and vanilla.

I recently shared this expression neat with my father-in-law, who is generally wary of Japanese whisky brands and a staunch lover of Scottish whisky. He couldn’t believe some of the fruitier notes and the herbs apparent in the clear gold liquid.