Dalwhinnie 15 year old (1980s) versus Dalwhinnie 15 year old (2024)

After the distillery's founding in 1897, Dalwhinnie passed through the hands of five different ownership groups over its first 29 years, ultimately landing in DCL's (proto-Diageo's) large portfolio where it has since served as an ingredient of the Buchanan and Black & White blends.

Dalwhinnie 15-year-old was one of Diageo's original Classic Malts, entering the market in the 1980s. Over one million Dalwhinnie 15yo bottles are sold each year, often landing it among Diageo's top 5 best-selling single malts. It was also one of my first regular single malts (~20 years ago) because Trader Joe's used to sling it for $39.99!

Before I opened this bottle a couple months ago, more than a decade had passed since I'd last tasted the 15. The first thing I noticed was how easily the Dalwhinnie from my new bottle drank. Yes, the whisky had been chillfiltered and diluted down to 43%abv, but its style also matched the malt's advertised slogan, "The Gentle Spirit". Two years prior, I'd also taken part in a bottle split of the original 15yo bottling from the 1980s. It is now time to match them up.

A quick note before the Taste Off commences: These two Dalwhinnie 15s are not the same spirit. The distillery's worm tub and condensers were replaced in 1986, then the distillery went through further updates six years later. On-site maltings were shut down in 1968, so the '80s version may include some of that previous era's spirit as well.

A Dalwhinnie Duo

Dalwhinnie 15 year old bottled in the 1980s 40%abv	Dalwhinnie 15 year old bottled in 2024 43%abv
The nose begins with wet old oak and wet roots. Maybe a funky dunnage hint too. Pencil shavings, limes, and mint leaf emerge after about a half hour.	The nose starts off very doughy with soft notes of saline, anise, and orange peel, adding Midori liqueur, roses, dandelions, and lemon candy after some time in the glass.
A odd mix of bitter wet cardboard and stout arrives first in the palate, followed by vanilla, brown sugar, sawdust, dusty smoke, and a hint of lemon.	First up in the palate: roasted barley, roasted coffee beans, and semi-sweet chocolate. A bold sweet orange note slowly morphs into bitter peels after a while.
It finishes briefly with iron, sawdust, and brown sugar.	A cooling sensation spreads across one's tongue in the finish, bringing with it sweet and tart oranges and a touch of mocha.
Comments: This may have had some Old Bottle action affecting it. Or United Distillers had a whole bunch of funky musty casks in the Dalwhinnie warehouse, 40ish years ago. No matter the reason, this '80s single malt reads like a '60s/'70s cheap blend. That's not a complete insult since '60s/'70s cheap blends are better than many top shelf blends today.	Comments: Sitting down and focusing on this whisky, I find it better than I'd expected. This bottle has served as my casual single malt for the past two or three months, pleasant but mostly forgettable. But now the nose has a very pretty arrival, and it doesn't die out after an hour in the glass. The presentation does the palate a disservice, likely choking off angles and layers, but the flavors that remain are comfy.
Rating: 73	Rating: 84

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Chillfiltration and dilution do not help either of these Dalwhinnies, but the newer bottling weathers it much better. Is that because the liquid is fresher in the newer bottle, or do the extra 3 points of alcohol help? A little from column A and a little from column B, most likely. The 1980s version is also much darker than the new one, and that certainly ain't due to first-fill sherry casks. In a possibly unpopular move, I'm going to say the newer version is constructed better than the older one. Please forgive me.

Four age-stated Hakata whiskies

What exactly is Hakata Whisky? I sent emails to a couple official folks last year, but never received a response, so it's time to source second-to-thirdhand answers from the internets. Please keep that in mind.

The spirit is distilled in Japan, specifically the Fukuoka region, by Hikari-Shuzo Co. Ltd, a shōchū producer. It's a single-distilled spirit made from barley, a portion of which is fermented with the wonderful Koji mold, the happy critter than helps make shōchū and sake. The remaining portion may be unmalted barley, which may or may not make up two-thirds of the mashbill. Despite what the official site says, today's whiskies were not distilled at Hikari Distillery, a facility that opened only 4 or 5 years ago.

So is Hakata aged shōchū? I don't know. In the past, Japan has resisted applying the "Whisky" label to aged spirits distilled like shōchū. But America has not hesitated to do so.

Hakata's standard range includes today's 10yo, 12yo, 16yo, and 18yo, all bottled at 42%abv and aged in sherry casks. By the looks of the liquid, those were some very wet casks.

The Fukuoka Four

Hakata 10 year old 42%abv	Hakata 12 year old 42%abv	Hakata 16 year old 42%abv	Hakata 18 year old 42%abv
The nose is an utter sherry blast, fruitier than Oloroso, but drier than PX. There are some stewed berries in mulled wine, followed by honey, Andes candies, and paper pulp in up front. Hints of vanilla and mustiness stay behind.	This nose is mustier and earthier than the 10's. It's a mix of semi-sweet chocolate, nocino, simple brandy, shoe polish and molasses. WINNER	This is the grapiest nose of the four, with does of PX and balsamic vinegar. Brazil nuts and milk chocolate fill the middle, while mint and Luxardo syrup remain in the back.	Gunpowder and soy sauce make up most of the nose. Other notes include cornbread topped with blueberry jam, brine, and urea. This is one dirty bird.
The mellow, minty palate also dishes out Irish soda bread, almonds, black raisins, and a hint of dunnage.	Equal parts salt, sweet, and tannin fill the palate with notes like walnuts, raw almonds, raspberries, and old wood.	After the 12yo, this palate is less bitter and tannic than I expected. Jelly rings and nocino give it a mellow nutty/fruity sweetness. Lots of salted roasted almonds rest atop a quiet savory note. WINNER	The palate is savory in a lightly sulfuric but not unpleasant fashion. Very salty hard cheese meets balsamic vinegar, dried cherries, and a hint of urea.
The finish is sweeter than the palate, but also quite salty, with raw almonds and tannins in the background.	It finishes bitterer and earthier than the palate, while the raspberries turn tangy and tart.	Less tannic than the 10 and 12! Longer finish too, mostly of tart berries and toasty oak spices. WINNER	Luckily, the finish's sulfur character isn't the kind that turns the tongue furry. It's mostly gunpowder, aged hard cheese, and stones.
Comments: Much like its siblings, there's not a lot of whisky here, with the cask doing all the talking, quite loudly, in fact, for a 10 year old. Still, it's better than many low-ABV sherried scotches at its age.	Comments: Love that nose! Though it does setup expectations that the palate cannot match. The earth and raw nuts push it past the 10yo, despite the tannins.	Comments: This had the lightest color of the three. Judging by that, and the palate, I'm guessing there are some refill casks in the mix. It's the pour that I finished first, and I was left wanting more. It's the champ of the group.	Comments: Some online reviews opine that the koji mold delivers the whisky's savoriness. Not in my book, or my face. This is straight up sulfur. But it does not wreck the whisky. It just makes it dirtier than the other four. The 16yo's subtler touches and complexity win out.
Rating: 81	Rating: 83	Rating: 85	Rating: 83

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It's easier for my brain and stomach to process four low-ABV whiskies than three high-ABV whiskies, so I was able to focus better with this quartet. I still can't tell you whether this is aged shōchū or not because the spirit was so extractive, pulling everything from its casks. It often reads like 42%abv sherry from heavily-charred casks. While there's certainly a market for that style in the whisky world (including Japan), that's not exactly my style. The 16 year old was the gentlest of the four, and also the closest to finding balance. I hope Hikari/Hakata tries its hand at more refill cask whisky because I'd love to try that some day.

Three five-year-old Komagatake single casks for La Maison du Whisky

I am just now seeing the Text label near Niigata.
LOL, I’m leaving it there.

A stomach virus kept me off the sauce for a week, but that's behind me now. 😅

During last year's vacation, I learned that La Maison du Whisky has cornered the Parisian whisky retail market. To avoid all FOMO, you should visit all three of LMDW's excellent brick-and-mortar shops in the city, as each store has a slightly different inventory.

Because France doesn't have the same wacky liquor laws as the US, La Maison also acts as an importer, especially of Japanese whiskies. Back in 2022, LMDW brought in three single first-fill ex-bourbon casks of Komagatake (Shinshu Distillery) single malt, each of which was matured at one of the three Mars locations: Shinshu (mountains), Tsunuki (coast), and Yakushima (tropical island). Today I'm going to try them side-by-side to see how, or if, the aging process is influenced by the warehouse locales.

Komagatake Kyōdai

Komagatake 5-year-old 2016 cask 3705, Shinshu-aged 61%abv	Komagatake 5-year-old 2016 cask 5183, Tsunuki-aged 60%abv	Komagatake 5-year-old 2016 cask 2063, Yakushima-aged 61%abv
The nose starts off with apples, malt, vanilla, and paint thinner, with caramel, white peaches, and white dessert wine arriving later. Once diluted to 50%abv, the whisky shifts toward mint, anise, sugar cookies, and cherry candy in the nose.	Ah, some real fruit in this nose! Mango juice, orange peel, and orange blossoms up front. Cinnamon, glue, and chlorophyl settle into the background. The nose gets leaner once the whisky is diluted to 50%abv. It's all barley, yeast, peat, burlap, cinnamon, and clove.	Another pretty nose, with sugar cookies, orange peels, rosewater and lemon candies appearing in the first 20-30 minutes. Vanilla bean, almond extract, and toasted oak emerge later on. At 50%abv, the whisky's nose offers up apricots, apples, confectioner's sugar, and a hint of brine.
The hot and sweet palate offers cherry-flavored children's medicine, honey and clementines in the foreground, barley and cocoa in the middle, ash in the distance. The palate is so very, very sweet at the 50%abv mark, mostly lemon candy, simple syrup, and milk chocolate.	Surprising peaty notes hit the palate first, followed by limes, tart apples, tart cherries, and bitter citrus pith. At 50%abv, there's less peat and sugar, but lots of tart and bitter citrus.	Mild smoke and bitterness moderate the palate's sweetness. Cloves, almond extract, and lemons stick around the longest. It's moderately sweet with salty smoke, lemon blossoms, and clementines at 50%abv.
The finish is VERY sweet, like dessert wine, lemon candy, simple syrup, and milk chocolate. At 50%abv, the finish is tangier and more acidic. A few marshmallows appear after the final sips.	No peat in the finish, so the sweetness runs wild, especially in notes of sweet apples and lemon candy. After the whisky is diluted to 50%abv, the sweetness calms down. Oranges, limes, and menthol linger a bit.	The finish is smoky and rosy, with a hint of cherry bubblegum. It gets saltier with time. A Yoichi-like delicate smoke mixes with sweet citrus in the diluted finish.
Comments: This cask reads the youngest out of the three, perhaps due to its warehouse's cooler temperatures. The whisky is a bit too sweet for my palate, but it's quite decent overall. This would have been a much more interesting whisky at 10-12 its age.	Comments: The peaty notes give this whisky more complexity than the Shinshu while occasionally toning down some of the sweetness. And, as always, I'm fan of all the fruit notes. Other than perhaps the citrus and sugar, very little ties this cask to the Shinshu one.	Comments: This Yakushima cask was the winner throughout the whole tasting, especially since its finish stuck the landing after every sip. Salt + light smoke + citrus = Yes. I hope they'll leave some of these Yakushima casks to snooze until they're 10 years old, because could be outstanding.
Rating: 80	Rating: 84	Rating: 86

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After being disappointed by a pair of disappointing Komagatake malts, I was happily reminded that Mars produces some very good whiskies. As noted above, I believe that all three of these casks would have benefited from more maturation time, but at least two of them are quite nice at 5 years. Considering the salt and peat levels on the second (better) two, can one really be sure all three casks held the same spirit? (I'm just seeing now, per Serge's notes, that these did not hold the same spirit. This trio makes less sense now.) A bit burned out by these baby Mars whiskies, I will switch to a different small whisky brand (not Chichibu, sorry) for this month's final Japanese booze reviews.

Mars Komagatake 4 year old 2015, cask 1940 for Total Wine

As I referenced the other day, Mars has released a couple hundred single casks from the Shinshu distillery under the the Komagatake brand name. A few of those casks even made it to American shores. Today's heater (62%abv) was a single bourbon cask sold exclusively through Total Wine & More, a retailer I've missed dearly since moving to Ohio.

This will be my sixth contemporary Komagatake single cask, all have been 3 to 4 years old, and the previous five scored between 78 and 84. My expectations are thusly not set that high for this 4-year-old. If it's good though, I'll pine for Total Wine even more.

Distillery: Mars Shinshu
Ownership: Hombo Shuzo Co. Ltd.
Brand: Komagatake
Region: Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Age: 4 years (May 2015 - September 2019)
Maturation: bourbon cask
Cask #: 1940
Outturn: 208 bottles
Exclusive to: Total Wine & More
Alcohol by Volume: 62%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose remains tight, even after 30 minutes of air. At first it's just malt, brine, and a lot of lavender soap. It slowly picks up notes of cinnamon schnapps and vanilla-bean-infused bourbon. The very bourbony palate is full of barrel char and vanilla, with jasmine rice and simple syrup in the middle, and lime juice in the back. Numbing heat cancels out the finish for the first two sips. Then it's a belt of vanilla simple syrup and lime juice.

It may need water...

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Ah, more approachable. Green apple candy, Barbasol shaving cream, and lemony soap start the nose, with vanilla and flower blossoms appearing later. The palate stays simple: Mint, witbier, malt, and a bitter touch. It finishes minty and tangy.

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This was such a half-baked mess when neat that I wasn't even inspired to add water, but thankfully I did because that rescued it, slightly. Maybe it requires further dilution. Or maybe the cask's contents weren't yet fully baked. I'm leaning towards the latter. The active oak might make it appealing to bourbon drinkers. But even the Quercus alba can't hide an incomplete whisky. I'm thankful I didn't buy a bottle from TW&M. And I'm glad the next three Komagatake casks are older.

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 76 (once diluted)

Mars Komagatake 2022 Edition

The Hombo Shuzo Company made multiple attempts at establishing consistent whisky production. The family-run company earned their whisky license in 1949, but didn't build their first distillery until 1960, in Yamanashi. Kiichiro Iwai, one of the men who sent Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to learn the whisky trade in 1918, oversaw production at the distillery until his death in 1966. The distillery closed in 1969 because its whisky did not sell well among its Japanese customers. Another distillery was built in Kagoshima a few years later, but that one closed soon after as well. The issue with the Kagoshima distillery was the same as that of the Yamanashi distillery, the Scottish-style proved too heavy for the Japanese consumers at the time. Lighter spirit was needed.

In 1984, Shinshu Distillery opened in the Japanese Alps. The source water was softer up there, while the temperature and altitude would result in slow maturation. Shinshu experienced limited success until 1992, when Japan's recession and decline in whisky sales forced the distillery to close. As whisky sales started to climb worldwide in 2011, the distillery reopened. The distillery hasn't closed since, but did install brand new stills in 2014. Hombo Shuzo opened a second distillery, Tsunuki, in Kagoshima again, so they could go back to producing a heavier spirit, now more appreciated worldwide.

Shinshu Distillery single malts, from both production eras, are released under the Komagatake brand. Over 200 different Komagatake whiskies have been released over the years. Malts distilled during the more recent era first appeared in 2014 with Shinshu's 3 year old whisky.

Since 2020, the distillery has released an annual 50%abv NAS small batch single malt. I had the chance to try a few of the editions while in Japan, but this is my first opportunity to try one while inside my hermetically sealed whisky laboratory. Did I say laboratory? I meant lavatory.

Distillery: Mars Shinshu
Ownership: Hombo Shuzo Co. Ltd.
Brand: Komagatake
Region: Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Age: at least 3 years old
Maturation: allegedly bourbon, sherry, and port casks

Bottling year: 2022
Outturn: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The yeasty, malty nose dishes out bananas, lager, apricots, cinnamon, lumber, and circus peanuts. The rawness of the palate surprises, even though, as a 3yo palate it shouldn't. It's floral and sweet, with lots of marshmallows. Honey on Irish soda bread. Maybe a hint of smoke. It finishes even sweeter, like agave nectar and vanilla.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose shows more vanilla and lager, but also offers hints of tobacco, mango peel, and oloroso. Lots of tangy new make leads the palate, with lime and vanilla in the midground, sweat and tannins in the background. The finish lasts longer with a mix of lemons and tannins.

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Slightly disappointing, this whisky fell short of my previous Komagatake experiences, and the Whiskybase community's feelings about this whisky. It's not terrible stuff, just very sweet, very limited baby malt. Many of us (including this reviewer) want to love Komagatake, but it's difficult to get a legitimate read on how a ~3yo whisky fits into a distillery's bigger picture. With that in mind, four single casks will follow!

Availability - At a few dozen retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - $110 to $180
Rating - 78

Mars Iwai Tradition Blended Whisky (white label)

I won't be traveling to Japan this year, so I'll pelt you with some more Japanese whisky reviews instead! It's what Saint Padraig would have wanted.

In addition to bottling single malts from their Shinshu and Tsunuki distilleries, the Mars folks also fashion a bunch of blends, with the Iwai range being the most popular. There's the Iwai 45, with a higher ABV, yet grain whisky driven, and there's the standard Iwai Tradition. The Tradition has more malt than the 45, but also has the minimal ABV, 40%. I'm not sure I understand the logic behind that, but so it goes.

Some actual tinkering goes on in the Tradition. The blenders mix bourbon, sherry, and red wine casks, while also applying a little bit of peated malt. Were all the ingredients distilled at the Hombo Shuzo facilities? Heck, were all the ingredients distilled in Japan? I'm going to guess "No" to both now that the label no longer reads "Blended Japanese Whisky", but rather Mars Whisky.

More importantly, does it taste good? Tonight I'm matching it up with the less-than-inspiring, and more expensive, Ichiro's Malt & Grain, Classical Edition.

Ownership: Hombo Shuzo Co. Ltd.

Brand: Mars

Type: Blended Whisky
Region: Japan and ???

Age: ???

Maturation: bourbon, sherry, and red wine casks

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Chillfitered? maybe

e150? probably, with its Diageo-esque orange hue
(from a bottle split)

HIGHBALLS

I'm getting nothing but very sweet grain, vanilla, and some tanginess in the background. The Ichiro's highball is creamier and toastier.

NEAT

Though the nose does lead with a layer of charred America oak, there are more interesting notes of peach candy, barley grist, plaster, corn flakes, and coal in the mid- and background. The simple, pleasant palate offers oranges, roses, and vanilla custard up front, and dates(!) in the back. Peach skins, bitter citrus pith, and roses finish it up.

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I like this much more than expected, especially since its finish sticks the landing. It's the rare blend that works best when served neatly. With its US prices as low as $25 — no, there are no missing zeros — Iwai Tradition trounces all the major entry-level scotch blends. I might even purchase a bottle regret-free if/when I'm in the right location. Perhaps I should review a few more Mars whiskies.....

Availability - At your favorite specialty liquor retailer
Pricing - $25-$60 in the USA
Rating - 81

Yoichi Aromatic Yeast

Look at me reviewing two NAS blends in a row! I will correct that today with a single malt......that is also NAS? Yay? But it's Yoichi. Yay. And the producers have tinkered with its yeast. Yay!

I still think yeast is the next (and final?) frontier for distillers. The world's preferred drug is farted out by those precious little critters — the yeast, not the distillers, probably — so why not find out what different strains will do under different conditions?! 95+% of whisky products use the most productive yeast strains, not for the sake of the product itself, but for financial purposes. Their goal is to squeeze out as many alcoholic yeast toots per barley microgram as possible, not to introduce more fruity esters to their spirit.

Yeast experiments are scarce among whiskymakers, while cask experiments (the pig's lipstick) are legion. So, when Nikka dug into their library of 700 different yeast strains to produce two unique versions of their Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts as part of their Discovery Series, I was very interested in the results.

Unfortunately, these NAS Nikka Discovery Series bottlings carry significant prices. The Yoichi and Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast expressions are $250-$300 each. As a result, bottles are still available throughout Europe and the US, three years after their release.

Luckily, the Doctors Springbank scored me a 2oz sample of the Yoichi edition. For perspective, I'm lining it up against the current standard Yoichi NAS.

Distillery: Yoichi
Ownership: Nikka
Range: Discovery Series
Region: Hokkaidō, Japan
Age: ????
Maturation: ???
Outturn: 4,800 bottles
Release year: 2022
Alcohol by Volume: 48%
(sample courtesy of the Doctors Springbank)

NOTES

Fruit indeed in the nose; mostly dried apricot, dried peaches, oranges peels, grapefruit, and apple peels. Notes of nutritional yeast, brine, band-aids, and mocha blend well with those fruits.

The palate reads so unpeated that it feels like a Speyside. Limes, fresh apricots, and almond extract arrive first. Baked apples and Cara Cara oranges next. It picks up a nice spicy zing after a while. And then, of all things, cheesecake!

It finishes with a touch of sweetness to go with a zesty tartness. Picture a mix of Cara Cara oranges, limes, and baked apples.

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Had you told me this was a 15-20yo Glenburgie, I would've believed you. In fact, with its phenolic touches, it may be a little more complex than some of the indie 'Burgie single casks. The lack of public enthusiasm for this whisky may prove detrimental to future "Aromatic Yeast" editions, but all those bottles likely remain on the shelves because of the price and the lack of age statement. I will hold out naïve hope that this experiment isn't a one-time thing.

Availability - Still quite available as of the date of this review
Pricing - $250ish in the US, $200-$350 in Europe
Rating - 88