The Yoichi Distillery is located in Yoichi town on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, and is owned by The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd. Established in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, the first Japanese person to study Scotch whisky production in Scotland, who is celebrated as the 'Father of Japanese Whisky.' Taketsuru specifically chose this location for its climate that closely resembles that of Scotland. Situated on the coast of the Sea of Japan, Yoichi whiskies possess a distinctive maritime character with robust, peaty flavors, traditionally crafted using direct coal-fired pot stills—a method rarely seen today.

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Tasting Notes & Reviews

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Whiskyspace Notes 1980

Jun 24, 2026, 17:22:46

Nose opens with a bright gold hue, like sunshine through a dusty pub window. Immediate hit of oranges and grapefruits – zesty, almost breakfast-y – but then these weird whiffs of iodine sneak in, making me think of old medicine cabinets. The fresh juices linger, sweet but not sugary, while something faintly cardboardy pokes through. Tastewise, it’s medium-bodied, easy enough, though there’s this shiest peat hiding behind the smoke, like a shy mate at a gig. Brine and oysters pop up, but bizarrely, it’s more cough medicine than the sea. Sweet peat? Yeah, but it’s a shortcut – Lou Reed could’ve scribbled lyrics about that sticky, lapsang souchong warmth. Rather uncomplicated, if a tad too polished. Still, it’s good. Flawless, even. 🥃

Whiskyspace Notes 1407

Jun 4, 2026, 01:37:59

这杯有点soft Talisker的感觉，颜色是漂亮的gold，喝起来easy又sweets，带着oranges and grapefruits和fresh juices的鲜劲。不过它好像在mimic the Scottish peaters a little too much，whiffs of iodine混着oysters的咸鲜，sweet peat和saltiness倒是很明显。整体不算uncomplicated，almonds的底子上飘着green pepper的青草气，有点像cough medicine那种复杂的草本。 medium的body，bizarrely地联想到Lou Reed could have written a song about它。年轻版Caol Ila的感觉，从rejuvenated barrel出来的，rather round peat。喝到底有一丢丢wee tad cardboardy。算是个有趣的shortcut。

Whiskyspace Notes 1332

Jun 2, 2026, 13:57:45

刚倒出来的那下，甜味先跑出来，像是糖果店那种味道，紧接着是温柔的泥煤，不冲，反而有种湿木头被晒暖的感觉。🌊 稍微晃一下杯，哦？居然有点牡蛎壳和海水的咸鲜，混着一点柑橘皮的清爽，挺有意思的。喝起来中段有点像一大壶正山小种红茶泡开了，带着点烟熏和隐约的坚果甜，杏仁吧大概是。不过尾巴那里，诶，怎么有点像止咳糖浆的草药感，混着青椒的微辣，有点怪但又不算难喝。整体不复杂，很顺，像被稀释过的鲜榨果汁。泥煤感比那些重泥煤的酒轻多了，算是悄悄混进去的一点点个性。咸味一直垫在底下，和那点若有若无的纸板味（真的很轻微）一起，反而让回味变得挺清爽。是那种适合没事小酌一杯，不会太费神去琢磨的酒。😊

Whiskyspace Notes 1282

May 27, 2026, 12:37:57

It's alright, nothing too fancy. Felt like a quick shortcut to the Islay vibe, really. 🌊 At first I got a big whiff of fresh oranges and grapefruit juice, then some rather round peat came in, gentle but present. Like sticking your nose in a large teapot of lapsang souchong. There's a definite brine and saltiness, reminds me of shucking oysters by the sea. Tasting it, the citrus is there with a sprinkle of green pepper. It gets a wee tad cardboardy in the middle, which is interesting. The peat feels young, maybe trying to mimic the Scottish peaters a little too much, but not in a bad way. A hint of almonds and cough medicine near the end. Overall, it's pretty medium and uncomplicated. Good and flawless in its own way, I suppose. The shiest among them three on my shelf tonight. Not mind-blowing, but Lou Reed could have written a song about it – something cool and understated. 🎸