Hanyu tasting notes
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, ACE OF SPADES 1985, 55% ABV
(Cask No. 9308 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Rich and quite fat. Chocolate-covered raisin with a hint of creosote and treacle. Yet still very pure with some complexity. Shows maturity.
Palate: Thick and very chewy. Like melting toffee in the mouth, balanced by an intense savoury edge, which then shifts into prunes macerated in brandy. Huge impact.
Finish: Dusty and lightly tannic.
Comments: If you like your whisky in yer face then this is for you. DAVE BROOM
EXPECT TO PAY: £120-£160
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, KING OF DIAMONDS 1988, 56% ABV
(Cask No. 9003 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Immediate complexity. Cheddar cheese, cream, but also a firm, nutty quality. A touch of burlap, smoke and then with water it shifts into sandalwood, citrus, pineapple, pine.
Palate: Dances in the mouth, moving from spice into flowers then to smoke which builds subtly.
Finish: Long, mixing spice and sweetness.
Comments: This has classic Japanese finesse. Great whisky has balance and this has it. In diamonds… not spades. DAVE BROOM
EXPECT TO PAY: £90-£120
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, QUEEN OF HEARTS 1990, 54% ABV
(Cask No. 9102 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Round, tangy and slightly fat. Plaster, raspberry, tablet and vanilla. A touch of smoke mingling with estery perfume.
Palate: Lighter than the nose suggests and slightly drier. An interesting battle between deep sweetness in the mid-palate and fizzing spiciness. Good balance.
Finish: Zesty soft fruits. Pecan.
Comments: Fine balance and an intriguing palate. An impressive series. DAVE BROOM
EXPECT TO PAY: £90-£99
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, KING OF SPADES 1986, 57% ABV
(Cask No. 9418 - bottled in 2007)
Nose: Gentle. Bread pudding, stewed apple, toasted rice. Slightly oily with some dried fenugreek, mace, apple skin. Has finesse.
Palate: Delicate smoky start. Cognac like: dried fruit, grilled nut alongside a haunting dried rose petal perfume.
Finish: Ripe, sesame, waxy.
Comments: Best neat. Has that classic 'open' character that typifies Japanese whiskies. DAVE BROOM
Nose: Sweet and enticing. Crème caramel, orange cake, shortbread. Barley sugar. Touch of water chestnut.
Palate: Rich, sweet and mellow. Mouth coating. Alcohol is perfectly tamed. Very satisfying. Cooked fruit with soft spices.
Finish: Intense, warm and lingering.
Comments: A liquid dessert. Reminds me of a rich Balvenie. Superb dram. MARTINE NOUET
Nose: Comparatively reserved. Resin and sultanas, with a touch of vanilla and butterscotch.
Palate: Intense with bitter marmalade, a hint of lime and maple. With the addition of water, more perfumed and floral.
Finish: Slightly smoky, with oak and lingering wine gums.
Comments: Seems to possess less scope and fewer facets than the much younger Two of Clubs, though it's still a very solid dram. GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £100
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, JACK OF CLUBS 1991, 56% ABV
(Cask No. 9001 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: This expression has undergone a US oak sherry wood finish, and the nose displays malt, resin and fresh fruit.
Palate: Rich, sophisticated, warming and full bodied.
Finish: Comparatively long, with pleasing oak notes and a touch of coal.
Comment: A lovely, approachable, yet complex whisky. GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £80-£90
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, TWO OF CLUBS 2000, 54% ABV
(Cask No. 9600 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: Succulent and vibrant. Mint sauce, camphor, dessicated coconut and cocoa powder. In time, quince. Powerful.
Palate: Pure, sweet and tongue coating. Sour cherry, liquorice and candlewax. The note is a little like incense cut with pu-er aged tea.
Finish: Ash and then ginger.
Comment: An amazing array of flavours and aromas from one so young. DAVE BROOM
Nose: Very pleasing, with peaches, toasted almonds and orange blossom. Water brings out a significant vanilla aroma.
Palate: Bold, intense and aromatic, with Seville oranges, spice and a hint of plain chocolate. Drier with water added – a touch of smoke and cinders.
Finish: Medium to long. Spicy, ending with a flourish of cream.
Comment: Remarkably complex and accomplished for a young whisky.GAVIN SMITH
EXPECT TO PAY: £65
ICHIRO’S MALT CARD SERIES, THREE OF DIAMONDS 1988, 56% ABV
(Cask No. 9417 - bottled in 2006)
Nose: High-toned and estery but with a deep caramel toffee from the oak. Super-ripe fruits and a smoky edge.
Palate: Praline, runny toffee, sultana. Somewhat rum like - allspice, ginger, brazil nut, cool mint, rice crackers. Smoke hangs above like a veil.
Finish: Clean and gentle. Medium.
Comment: Perfume and smoke? It's a Japanese Ardmore. DAVE BROOM
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Dave Broom’s and Martine Nouet's tasting notes are reproduced by kind permission of Whisky Magazine. Gavin Smith's notes appear by kind permission of www.whisky-pages.com