Reviews

Toki Japanese Whisky Review


Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Japanese whisky is experiencing a major boom globally.  Age stated Japanese whiskies are becoming increasingly more difficult to find on store shelves.  In fact, the only age stated Japanese whisky I see on shelves regularly is Hakushu 12 year.  Yamazaki 12 year is becoming almost as rare to find as its older 18-year-old sibling.  For distilleries, older whisky stocks aren’t as plentiful as they once were.  As a response to that and Japanese whisky’s popularity, companies are releasing non age statement whiskies.  Suntory’s latest is Toki.

Toki is a blend of malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and grain whiskies from the Chita distillery.  The primary whiskies here are American oak cask matured whisky from Hakushu and “heavy-type” grain whisky from Chita.  Any malt whiskies used from Yamazaki represent a small percentage of the total blend.

Price wise, Toki is the cheapest whisky from Suntory available in the U.S.  It’s currently available for about $40.  Like many other whiskies from the brand, Toki is bottled at 43% abv.

The nose is fairly light and fruity, with honey, lightly-spiced apple, vanilla and herbal notes.  On entry, the whisky carries a toffee sweetness alongside hints of vanilla, ripe Granny Smith apples, and those green herbal notes found in Hakushu malts.  The mid-palate features nectarines and lightly-brewed green tea.  Some oak tannins begin to appear going into the long, sweet and spicy finish, which features black peppercorns and honeyed pears.

With Hibiki Harmony and now Toki, Suntory has shown that it can release quality non-age stated whiskies.  While not as complex as Hibiki Harmony, Toki still offers a very enjoyable, if delicate, tasting experience.  I prefer Toki neat, but I also like this one in a whisky highball (one part Toki to three parts sparkling water, served over ice with a lemon twist).  Recommended!  8/10

Thanks to Beam Suntory for the sample!  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: “The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris


Booker Noe and I have two major things in common.  The first is our fondness for the ever-funny sitcom Sanford & Son.  Secondly, and more importantly, is our love of bourbon.

I was just getting into whiskey when Booker Noe passed away in 2004, so I didn’t know much about him.  In fact, it wasn’t until I had my first sip of Booker’s Bourbon that I started to wonder who this guy was.  Over the years I’d read the occasional story here and there, along with some “Booker-isms.”  So, when the chance to read a biography of the man himself popped up, I went all in.

“The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris covers Booker’s life.  It’s an engaging read, but things REALLY start moving on the chapter focusing on Booker’s first day on the job.  Some really funny stories are recounted, providing plenty of laugh out loud moments.

The creation of Booker’s Bourbon is another tentpole moment in Booker’s life and the bourbon world, and is covered in-depth here.  My eyes remained glued to this book.  After all, I was reading about how my favorite Jim Beam whiskey came into existence.  

From young man to master distiller to brand ambassador, Booker Noe enjoyed a storied career.  Kokoris’s new book paints a fascinating image of one of the most important distillers of our day.  This is a must read for anyone who’s ever enjoyed a glass of Booker’s, or any Jim Beam bourbon for that matter.  

You can buy a copy at the Jim Beam online store at store.jimbeam.com

Thanks to Jim Beam for a copy of this book.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spice Tree Extravaganza Blended Malt Scotch Review


Ten years ago, John Glaser of Compass Box started adding oak staves to barrels of whisky to spice up the maturation process for what would be his Spice Tree blend.  The method is not new, as wine makers use oak staves all the time.  However in the Scotch whisky world, that was a no-no.  The SWA banned Glaser from utilizing this method.  He ended up using a different legal method for his Spice Tree blend involving toasted French oak barrel heads.

A decade later, Compass Box is releasing a limited edition version of the blend simply named Spice Tree Extravaganza.  Working within the spicy flavor profile of the standard Spice Tree, Glaser kicks things up a notch by adding sherry-cask matured and older malt whiskies.  Spice Tree Extravaganza is bottled at 46% abv for a suggest retail price of $140.  Only 12,240 bottles are available worldwide.

The nose captures the rich, spicy character of Spice Tree but adds a sherry kick.  This is thanks to sherry cask-matured Glen Ord and Benrinnes that make up close to 50% of this whisky.  I get lots of clove, sherry, vanilla and toffee-sweet malt.  In the background is a bit of dry oak and cinnamon bark.  The palate offers a blast of baking spices, toasted malt, and mulled wine, with hints of vanilla cream and blood orange zest.  The finish is long, with spiced red fruits and oak notes.

Spice Tree Extravaganza is an interesting twist on the standard bottlings of Spice Tree.  This limited edition blended malt whisky brings that signature spice, while adding nice sherry and older malt elements,which in turn provide more layers of complexity to unlock and enjoy.  8.5/10

Thanks to Compass Box for the sample!  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.