Name: Kikori Whiskey
Color: Light Yellow
Nose: Soft, flowers, grass
Taste: Grainy, sweetness, flowers
Review:
I stopped by the Astor Wine Store to try Kikori Whiskey a few weeks ago at one of their “one and done” Friday night whiskey tastings. Kikori is made with rice and it was my first time trying a whiskey created from rice so I was very interested to experience the flavor.
Kikori is from Japan and is aged in American, French and ex-sherry oak barrels for three years. It is distilled with rice and water from Kumamoto and is bottled at 82 proof. Kumamoto is best known for its oysters and the Grand Central Oyster Bar has them on the menu. However, it is noted that the oysters are sourced from Oregon and Baja, Mexico so they appear to be farmed raised.
A usual, all whiskey today needs a story. On the side of the bottle the romantic marketing write up tells source of inspiration for Kikori. It is a folk tale about a woodsman wandering the forest seeking balance and harmony. I am going to guess that company did not wander the woods to find the balance but paid a marketing agency for this romantic tale (insert eye roll here).
The taste of the whiskey is different than most I have tried due to the rice. It stands out, but when it comes to the flavor profile, Kikori tastes exactly as it is written on the side of the bottle. This is ok, but it does not allow much for the drinker to discover. Kikori is a nice whiskey, but it is more of mixing whiskey for creating craft cocktails. It is not really a whiskey I could drink neat or on the rocks.
Price around $50 and has a different taste and would be good for mixer.
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
If you like it, drink it!
