Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Japanese Whisky

Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Japanese Whisky is the return of an icon — a 10-year-old single malt from Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido, Japan, bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof) in a 700mL bottle. Discontinued in 2015 and re-released in 2022 after Yoichi's buildings were named Important Cultural Properties of Japan, it is an annual limited release of roughly 9,000 bottles, still distilled in the world's last coal-fired pot stills — the rugged technique founder Masataka Taketsuru learned in Scotland in 1918. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• Proof / ABV: 45% ABV (90 proof) — 700mL
• Age: 10 years, matured in bourbon barrels
• Distillery: Yoichi, Hokkaido, Japan — founded 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru
• Process: traditional coal-fired (direct-fired) pot still distillation; maritime coastal climate
• Release: re-released 2022 after a 7-year hiatus; annual limited release (~9,000 bottles/year)

The Return of the Coal-Fired Classic

When age statements vanished across Japan in the 2010s, the Yoichi 10 was one of the most mourned — and its 2022 comeback kept the same spirit: peaty, maritime, and unapologetically old-school, shaped by direct-fired stills that demand constant attention from the stillman. Expect gentle peat smoke, orchard fruit, and toasted nuts with a coastal salt edge. See more from Nikka Whisky or browse Japanese whisky.

Tasting Notes

Gentle peat smoke with orchard fruits, toasted nuts, maritime salt, and soft vanilla on the nose; elegant layers of stone fruit, oak spice, subtle smoke, honey, and balanced malt sweetness on the palate; long, warming, smoky finish with lingering oak, spice, and coastal minerality (per the distillery).

How to Enjoy

Neat or with a few drops of water to open the peat and fruit — this is a connoisseur's dram, not a mixer. Pairs with dark chocolate or smoked dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Yoichi 10 Year Old significant?
It was discontinued in 2015 and re-released in 2022 after Yoichi's buildings earned Japan's Important Cultural Property designation — the first age-stated Nikka return in years.

What does coal-fired distillation add?
Direct-fired pot stills — the technique Taketsuru brought from Scotland — give Yoichi its depth, structure, and signature subtle smokiness.

Is it peated?
Lightly — gentle peat smoke threads through the fruit and oak rather than dominating.

Japan's lost classic, back on the shelf — order Nikka Yoichi 10 Year Old Japanese Whisky online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.