Kyoto Miyako Japanese whisky needs more work
Friendliness knows no boundaries in the land of whisky, and so my good friend Robbert shared rather decently sized samples of today’s whiskies with me. We are visiting Japan and tasting products released by the Kyoto Miyako Distillery. Their website offers a lot of information on this first ever whisky distillery in Kyoto. By the looks of it, this could well pass as the Japanese answer to the Scottish Speyside region, including a river popular for fishing. The distillery operates two different still shapes, which allows variation in the spirit they can make.
It is not easy to gather a lot of information about the Kyoto Miyako Distillery, but from what we find, the initiative started around 2017 and first distillation took place in 2020. This begs the question if the whisky we are going to taste in threefold today, is actually already made at the distillery. More likely, this is sourced casks and blended together. In any case, the name is on it, and it will give us some direction on what to expect from Kyoto Miyako in the future.
A final note on the bottlings is that they have fantastic labels, if we can call them that. The distillery utilizes Nishijin textile as label. This is a traditional craft of Kyoto and the label is likened to an obi belt, as we read in the explainer on their website.
Kyoto Whisky AKA-OBI (Red Label), bottled at 40 % abv
First things first: A blend of “selected malt whisky and grain whisky”.
Upon Sipping: Incredibly light in colour and that leads to a rather spirity experience when sniffing the whisky in the glass. Something resembling a washing detergent with a floral hint to remind us this is made from natural products. There is a rather “hard” element that makes me think this liquid could also serve as the basis for a perfume or something. In short: we move forward with caution. The taste is surprisingly sweet, but more as if it was corn-based, and not much more. This reminds me of the Abasolo from Mexico. Even that has an edge on this Red Label. The finish has a bitter note that does not come from wood, but something industrial. I am wondering if I will glow in the dark after drinking this.
Word to the Wise: A very poor effort by Kyoto Miyako that makes Johnnie Walker Red Label taste like a 1972 Brora. But, the upside is, for “just” 60 to 70 euro it can be yours. These kind of whiskies will hurt the Japanese whisky industry for decades to come.
Score: 58 points.
Kyoto Whisky MURASAKI-OBI (Purple Label), bottled at 43 % abv
First things first: This is a blend of “selected malt whisky”. Only malt, no more grain.
Upon Sipping: Moving on from the disastrous Red Label, we get a few more points abv, and hopefully some more quality. There is a weird grainy aroma, but it is recognisably whisky. The taste is more mature to experience, and has a vanilla tone. The finish is rather rough and unpolished. Overall it feels very doctored. Almost like an AI-created whisky. It has taste, but that’s about all.
Word to the Wise: Not a total disaster, but we are clearly not out of the woods here. Maybe I am missing something and this is designed more for a Japanese palate? I am not a regular consumer of shozu or sake, so maybe this whisky is meant to resemble those flavour profiles. For 100 euro a bottle, I hope this is the idea behind it, but it does not beat a J&B neat (20 euro for 1 liter) when Scotch is your basis of comparing.
Score: 65 points.
Kyoto Whisky KURO-OBI (Black Label), bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: The producer compares his whisky to “authentic bourbon-like whisky” from virgin American oak barrels. This is again a blend of selected malt whiskies. The final product received a finish in bourbon barrels.
Upon Sipping: Another 3 percent abv on top of it, at least this is done well. Offer something more. This indeed has the character of a bourbon whiskey, and it smells rather nice. Floral notes, vanilla and still some motor oil and other industrious elements. Taking a sip, the strong wood impact is noticed first, but it feels quite rounded and enjoyable. On the finish, I checked again that this is indeed NOT a bourbon. The malts selected were very compatible with the virgin wood and gives a nice and spicy drinking experience. The finish lingers on for a while with nice woodsmoke.
Word to the Wise: This is a very decent effort and a big contrast with the other two expressions. I am sure this Black Label will appeal to American whiskey drinkers, as it can compete on quality with entry level bourbons like Jim Beam or Woodford Reserve. Sadly, because this is Japanese, the price will put this at a disadvantage. All in all, lots of improvements still needed for Kyoto Miyako Distillery, but this Black Label offers potential.
Score: 78 points.