Nikka Taketsuru 21 Year Old (with Wooden Box) Whisky 70cl

Simply the best whiskey money can buy, sublime in every way! Gutted its now discontinued, beats Yamazaki 18 all day!

So powerful yet so smooth. Notes of caramel, coffee, peat, vanilla, chocolate

I am a huge fan of the little brother (Taketsuru 17 yrs). This just appeared in my local specialist liquor store and having been voted best blended malt in the world in 2010, I just had to try it.

Wow! This just slips down frighteningly easily. It has everything the 17 year old has (perfect balance between a light smokiness and sweet sherry notes, complexity and delicious soft spices) and adds another dimension in terms of richness, smoothness and extra malty, chocolate, vanilla and coffee flavour. The finish is probably the best of any whisk(e)y I've ever tried (and I have over 120 in my cabinet up to 39 years old). Unbelievably smooth with waves of complexity unfolding into layers of nutmeg and clove, malt, smoke, maybe a little eucalyptus and/or mint, some liquorice.

Just WOW! So glad I bought two.

This is the best whisky I've had to date. It's incredibly complex and well balanced, and just a real treat.

I'm not sure what it was casked in, but it has a whiff of sherry about it to compliment, but then this nutty caramel sweetness that mellows into this warming spice that just makes you smile. It's just great, and to me exactly what a whisky should be.

I disagree with peaty being mentioned. For me, there's none of that.

This whisky just keeps giving and is extremely complex. Good luck getting your hands on it!

Myself and a friend attended the Yoichi Distillery and, after tasting several including the 20 and 21 yr old, were disappointed to learn all the aged whisky was unavailable. Happily, I have just obtained 2 bottles of the excellent 21 yr old. Hint...It's a top blend and can still be found at very reasonable prices in 'out of the way' Japanese bottle shops...well worth searching for if you are in Japan!

Whilst there has been a restructuring of the Nikka whisky lines, thankfully the Taketsuru was not discontinued. It is the Yoichi and Miyakikyo age statement whiskies that have been discontinued. The retail price for the Taketsuru in Japan did recently go up however, and the 21 retails in department stores for approx JPY 15,000 (GBP 90). The 17 for about half that.

I was bought a bottle of this, just before they stopped producing it. I am afraid I will never get to taste it as if you can now find a bottle, it will cost you over 1000 Euros........

Bought a bottle at Narita Airport - coming home from a long stay in Korea and Sagamihara Japan. Opened the bottle on a brisk fall evening while camping in late October, just me, my 8 year old white lab, a very nice camp fire, a fine cigar, and this 21 year old bottle of scotch. Really - it does not get better than that.

according to Nonjatta, Nikka's whisky lineup will only be composed of NAS bottlings-this means that from 2015 the 21 year old will be history....