Here we have Suntory’s multi award-winning Japanese single malt from Yamazaki, the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. The single malt was launched in 1992, and around 80% of the liquid is matured in sherry butts, while the remaining whisky spent its years in American and Mizunara oak casks. An absolutely stunning marriage of fruit, oak and smoky notes, it’s really no wonder why it won so many awards!
Truffles, thick bitter marmalade and resin. Potpourri and heavy Oloroso sherry.
A rich, bittersweet palate with heather roots, cigar leaves, honey, toffee apples, plum wine and black pepper. A touch of rancio, perhaps…
Long, fruity, marmalade-led finish.
Brilliant smooth
Excellent. A bit sharp on the tongue in the first few seconds but after that it is clear sailing! It is available but at over double the price here. I purchased over 6 bottles at various prices but even the cheapest supplier is now doubling their prices which is a shame as they make difficult for many to enjoy!
This is the best whiskey of all time
Good not great
This is one of the finest whiskys I've tasted, I generally keep several bottles of the 12 on hand but reserve the 18 for special occasions only. Mouthfeel is a rich and oily. The nose has hints of char, oak, fruit, caramel, vanilla and a spicy character one can likely attribute to the mizunara oak casks used during maturation. The palate continues in this fashion, but a nutty/malty character also emerges. The finish is sweet, with a notable fruity sherry influence, more malt, nuts, and hit of spicy oak. This is a rich whisky that can rightly be described as "luxurious". I've tried a number of single malts including many similarly aged Scotch single malts, and this ranks with the best. My only caveat would be the inflated price tag, which unfortunately seems to impact any age-statement Japanese whisky these days. That said, it's a cracking good dram and well worth trying if you run into it on the whiskey menu of an upscale bar.
