Released in Spring 2014, this is one of two Distiller's Reserve single malt whiskies from Suntory in Japan. This single malt from the Yamazaki distillery is jam-packed with superb red berry notes, gained from the whisky being matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. It also features malt matured in Mizunara casks, adding subtle fragrant oak notes.
Classic Yamazaki strawberries and dried fruits with floral notes coming from the Mizunara cask whisky. Fragrant sandalwood and maybe coconut. Certainly a whisky where you could get lost in its nose!
The dried berries remain lively on the palate (it even develops some raspberry notes along the way), but they're dialled back a bit to make room for light oak, white peach and a small amount of spice.
Vanilla lasts and lasts, with spicy but sweet cinnamon acting as a final flourish.
Top quality Japanese whisky, and excellent value too. Can't go wrong with this, really.
Picked this up in sainsbury's of all places for £42 (not even on offer). It really is tasty and great value for the money. My first experience of Japanese whisky, and at this rate definitely not my last. As it happened they also had the hakashu distiller's reserve so might have to give that a go as well as I am a fan of a bit of smoke!
I had a glass of this over the weekend. The best whisky in its price bracket, it's soft on the palette, complex, silky. Those who love the Hibiki range should jump on this . . .
