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.
Wasn’t blown away, but certainly had depth and warmth. Worth a second endeavour.
Got my bottle from the Yamazaki distillery for about 50USD. Its pretty great at the price point better than many scotch whiskys I've had. It's a smooth, easy drink that's great drinking for a chill evening among friends. N: Opens with a strong dried and pickled plum. the tartness of the umeboshi is captivating but opens up to memories of faint honey and bits of sandalwood. P: the delicate harmony of the water and flavors gives you a very pleasant experience. Very light on the mouth, but the flavor of dried berries slowly coats the tongue, opening to some oak and pears. Maybe some pepper at the end. F: Starts with some mild scents of vegetation, much less pronounced than the Hakushu NAS. A mild honey-like sweetness stays with some pear and some cinnamon. The only letdown is that the finish does not last very long. Overall an exceptional whisky from the home of Japanese whisky!
this is about the same quality as J&B scotch but less Scottish peat moss taste.
Lots of reviewers comparing this to the 12 year old which is a bit unfair. That’s now become too expensive and hard to get hold of for ordinary mortals and it is superb. This is tasty and complex with a great mouth feel and elements of citrus and berries, nothing like a cheap blend. Is it overpriced? Yes, probably, but isn’t all single malt now? Put away preconceptions and forget about age statements, this is an extremely nice whisky which is well worth trying.
Sweet fruits all day. Very easy and enjoyable. It’s not even close to the 12, which is an incredible whisky, but the hate I see in the reviews is unwarranted. If you are thinking of buying it, give it a go. You might not love it, but you won’t hate it.
