Description

Winner of Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards 2012. 25 years at Yamazaki — Japan’s oldest malt whisky distillery — in a complex multi-cask maturation that represents the pinnacle of Suntory’s aging program.

The Yamazaki Distillery was established in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii — the founder of Suntory — at the confluence of three rivers south of Kyoto, chosen for its soft water and misty microclimate. It is Japan’s oldest malt whisky distillery and the birthplace of Japanese whisky as a commercial category. The 25 Year is the most age-forward expression in the Yamazaki core range and among the rarest Japanese single malts available.

The maturation program at Yamazaki draws from American oak, Spanish sherry oak, and rare Japanese Mizunara oak — a combination that produces a profile unlike any other whisky in the world. At 25 years, each of these cask types has had time to fully integrate: the American oak’s vanilla and sweetness, the sherry oak’s dried fruit and spice, and the Mizunara’s incense and sandalwood weaving through as a structural thread. The 2012 World Whisky Awards recognized this complexity with the Best Single Malt designation.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Deep amber with extraordinary warmth and clarity.
• Nose: Very rich and fruity with good sweetness — walnut, almond, slight toffee, and a touch of oak.
• Palate: Exotic and soft sherry with a hint of caramel. Silky and full-bodied with the integration that only 25 years produces.
• Finish: Peppercorn and sherry-soaked cherries — gently long with nuts and a warming close.

Specs

• Distillery: Yamazaki, Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, Japan (est. 1923)
• Category: Single Malt Japanese Whisky
• Age: 25 years
• Casks: American oak, Spanish sherry oak, Mizunara Japanese oak
• Size: 750ml