Yamazaki
Yamazaki single malt whisky is Japan’s premier single malt, and Yamazaki whisky recognized by and renowned for a many-layered taste and an aromatic experience characterized by fruit and Mizunara. Yamazaki Whisky first hit the market in 1984, however, the Yamazaki Distillery is the first and thus oldest malt distillery with its establishment in 1923.
Throughout the years Yamazaki has released some extraordinary and rare releases, which are hard to come by – at considerable prices – and as such Yamazaki single malts are collector’s items, and any whisky collector needs quality, Japanese whisky in their collection.
The Japanese culture and spirituality are the setting for Yamazaki single malts, and Shinjuro Torii, the founder, once explained how the harmony between the Japanese people and the Japanese nature embodies not only Yamazaki whisky but all of the Japanese whisky under the Suntory name.
Shinjuro Torii founded Suntory in 1899, beginning as a wine importer, and today the company group deals in the production and distribution of beverage and good products. The company owns a slew of subsidiary companies, here included the Yamazaki Distillery, which Shinjuro Torii himself established.
Yamazaki whisky is Suntory’s flagship single malt, and the range has not only become the No. 1 range in Japan, but it has also captured the interest of whisky connoisseurs the world over. Yamazaki single malts are distributed to more than 35 countries, and in 2013 the Yamazaki Sherry Cask truly made a mark within the whisky industry, when Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible appointed it the best whisky in the world.
The Collection
The Yamazaki collection entails (currently) four main stables as well as limited edition rare releases. The four releases in the collection are:
- Yamazaki Distiller’s ReserveYamazaki 12 Years Old
- Yamazaki 18 Years Old
- Yamazaki 25 Years Old
The year 1984 saw the revival of Yamazaki when the distillery turned from producing blends to producing single malts. The first iteration of Yamazaki 12 Years Old was the inaugural single malt, and in 2003 it made history when it won gold at the 2003 International Spirits Challenge as the first Japanese whisky ever.
The 12-year-old Yamazaki single malt offers a succulent flavor profile with an incredibly fruity aroma. The nose senses notes of pineapple, grapefruit, candied orange, peach as well as vanilla, cloves and Mizunara, the Japanese oak cask. Flavor notes of coconut, butter, and cranberry particularly stand out, and its long finish contributes with notes of sweet ginger and cinnamon.
The first release of the Yamazaki 18 Years Old came in 1992: It’s been called “legendary” by Master of Malt, the online retailer, and it’s highly appraised both among critics and whisky enthusiasts. The expression has a distinct richness and has a character of mature autumn fruit owed to the notes of raisin, apricot and Mizunara in the nose as well as a fragrant connotation to café au lait. The palate is treated to flavors of strawberry jam, blackberry, and dark chocolate, which extend to a long, smooth and spicy finish.
Among the limited releases, Yamazaki has some extraordinary and rare single malts. Both the Yamazaki 1984 and the Yamazaki Age Unknown Single Malt are indeed so rare that they’re not available for retail purchase anymore. The former was released in 2009 to mark the 25th anniversary, while the latter was to celebrate the memory of Keizo Saji – the son of the founder of Suntory and also the president of the company himself. The Age Unknown release consists of a very unique blend of 1960s whiskies. Speaking to the rarity and quality of this whisky its price point is usually around $7000. However, comparatively, that’s a steal.
In 2018 Yamazaki became a record-breaking whisky producer. Their expression known as The Dragon was auctioned for the highest amount of money ever spent on Japanese whisky. An unknown buyer acquired the expression for $468,195 AUD. The Dragon is a 52-year-old rare expression, which was bottled in 50 bottles and originally released in 2005, where each bottle sold for around $9000. Another two editions of The Dragon have been released with 50 bottles in 2007 and 150 bottles in 2011. The record-breaking expression was a first edition bottling.
Yamazaki is characterized by many layers of fruit and Mizunara aromatics – and what exactly is Mizunara?
The Art of Fusing Together Nature and People
Near Kyoto, in the green valley between Mt. Tennozan and Mt. Otokoyama, is the Yamazaki Distillery. The three rivers, Katsura, Uji, and Kizu, converge by the distillery, and the softest water in Japan is thus directly by Yamazaki’s footsteps. The climate is unique and misty with a diverse temperature and humidity levels, and all of this gives cause to signature cask maturation.
Shinjuro Turii passed away in 1963, but his memory and philosophy are remaining strong within both Yamazaki and Suntory. It was his philosophy that Yamazaki represents the harmonious fusion of Japanese nature and people. Nature surrounds them, and the climate has a significant effect on how the Japanese whiskies are expressed. Equally, traditions, the knowledge, and experiences are passed down from generation and generation, and so the craftsmen have a continual influence. Going hand in hand with the surrounding environment.
Yamazaki single malts are matured in a variation of casks. They primarily use American oak casks for the long maturation in large capacities, while Spanish oak casks are used to introduce notes of fruit and chocolate, and quite significantly they employ Mizunara. The use of Mizunara began in the 1940s when WWII made the supply of casks rather impossible, and as such Yamazaki had to look to their sources.
Mizunara oak wood is traditionally used to make beautiful furniture, and it wasn’t without problems to turn the wood into casks. There were issues with leaks, and it took trial and errors to develop ways of combatting the leaks. Mizunara casking contributes with notes of sandalwood and aloe and combined with the storage conditions the production methods result in a unique style, which is very much sought-after.
Japanese whisky is making headways more and more, and Yamazaki has played a huge part in introducing surprising, delicate and multi-layered single malt whisky to the global market. However, with a distribution narrowed into 35 countries and with rare, limited releases bottled in small batches, Yamazaki single malt is also a collector’s item. The goal for every whisky connoisseur and collector is to be well versed in every part of the industry, and as such Yamazaki single malts are to be acquired. They display a characteristic flavor profile, which no other whisky outside of the Japanese climate can produce.