Yamazaki 12 Year Old 70cl
This is where Japanese whisky began. Yamazaki was Japan's first malt distillery, founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923 on the outskirts of Kyoto, at Shimamoto — a spot chosen for its soft water and misty valley where three rivers meet. The 12 Year Old, launched in 1984, is the bottle that put Japanese single malt on the world map, and it remains the benchmark.
What makes it distinct is the maturation. Suntory marries whisky aged in American oak (ex-bourbon), Spanish oloroso sherry casks and — crucially — Japanese mizunara oak. Mizunara is rare, porous and slow to work with, but it gives Yamazaki its signature: a sandalwood, incense, almost temple-like note you won't find in Scotch. That's the fingerprint.
Bottled at 43%, it's a study in poise. The nose is ripe peach, pineapple and candied orange with honeyed sweetness, vanilla and that curl of mizunara spice. The palate is smooth and layered — stone fruit and coconut, a little cranberry tartness from the sherry, gentle clove and oak. The finish is long, warm and lightly spiced. A drop of water coaxes out more fruit, though it's beautifully balanced neat.
Given how scarce genuine age-statement Japanese whisky has become, a 12 Year Old Yamazaki is one to savour — and, for many, one to hold onto.
How to Serve
Neat in a tulip glass first, to read the mizunara. Then try it as the Japanese do — a highball with plenty of ice and good soda, or a single large hand-cut cube. A few drops of water open the fruit.
Where to Drink It
Artesian at The Langham. Black Rock in Shoreditch for a serious whisky flight. The American Bar at The Savoy for a faultless highball.
Food Pairings
Sushi is the classic call, and grilled eel even better — the smoky-sweet glaze plays right into the fruit. Keep it simple and let the whisky lead.
