The 2016 edition of Yamazaki's annual Limited Edition, the third in the series. Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo combined young bourbon-barrel malt with malts of over 20 years from European oak sherry and port casks, and bottled it at 43%.
About This Whisky
Each Limited Edition is a one-off vatting rather than a single cask type. The 2016 pairs the brightness of young American oak with the depth of two-decade-old European oak, and the port casks add a red-fruit layer that sets this year apart. The colour is a reddish amber. Tasters often compare the nose to Yamazaki 18, with strawberry jam and melon, while the palate runs to persimmon and mandarin over soft spice.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Ripe strawberry, melon and cream, with a hint of cacao and orange.
- Palate: Smooth and sweet with good acidity, ripe persimmon, mandarin, apricot and light vanilla.
- Finish: Long and woody, with spice, citrus peel and a little chocolate.
Serving & Food
Serve neat in a Glencairn at about 18 to 20°C, or add one ice ball and let it melt slowly. Match it with duck breast and plum sauce, fresh persimmon or a strawberry shortcake.
How to Enjoy
Filling the 2016 gap in a Limited Edition vertical, or pouring for friends who enjoy Yamazaki 18's fruit.
Product Details
Producer: Suntory
Distillery: Yamazaki
Country: Japan
Style: Japanese single malt whisky
Edition: Limited Edition 2016
Maturation: Young bourbon barrel malt with 20+ year sherry and port cask malts
Age: No age statement
ABV: 43%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
The House of Suntory dates from 1899, when Shinjiro Torii set out to make spirits suited to the delicate Japanese palate. Whisky came later, but the aim was the same: flavours that sit well alongside Japanese food and ways of drinking.
For decades Yamazaki malt went mainly into blends, and Suntory only began bottling it as a single malt in 1984. The Limited Edition, first released in 2014, is one of the ways the distillery now shows vattings outside the age-stated range.