Cask #4R70055 is a 1994 Yamazaki sherry butt bottled in 2005 for Suntory's Owner's Cask series. At 61% ABV and around eleven years old, it is a dark, forceful single malt from Japan's oldest malt distillery.
About This Whisky
This butt was filled with Yamazaki new make in 1994 and emptied in 2005, which puts the whisky at about eleven years of age. It gave 489 bottles, each at full cask strength of 61%. Owner's Cask whiskies were bought as whole casks by private owners and bottled by Suntory with the cask number on the label, so the character of each one depends entirely on that single piece of oak. Here the sherry wood is in charge: deep colour, red fruit and plenty of spice.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dried cranberry, raisins and dark toffee over a layer of sweet oak and cinnamon.
- Palate: Rich and juicy, with red berries, dates and chocolate, then a warming run of pepper and clove.
- Finish: Long and drying, with sherry sweetness fading into toasted oak and a little bitter cocoa.
Serving & Food
A Copita or small tulip glass suits it, at cellar or room temperature. Add water slowly, as it opens a softer, fruitier side. Good partners include roast lamb with a red wine glaze, mature Manchego, or dark chocolate truffles.
How to Enjoy
Fans of full-strength sherried malt, and anyone building a set of 1994 Yamazaki single casks.
Product Details
Producer: Suntory Yamazaki
Series: The Owner's Cask
Cask number: #4R70055
Cask type: Sherry butt
Distilled: 1994
Bottled: 2005
Age: About 11 years
Outturn: 489 bottles
ABV: 61%
Volume: 700mL
Country: Japan
About the Distillery
Sherry wood matters a great deal at Yamazaki, and the distillery takes unusual care over where it comes from.
The link has continued. Suntory's chief blender has visited northern Spain to choose oak for the butts, which are seasoned with oloroso at Spanish bodegas for three years before being shipped to Yamazaki. The Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 was named World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015.