An older Yamazaki 18 Year Old in the 750mL size, bottled at 43%. Suntory used 750mL for the US and for earlier bottlings before moving most markets to 700mL.
About This Whisky
Suntory first released Yamazaki 18 in the early 1990s, in a 750mL bottle labelled pure malt. The whisky is aged mainly in Spanish oak casks that held oloroso sherry, with American oak and mizunara adding their own notes. Older bottles like this one let drinkers compare the style from before the Japanese whisky boom. Expect deep, dried-fruit sherry character, a chocolate middle and a long, spicy finish.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Raisin, apricot, café au lait and a hint of sandalwood.
- Palate: Blackberry, strawberry jam and dark chocolate, with a firm, tannic grip.
- Finish: Long, with clove, cardamom and cinnamon.
Serving & Food
Rinse the glass with a few drops of the whisky, then pour. Drink it neat at room temperature. Try it with chocolate truffles, smoked duck breast or a mature Manchego.
How to Enjoy
Collectors of earlier Yamazaki bottlings and fans of rich, sherried single malt.
Product Details
Producer: Suntory
Distillery: Yamazaki
Country: Japan
Region: Osaka
Category: Japanese single malt whisky
Age: 18 years
Maturation: Mainly Spanish oak sherry casks, with American oak and mizunara
ABV: 43%
Proof: 86
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
Suntory makes a wide range of malt at Yamazaki by varying the process. It uses pot stills of different shapes and sizes, some heated directly and some by steam, and ferments in both wooden and steel washbacks.
It also fills many cask types, from American oak barrels to sherry butts and mizunara. That variety lets the blenders build complex whiskies from a single distillery.