Yamazaki 12 Year Old

Description

Yamazaki 12 Year Old Bottling Note

The Yamazaki 12 Year Old stands as the foundational pillar of Japanese single malt, originating from the country’s oldest distillery. Established in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii, the Yamazaki Distillery is situated in Shimamoto, Osaka, where the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers converge. This specific geography creates a unique, misty microclimate with high humidity, providing the ideal environmental conditions for the slow maturation of spirit within timber warehouses.

The production of this 12-year-old expression involves a meticulous marriage of distillates. Suntory utilises various shapes and sizes of pot stills at the distillery, allowing for a diverse range of heavy and light spirits to be produced on-site. The maturation process is equally complex, relying on a triple-cask approach. The spirit spends its twelve-year slumber in a combination of American oak (ex-bourbon) barrels, Spanish oak (Sherry) butts, and the rare, indigenous Mizunara oak casks.

Mizunara, or Japanese water oak, is notoriously difficult to work with due to its porous nature and erratic growth patterns, yet it is essential to the character of this malt. The wood requires decades of growth before it can be fashioned into casks, and it imparts distinctively oriental aromatic qualities that cannot be replicated by European or American timber.

In terms of character, the Yamazaki 12 Year Old is defined by its profound depth and multi-layered complexity. The influence of the different casks creates a harmonious balance between orchard fruit brightness and a more resinous, deep-seated spice. While many single malts lean heavily into one cask profile, this expression maintains a structured middle ground, offering a succulent mouthfeel and a persistent, drying finish. The interaction between the local soft water of the Vale of Yamazaki and the varied oak profiles results in a spirit that is both delicate and remarkably intense.

Yamazaki 12 Year Old Tasting Note

Nose: The nose opens with a prominent clarity, led by succulent peach and ripe persimmon, underpinned by the distinctive, incense-like sandalwood of Mizunara oak. There is a refined integration of honeyed sweetness and a faint, floral top note reminiscent of cherry blossom.

Palate: On the palate, the texture is oily and well-structured, delivering a complex layering of candied orange peel and red berries. The influence of Spanish oak provides a resinous depth, while a gentle undercurrent of baking spices and toasted oak maintains a dry, sophisticated profile.

Finish: The finish is remarkably persistent and clean, transitioning from lingering fruit sugars to a long, woody dryness with a hint of clove.

Overall: Overall, the Yamazaki 12 Year Old represents a masterfully composed single malt, defined by its elegant equilibrium between bright orchard fruit and deep, aromatic spice.