Yamazaki 12 Year

Many years ago I was in a liquor store in Texas on the weekend, as I usually was, browsing over their assortments when I saw this and the 18 sitting on the shelves. The 12 was only 40 dollars and the 18 selling for 100, without knowing the future or anything about Japanese whisky, I decide to go for the cheaper option to give it a try. All I remember from that time was that I enjoyed it, but didn’t feel the need for a second bottle or need to spend 100 to try the 18. I really wish I had, as I hear great things about the 18, but not for the price of 900 today. Many years have gone by since I tasted this one and decided I might have just been too young to appreciate it with the hype around it and a friend was kind enough to procure one for me at 120. So let’s see if my palate has evolved since then and I can appreciate this better. The nose starts with a smoky quality, between fresh burnt matchsticks or ash then follows with some pickled ginger leading to sweeter notes of bubble gum, pineapple, honey, tangerine, anise, some breakfast cereal and poached pears with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium viscosity that starts sweet with big league chew bubble gum leading to fruits of pineapple, green apple, lemon, then some breakfast cereal before the smoke notes come in with that burnt matchstick or ash and spices of pickled ginger, sage, sandalwood with a light ethanol burn that finishes medium length that’s dry and spicy with pickled ginger, watered down wasabi or horseradish, sage, sandalwood, pineapple, lemon and green apple. This is a nice whisky that has blown up in price just like many overhyped names. I brought this with me on vacation along with a WR double oak, and the double oak didn’t make it home. The spice notes on the finish ruin the whisky for me as it’s just overpowering the fruits and they don’t balance each other out.

"The entire modern Japanese whisky industry is truly the attempt by a single man to recreate a little slice of Scotland back in Japan." As a person interested in Japanese culture, this only captures my imagination. That is why I own (at least) a bottle from every Suntory distillery. This means that I can compare the "Yamazaki 12" (sample of 6 cl) side-by-side with the "Distiller's Reserve" (of which I own a bottle). Nose - Less fruity than the "Distiller's Reserve" (which has lots of red fruit). The nose of this whisky is clearly more complex and more mature, with more emphasis on honey, citrus and cinnamon in addition to the red fruit. I also get vanilla, caramel, apple and sherry. Palate - Sweet and sour. The first few sips were sharp, but softened as I gave the whisky the necessary time to open up. Light mouthfeel that became more creamy and buttery the longer I held it in my mouth. Finish - Medium long and dry. Especially sweet and sour, like green apples. Also slightly peppery in the aftertaste. A few drops of water emphasizes this peppery note even more. By comparing these two whisky's side by side, I am not surprised that the 12 year old Yamazaki is the logical successor to the "Distiller's Edition". This whisky clearly had more time to mature and to develop different accents. Due to the scarcity, the price of this whisky has risen disproportionately. Despite the fact that I think this whisky is delicious, I believe that there are other whisky's within this price range that are more worth your hard-earned money. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful whisky that is definitely worth trying. If, like me, you can get hold of a sample, you are certainly not going to regret it. "Excellent" : 4 stars | Really quite exceptional.

Vanilla aromas everywhere. Light caramel & sugary taste. Short sweet finish.

Vanilla, fruit aroma. Taste caramel candy. Short finish with spices

Vanilla/fruity aroma. Taste mint and spices and a short smoky finish

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