Yamazaki 12 Year

Reminds me of the nose of some of the Irish whiskeys I’ve had, and the finish had a hint of peat. Interesting. The kind of drink that creates conversation among those with a cultivated palate.

Enjoyable, if a bit unremarkable. Palate is largely nondescript, but smooth. Quite a bit of barrel spice, and ever so slightly fruity with a short if bitter finish. I was hoping to like this more than I ultimately did. At such a high price point (due to scarcity and popularity perhaps) I was thinking there might be something special about this one. Honestly, I feel like this is a 40-50 dollar whisky at best, and not worth the near absurd premium being charged for it. It reminds me of a nice Irish whisky, and you can probably find one just as nice at the 40-60 price range. Give it a try if you're really interested, but personally, I probably wouldn't buy another bottle until the price lowers substantially. A good 'introductory' whisky perhaps, but probably not a great choice for someone more seasoned. Update: As this one has oxidized on my shelf over the last few months, it appears to have gained some nuance. I now get more fruity notes than I did before. I've upped the rating to a 3.75 now. Definitely would buy again if it were reasonably priced, but right now, I wouldn't.

Just delicious. Not quite as good as the 18 but def delicious.