Yamazaki 18 Year

Floral, black tea, honeycomb, cereal, a little zing undertone throughout consisting of tabacky and oak tannins that swirl and leave a lasting effect. Beautifully balanced and play really well with eachother.

Flavor of dried figs, dates and honey. But so well balanced, not one flavor overpowers the other. So smooth and infinitely satisfying. Creamy, buttery and rich. So damn worth it.

This is my first Japanese whiskey. When I noticed that this expression won a 2025 international spirits competition for best overall whiskey, I decided to finally take a plunge and i am so glad i did. Japanese whiskey is built on the Scottish technique, and you can taste the lineage in the precision and balance of that defines this bottle. Compared to its Highland/Spyside Scottish peers which i love, I would say this whiskey is a bit lighter on the smoke and more emphasis on harmony and balance throughout the sipping experience. This whiskey is exceptionally drinkable and has broad appeal across a range of tastes. The nose offers a very enticing blend of dark fruit, honey, vanilla, and floral undertones. This expression comes with a nice creamy burst of complementary flavors including smoke, leather, oak, dry fruits, chocolate, and light baking spices. The finish is silky smooth with a dash of butterscotch that fades fairly fast. If you are a whiskey connoisseur, you will appreciate the smoothness, balance, and expansive range of flavors but you will probably not find the boldness and complexity of higher ABV Scottish single malts.