Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve

Bitter but strangely smooth

Sweet, fruity, delicious

zachte whisky met lange nasmaak

I was putting together an online order from Master of Malt (back when they still shipped to the US) and needed a lower cost bottle to help justify the shipping cost and I landed on this bottle of Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve. It was a little under $70 and not available in the States so I jumped on it. Bottled at 43% ABV, is most likely chill filtered and most likely has colorant added making it an amber gold. This is matured in a combination of American, European and Japanese Mizunara oak. The nose is light and delicate, but very floral and fruity. Chamomile, orange & cherry blossoms. Tangerines, apricots, oranges, peaches and cherry cordials. Lemons, almonds, strawberries, vanilla buttercream, mint, mint chocolate, honey and barley sugar. Quite malty at times. A whiff of earthy peat, faint leather and barrel char. Coffee, coconut, lime and raspberries- lots of raspberries. Some briny seashells, earthy red wine, cinnamon. Lovely Mizunara oak, red and green grapes and more vanilla. A little wood resin and a light caramel note at the bottom of the glass. Super complex, but sadly not overly impressive. The palate has plenty of oak and wood spices. Almond paste, raspberries, peaches and cherries. Red wine, semisweet chocolate, cinnamon, coconut and vanilla. Light floral notes and very light, earthy peat. Even though this is a single malt, I got a very grain-like creaminess and even harshness. This really takes the enjoyment down for me. A light to medium bodied mouthfeel that is creamy, mouth coating and dry. The finish is medium short with vanilla, coconut, raspberries, cinnamon, oak and red wine. Dry. The nose on this one is incredibly complex, especially for a NAS, but it’s just not that engaging. It doesn’t pop. The fact that the palate has an unavoidable harshness doesn’t help matters at all. I really did enjoy the nose in the sense that it challenged me to dig deep to find all the hidden notes (plus it’s quite elegant). In the beginning it screams Japanese, but as things progress it takes on more of a scotch feel, then works it’s way back again. I’m hoping the 12 year will treat me better than this NAS. 3.5-3.75 Cheers