Being polite, reserved and always striving for perfection - to fully appreciate Yamazaki 12, you have to understand Japanese culture and traditions. Fruity-sweet and subtle, the nose interweaves overripe grapes, blackberries and hazelnuts with sandalwood, crisp apples and floral vanilla. The full-bodied and well-balanced arrival is followed by juicy pears, mild ginger and fresh mint before the oak complexity kicks in. With its lasting, spicy and slightly dry finish, Mizunara oak maturation gives this malt a delicate and very distinct aftertaste. A piece of art!
RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS
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Re-reviewed in 04/2024: It has been almost 5 years since I last tasted Yamazaki 12, and I knew that my earlier rating was probably a bit 'overambitious'. I don't think that the malt has deteriorated, on the contrary, but I have moved on and tasted hundreds of whiskies, while being less generous with my scores. That said, I have to adjust my score for Yamazaki 12 from 90 to 88 points, but it remains one of my favorite Japanese single malts.
@Slainte-Mhath great review! A fine choice. I saw a few of these for $100 recently and I’m kicking myself for not picking one up.
@Slainte-Mhath - yes, this a great whiskey. Embarrassed to say that I finished a bottle of this over a year ago and still haven’t written a review. The good news is that I have three more bottles in reserve. :)
WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2019: It is that time of the year again where I look back and choose one whisky to be my personal highlight of the past 12 months. Since I have visited all major Japanese distilleries in summer, I knew it had to be malt from the land of the rising sun. There are no shortcuts to quality, and Yamazaki has always been among my favorites. Why the 12-year-old expression? Well, compared to the outrageously overpriced Yamazaki 18, this expression combines high quality, age statement and Mizunara cask influence with a price tag which is not totally over the top. In my opinion, it is a far better value than older Yamazaki's and you get a bottle that stands for everything Japanese whisky is famous for. Previously as 'Whisky of the Year': 2018 – Springbank 12 CS; 2017 - GlenDronach 12; 2016 - Caol Ila 12.
@Richard-ModernDrinking Yes, for Yamazaki there is a clear correlation between age and quality. I rated the 12yo, 18yo and 25yo expressions with 90 pts, 92 pts and 94 pts, respectively. However, taking current market prices into consideration, Yamazaki 12 is by far the best value. I'd rather buy 5 bottles of the 12yo than 1 bottle of the 18yo.
@Slainte-Mhath meaning older always is better?
@Slainte-Mhath Ah nice. When I visited Japan a decade ago I wasn't into whiskey so I never visited the distilleries. Would love to have gone and stocked up!
Re-reviewed in 07/2019: On my recent visit to Yamazaki and Hakushu Distillery, I had the pleasure to taste all Yamazaki expressions, from NAS up to 25-year-old. While 'older is not automatically better' certainly applies for Scotch, for Japanese whisky it is quite the opposite. I always rated the 12-year-old expression rather high (90 points), but each time I re-visit this Single Malt, I see my score confirmed. IMO, Yamazaki 12 is by far the best value of the Suntory range. Prices are going up, so if you have the chance to buy a bottle or two, do it rather sooner than later!