The only other Yamazaki i had was the distiller's reserve and i treasured it for a long time. Now i have tasted the 12yo, which is the real entry to the core expressions and it did not dissapoint. This is a fine, complex dram, very well crafted and absolutely enjoyable. Maybe the score could be higher, but i try to be fair to my feelings when tasting a new whisky, and even if it is a very balanced dram, it wasn't perfect in any of the scoring criteria, but was high enough to be a dram that i recommend. Bottled at 43%abv, burnished gold. On the nose, a lot is going on: Blackberry marmalade, Heather, Sweet figs, Prunes, Vanilla, Earthy peatiness, Spent matches, Sherry. On the palate it was delicious, but a little bitter. Prunes, Heather, Sherry, Ashes, Rum, Nuts. Aftertaste was nice too: Ashy, sulphuric finish, grapes. Hints of smoke and pepper. Overall i give this dram a 89 over 100. Just one point more would make it a 4.5 star dram, maybe it deserves it and this time i am been too harsh. Its a great dram and you should totally try it and see for yourselves if it deserved more or not.