Yamazaki 12 Years Review
Contributed by on Jul 25, 2016
Twelve readers love this post.
Yamazaki 12 Years was the flagship whisky from the Yamazaki distillery in Japan. At Suntory they use a unique aging process that involves Spanish, American (ex-Bourbon) and Japanese (Mizunara) oak. This gives the whisky a unique character all its own and when it was available at a not-absurd price I enjoyed picking up a bottle and sipping on it now and then. At its current crazy-pants prices I can’t even fathom grabbing one.
Yamazaki 12 Years Info
Region: Osaka, Japan
Distiller: Suntory
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: American, Spanish and Japanese Oak
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Price: $120+ | Specialty and auctions mostly
Yamazaki 12 Years Review
EYE
Gold
NOSE
Rich fruit, buttery graham, malty sweetness, hay and a bit of honeydew build an aroma that is quite pleasing to the senses.
PALATE
Fruit, buttery graham, malt, citrus peels, hay, spice and a candy sweetness towards the end that reminds me of those orange Circus Peanuts. Not a bad flavor all-in-all, a simple sipper for sure.
FINISH
Medium malty fade accompanied by notes of nuts, fruit and a bit of char.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, light body and a soft velvety feel
OVERALL
Yamazaki 12 years is a good whisky that I’m not excited about, which causes a bit of internal conflict for me. On a pure merit scale the interesting aroma and palate I think deserve an B+ range rating, but on an excitement scale I feel like it’s more of a B range for me and sticking it in the B range feels like a copout. I wish there was a better solution, but in the end I decided to satisfy the less emotion driven part of myself and go with that fact that it is a good daily drinker that I wouldn’t be upset about having in my glass.
SCORE: 87/100 (B+)
The post Yamazaki 12 Years Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.