Shinji, the fourth Chief Blender for Suntory since they started making whisky, was joined by writer Dave Broom to present the evening. Dave has spent quite a bit of time out in Japan over the years and was asked to come over to Tokyo two years ago to assist in the home launch of these whiskies – it’s quite the challenge being a Scotsman in Japan, teaching locals about Japanese whisky! Two years on he joined us to do the same in London. Palate: Very thin. Apples. Light honey. Mid-palate it becomes fruitier. It's the same tropical suspects. Bananas with the faintest of mangoes. Hints of oak. I think it's trying to be a Speysider but not really doing a good enough job of it. When the tasting concluded the young tour guide spoke to my friend and I retrospectively explained what we had seen on the tour. She spoke with pride as she discussed the history of the distillery and Japanese whisky. Our conversation continued into the gift store where I snagged a couple of lovely highball glasses. Concluding our conversation my friend and I returned to our starting point and where delighted to discover that we could sample anything from the bars wide range of Suntory Branded selections - including unreleased Yamazaki expressions. I chose a Yamazaki aged in an ex-Sherry cask and my friend an unreleased vintage Yamazaki.

Nose: Spicy nose almost reminiscent of a rye whisky. It was hard to target exactly what spices were coming through, it was more like a pot of mixed spices rather than one key spice, but they were quite scented and aromatic. Pink peppercorns maybe? Quite delicate, certainly in comparison to the previous whisky’s nose!

Whisky reviews for Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve

Nose: Big gutsy nose on this one. Full of rancio aromas, very woody, not much fruit (just a small amount of dried fruit) but more coffee beans, dry bark, cacao beans, bitter chocolate and a light caramel-like character. We enquired about the age of these casks and were met with a rather obvious answer – they’re old American casks!

Comments: This is not a whisky to be bottled on its own. It has some wonderful elements within it, the nose was beautiful, but quite simply it’s just too old. This is where Shinju’s skill as a blender really comes to light! Yamazaki Mizunara Cask Sample As far as the blind portion goes I honestly had no idea which was which and optimistically guessed that my preferred one, #1, was the Distiller’s Reserve which was wrong.The nose bursts with red fruit. Think strawberry, red berries, raspberries and a hint of raisins. Soft notes of honey and vanilla underscore the sweetness of this nose. Nice coconut and banana as well. It stands out. Some cloves and a handful of cinnamon. The Japanese oak also adds a nice floral touch. This is good!

Comments: This seriously develops and expands on the three previous samples. It’s really interesting to see how characters from each sample resonate onto this whisky but with so much more character coming into the final product. We could have just tried the two new releases and had a pleasant evening, but there was much more in store for us! To help us really understand these new additions, Shinji first took us through three cask samples from each distillery to explain the make-up of each final product. We started with Yamazaki: As an aside, I’ve been comparing mouthfeels of single malts vs bourbons lately and these are both better than Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare (the closest proof bourbons I had on hand) Yamazaki 12 YearFor those seeking a more affordable option that still captures the essence of Yamazaki, the Distiller’s Reserve serves as a commendable alternative. Yamazaki expanded Suntory’s whisky offering during the 1940s and the 1950s, but the next big change for the distillery came in 1961, when Torii’s son, Keizo Saji, became Suntory’s second president and Yamazaki’s second master blender. He oversaw the build of the Hakushu and Chita distilleries in the 1970s, paving the way for more experimental blends. Until the 1980s, whisky made at Yamazaki was bottled as Suntory blends, but Saji pioneered the distillery’s move into single malt whisky in 1984, with the launch of Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki. This was followed by Yamazaki 18 Years Old in 1992.

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