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Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old

Is there anything the Japanese can't do?

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@yossiyitzakReview by @yossiyitzak

17th Nov 2009

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Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old
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  • Finish
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  • Overall
    85

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I bought my bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 12yr almost a year ago and I break it out on rare occasions. Not because it's the most spectacular dram but because it's so very different that scotch and I'm not always in the mood for it.

Don't get me wrong, this is some pretty impressive stuff and it make me want to try more. I don't drink it all the time but when I do, it make me happy.

The stuff noses like my dad's old bourbon (I always loved sneaking sniffs of my dad's bourbons when I was a kids because it burned my nose and made me sneeze - ah, to be 8 again...). The stuff has an initial bourbon-y element, some sour corn and alcohol. Followed by some honey and dried fruits. Like a scottish bourbon if there were one.

On the palate - Smooth honey and drying oak. This is one of the driest single malts I've ever had. This is a nice thing actually. Oh, some vanilla came through now, nice.

FInish - Dry & long. Honey and oak. The sour corn comes back too.

One thing that still throws me off is that this is not a corked bottle but a screw top. Strange but...cool. Arigato Japan!

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5 comments

@jeanluc
jeanluc commented

Odd choice.. the screw cap!

14 years ago 0

@Kampai
Kampai commented

They changed from cork to plastic about 2 years ago ... sign of the economy/times.

For anyone who likes the 12 (or Islay-ish smokey-peaty malts), the Yamazaki 18 is outstanding. Seriously.

14 years ago 0

@thekman
thekman commented

Suntory and Nikka have an amazing selection of whiskeys. I sampled a bunch in Japan last week and some are strange and some are just outstanding. With anything, the Japanese take a lot a pride in thier alcohol production and it shows.

If you can find a bottle of suntory Hibiki its also quite good.

14 years ago 0

@Tinfoilhat
Tinfoilhat commented

Tried this a couple of months ago. Everything was fine until the finish. There was a flavour that was so absolutely odd that I sat straight up in my seat. Have never encountered a taste like that in any other spirit. No idea what it was, it simply did not fit with the nose or initial attack. Very strange, perhaps I had a bad example.

14 years ago 0

S
Silas commented

Just opened a bottle of the Yamazaki. First impression that is was very honey sweet. I thought it might be a dessert scotch. It IS different. Hard to get down in the Swamps: $45. I like it, but it won't be a favorite: perhaps TOO sweet. Later tastings might prove otherwise.

13 years ago 0

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