When, in 1923, Shinjiro Torii, the founder of Japanese whisky, wanted to create a whisky with a typically Japanese taste, far from seeking a terrain and climate similar to Scotland’s, he chose to base his first distillery in Yamazaki.
Located near Kyoto, this region was once known as Minaseno, the land where Japan’s purest waters originate, so much so that it was also the birthplace of the tea ceremony.
Sixty years later, in 1984, in this highly spiritual place, the first Japanese single malt was born, with the eponymous name of this distillery, the oldest in Japan. Today, Yamazaki, Japan’s 1st single malt, is enjoyed in 25 countries around the world.
For true connoisseurs, Yamazaki whisky develops an interweaving of flavors that gradually blossom on the palate. This unmistakable “signature” has won over experts and enchanted connoisseurs the world over.
Yamazaki’s concept of a “range of tastes” is largely due to the diversity that prevails throughout the production process. In particular, the unique variety of casks used.
Variety of sizes – from the classic barrel to the round, full-bodied Puncheon. Variety of woods used – from American oak to the very rare mizunara, a species protected in Japan. And finally, a variety of origins, as Suntory also re-uses casks that have housed bourbon or sherry.
Although they all come from the same distillery, these different casks obviously produce malt whiskies with very different characters. It is the addition of these subtle tastes that multiplies the flavors on the palate, giving Yamazaki its distinctive signature.
THE YAMAZAKI CASK COLLECTION in LIMITED EDITION
In 2003, Yamazaki 12 Year Old was the first Japanese whisky to win the Gold Medal at the International Spirit Challenge (ISC). In 2010, Yamazaki 1984 was crowned Supreme Champion Spirit at the same ISC, becoming the overall champion of the competing spirits. And in 2012, Yamazaki 25 Year Old was voted Best Single Malt in the World (World Whiskies Awards).
The Single Malt Whisky Collection presented today is a tribute to an expertise that is without parallel anywhere in the world, based on the orchestration of diversity. Suntory’s aim is to enable whisky lovers to appreciate, one by one, the different tastes that make up Yamazaki Single Malt.
The Yamazaki Cask Collection is a Limited Edition of 4 Yamazaki single malts: Bourbon Barrel, Puncheon , Sherry Cask and Mizunara.
The jewel of the collection: YAMAZAKI MIZUNARA
During the war, the Yamazaki distillery faced a problem with cask supply, and had to resort to mizunara or Japanese oak.
Mizunara posed many problems, including evaporation and an overly woody overtone, much to the dismay of blenders. But in time, after repeated use, it proved to produce whiskies with precious oriental notes, with scents of sandalwood and calambac.
In recent years, mizunara has won the favor of leading international juries and aficionados of rare whiskies.
A must-taste for this complex oriental flavor, exclusive to Japan.
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