276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Yamazaki Whisky 12 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky, 70cl

£28.125£56.25Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

Japanese whisky is most similar to scotch whisky in terms of its production methods. Single malts and blends are the main styles made, using pot and column stills and aged in a variety of barrel types, including ex-bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Japanese mizunara oak. Blending is very important in Japanese whisky, as many distilleries make different types of whisky which are married together by the master blender before bottling. Since 1984, The Yamazaki Distillery has produced its Single Malt 12 Year. Its mash bill boasts 100 percent malted barley, and its cask-aged in The Yamazaki Distillery for 12 years before being bottled and arriving at your front door. Japanese whisky can be lighter in color, typically, than other whiskeys you may have encountered before, such as Scotch whisky. It ranges from a pale gold, almost straw-like color, to a rich amber. A Japanese single malt whisky, The Yamazaki 12 Year is known for its "noble" aroma. It hails from Kyoto, the capital of ancient Japan, which takes its nobility status up a notch or two. The Yamazaki 12 Year is considered the nation's premier single malt whisky, but it's safe to say that whisky fans around the globe appreciate this award-winning spirit. This distillery is a newcomer in the world of Japanese whisky, having only begun operations in 2016. Akkeshi is located in the far north of Japan on the island of Hokkaido, with a wet, cool climate that is likened to that of Islay in Scotland. This whisky, with a name that translates to “white crane,” is the first single malt release from the distillery, a young (at least three years old) blend of liquid aged in bourbon barrels, sherry butts, red wine casks, and Mizunara oak. It’s a fruity dram with notes of vanilla and spice, and being bottled at 96 proof provides a bit of heat that lingers on the palate as you sip. This is available in fairly limited numbers here in the US, but it’s definitely worth a try if you are a Japanese whisky fan. There are a few other expressions from the distillery to try as well, including the New Born “Foundations 4” blend matured in sherry and other types of casks, and the lightly-eated Usui blend.

Japanese whisky is made from malted barley, which can be peated, borrowing some techniques used in Scottish whisky. This can lend a smoky taste with a lighter flavor profile. Some Japanese whisky is made from rice or corn; sometimes it can be a blend of malted barley, rice, and/or corn, depending on the preference of the distillery.

Single Malt Japanese Whisky

It’s hard to imagine a category of spirit more hyped by today’s cool-kid drinkers than Japanese whisky. (And yes, you spell it without the “e”.) But until as recently as 2015, whiskey fans were much more likely to reach for a peaty Scotch or robust, caramel-y American bourbon for something special. Although Japanese whisky has been produced for nearly a century, it wasn’t until the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 took home the title of World’s Best Whiskey in 2015 that heads turned and attitudes changed—even in Japan. Get the latest intel on which bottles of booze are worth your hard-earned cash. Join Esquire Select. Most Japanese whiskies are aged in wood casks. Some of them have had bourbon, or at times, they use sherry casks. Other times they have been aged in Mizunara oak, which imparts something of a sandalwood flavor. That latter, Mizunara, is native to Japan and, therefore, can contribute to the flavor of Japanese whisky, too. So how does it Taste? This golden whisky boasts complex aromas and superior drinkability. The nose features hints of fruit, including peach, grapefruit, pineapple and candied orange, along with spices such as clove and orange. This whisky also has notes of rich coconut and tart cranberry, while the long finish features spicy ginger and cinnamon.

In Japanese whisky, “single grain” often (but not always) refers to the fact that the whisky is made from rice instead of barley. There are some who view this as essentially high-proof aged shochu (see the intro to this article), but there is often much more to this style of whisky than that. Teitessa is relatively new on the scene, and is made at the Fuji Takasago Distillery, also a sake brewery. A Sato still is used for distillation, which according to the brand is a column still shaped like a beehive on the inside that allows for better selection of the head and heart of the spirit. There are various expressions to choose from with an age range that rivals some of the best known scotch brands out there. The 15 and 25 are aged in American white oak barrels; the 20, 27, and 30 are aged in a trio of Spanish, American, and French oak. True, these don’t taste like Japanese single malts, but that’s because they are not–they are, however, interesting and refined sipping whiskies that shouldn’t be dismissed by single malt purists.

The best Japanese whiskies for 2023 are:

Recently, regulations have been put into place which should become law over the next few years to properly define Japanese whisky. As it stands now, some bottles include whisky imported from other countries into the blend, but these are starting to be labeled as world whiskies. Overall, the style of Japanese whisky runs the gamut, from peated to sherry cask-influenced, to light and floral. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment