Japanese Whisky

Yamazaki is located between Kyoto and Osaka. It is the place of famous mineral water where Sen no Rikyū who perfected the Japanese tea ceremony founded a tea house 400 years ago for its high quality water. The first malt whisky distillery in Japan “Yamazaki” started their own history in 1923 in a perfect place for whisky distilling where three rivers meet and wrapped in a fog. Masataka Taketsuru who studied whisky distilling in Scotland had been the first manager of Yamazaki Distillery.
Single malt whisky “Yamazaki” was released in 1984. Yamazaki 12 years old is the flagship of Suntory whiskies and it has rich flavor with excellent aroma due to sherry cask aging. Shipment is restricted these days since whiskies are short in supply for the recent Japanese whisky boom. Yamazaki 12 years has been in shortage continuously and became a rare item. It perfectly matches Japanese delicate palate and has been highly evaluated globally; it could be referred to as starting point and representative of Japanese whisky.

Released in 1992. It is composed mainly with 18 years old old sherry cask whisky with which you can enjoy the profound sense of maturing.
The presence of black label is so strong that sometimes it is referred to as Black Yamazaki. Same as Yamazaki 12 years old it is a rare item that is in shortage.

After the War when provision of material for barrel became difficult Mizunara, Mongolian oak, started to be used instead.
Woods aged 200-300 years from Hokkaido are mainly used and it has a special sandalwood/aloeswood-like aroma (with fragrant wood scent that is used as a raw material of high-grade incense) that has also received high praise from overseas blenders and whisky fans.
It is used as secret ingredient that is playing extremely important role for Yamazaki 12 & 18 years old and Hibiki 17 years old. It is essential of Japanese whiskies.
In order to maximize the characteristic the process of cooling filtration is not applied (non-chill filtered). Enjoy the characteristics of Japanese whisky with complex and oriental flavor, and long-lasting aftertaste.
It is a very precious gem produced in 2014 with only 1600 bottles by carefully selecting only rare malts matured by Mizunara (Japanese oak) barrel.

The distillery was founded in 1973 following the foundation of Yamazaki to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Suntory Whisky. Hakushu 12 years old was released in 1994. Hakushu is a rare distillery in the forest surrounded with rich Nature located in the foot of Kai-Komagatake Mountain in Minami-Alps. The place is famous also for Ojiragawa river selected as one of the top 100 fountains in Japan. A single malt whisky born there produced carefully with malt whisky aged over 12 years. Comparing with Yamazaki with powerful and rough impression, that of Hakushu is light and refreshing. Fresh green aroma with refreshing fruit fragrance added to gentle and sweet smokiness. Fruity but full-bodied with a sharp aftertaste. It is very popular in Japan to take it with soda.

Heavy peat white oak sherry cask whiskies of over 18 years old are mainly vatted giving refreshing and deep aroma and taste that is special for long term matured malt whisky. Complex body and sweetness with rich cask aroma are splendidly harmonized with a comfortable aftertaste with faint smokiness. Comparing with Scotch whisky it is as if taking advantages of both Highland and Speyside malts whiskies.
Refreshing oak aroma is suitable with the phrase “whisky of the forest” and the message of the producer is totally consistent with the content. In general, Yamazaki seems to be better known but the perfection level of Hakushu is comparable to that of Yamazaki.

Released in 1989 celebrating the 90th anniversary of Suntory. Over 30 different types of matured grain whisky of over 17 years old are blended by carefully selecting long-term matured malt whisky of over 17 years old. Also plenty time has been spent for after-ripening. You can feel the deep luxurious harmony played on finely arranged balance between the key malt that is of Yamazaki Mizunara and other whiskies; it is the outcome of Suntory traditional blending technique. It used to be difficult for single malt whisky with a strong characteristic like Yamazaki to be accepted in Japan. Hibiki, the representative of Japanese blended whisky played an important role in rooting whisky among Japanese customers.
It is ester-like (sweet and flowery) and rich fragrance of maturity. Elegant woodiness (matured wood-like aroma) created by the long-term aged malt of Yamazaki. Round and thick flavor. Rich and long-lasting aftertaste.

Yamazaki sherry cask whisky of 22 years old, or at least over 21 years old whiskies were selected carefully as main together with grain whiskies of over 21 years old. You can enjoy the luxurious symphony of 21 years old whisky that is the outcome of blending technique and whisky refined to the maximum.

Limited item that is released only 2,000 bottles per year since 1997. A flagship bottle of Suntory whiskies that is hardly purchasable.
Malt grain whiskies of over 30 years old mainly consisting of Yamazaki Mizunara cask whiskies are carefully selected. It has an elegant flavor with profoundness that could be the extremity of maturity. It is the only product bottled in a 30 cuts-crystal bottle made by Kagami Crystal (a representative glass manufacturer in Japan making dishes used officially at the Japanese embassy and consulate in over 250 countries.)

Yoichi, Hokkaido is a place where Masataka Taketsuru found looking for a Utopia after studying whisky distilling in Scotland. It is a place where all important conditions were satisfied; cool and humid weather that reminds of Scotland, rich water and pure air. Besides, they had a good harvest of oat, ingredient of malt whisky and were rich of peat that is used to add smoky flavor.
What he aimed to produce in the first distillery was profound and powerful malt whisky. He emphasized to reproduce faithfully all the process of whisky distilling that he learned in Scotland. His faith is symbolized by applying Coal Open Fire Distillation procedure. He applied this procedure following the distilling method learned in Longmorn. The process is rare even in Scotland these days since the skill of specialized craftsman is needed who is able to add certain amount of coal to keep the heat power at appropriate level. However, in Yoichi Distillery they still use this traditional procedure in order to create profound and full-bodiness of Yoichi malt whisky. If we call Yamazaki to be “soft” Yoichi would be “hard”.
Rich aroma is made by Coal Open Fire Distillery. The taste is powerful and profound. Yoichi clearly indicates the period of maturation on the bottle and is currently not produced since whiskies are in shortage for the rising popularity of Japanese whisky. Therefore, Yoichi 15 years old is very rare since all the products are in the market currently.
It is a single malt whisky that could be referred to as the starting point of Nikka created with the Nature of Hokkaido using the traditional manufacturing method that had been applied since the foundation of the company.

Yoichi 20’s has good aroma and matured-ness that only malts aged for long 20 years old can have. Elegant honey-like matured taste is derived from sherry cask. The alcohol is 52% when taken directly from the barrel but you can barely feel it to be so strong for the smooth mouth feel with elegant and deep aftertaste. All the eagerness of Taketsuru aiming to achieve “true Scotch whisky completed here in Japan” is filled in the bottle.

Distillery version that is sold only at Yoichi Distillery. Recently there was a TV drama series in Japan on the history of Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Yoichi Distillery who studied whisky distilling in Scotland. The drama gained large popularity and caused Japanese whisky boom also in Japan. Beside, overseas evaluation is rising that is accelerating the shortage of whisky used for the production. Distillery version bottles are all sold out since the number of the people visiting Yoichi Distillery has increased drastically. Market value may further raise and the purchase might be even more difficult in the future.

1980’s is made by blending 1980-1989 whiskies. An excellent flavor reached after 30 years of maturation. Body has depth and elegance. Gentle aftertaste lasts long. Flavor is in many layers. The depth is characteristic of Yoichi and the real value. Try and sense by yourself.

*Yoichi 1990 is a blend of 1990-1999 whiskies and also available.

It had been completed in 2000 after trials and errors based on the concept “pure malt whisky easy-to-drink as blended”. A pure malt whisky without using grain whisky; the base is malt whisky from Miyagi-kyo (the second distillery of Nikka Whisky founded in 1969 at Miyagi-kyo, Sendai) and added flavor (vatted) with sherry cask malt whisky from Yoichi.
Taketsuru 21 years old is referred to as the face of Nikka Whisky and has awarded many prizes in different competitions all over the world. Complexity and full-bodiness felt in mildness are associated with elegance that can be felt only with products created spending 21 years.

Blender team after gaining high global reputation with Taketsuru started a new challenge further pursuing “the best pure malt” and “perfect harmony”. The keyword used as a goal of the process was “miyabi” that is the image of “beautiful harmony”. The clear but rich aroma is floral, attractive and transparent but with profoundness. It was totally a new characteristic of aroma that could be associated with “Juni-hitoe (12 layered Kimono)”. A harmony of whisky of extraordinarily long-term maturation of over 25 years. Recipe is finely arranged taking provision of whisky into account. “Taketsuru 25 Years Old Pure Malt” was created overcoming such issues. “Refined aroma” with “beautiful taste”. It is a Japanese pure malt whisky that provides sensitiveness, craftiness and beauty inherited in Japan.