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Yamazaki 25 Years Old is a luxury bottle from the range of Yamazaki whiskies. It was released in 1999 and is still in production today. It has 12,000 bottles yearly. Yamazaki 25 years old is aged completely in sherry casks, which is a delight for sherry lovers! Similar to Yamazaki 18 years old, this expression of the 25 years old has won numerous awards. However, the drawback from this expression appears to be its inconsistency in its production.
Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2014
Japanese Single Malt 21 Years and Over – Gold, World Whisky Awards 2014
Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2013
World’s Best Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards, 2012
Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2012
Colour: Dark Amber
ABV: 43%
Nose: Strong sherry with rich dark chocolate at first nose. Red dates, raisins and prunes come after. Burnt campfire wood with hints of apples tops the nose after a while. (17 points)
Palate: Sweet sherry and chocolate at the beginning but astringent wood and extreme spice raid the palate soon after, overpowering all the sweetness that came before. (14 points)
Body: Decent balance with sweet sherry and chocolate. Unfortunately, the astringent wood and extreme spice is also presented in the nose, palate and finish. Nonetheless, a balance whisky that can be enjoyed by those who like oaky wood spice. (30 points)
Finish: Long and dry finish with bitterness that comes from the astringent oaky wood. (14 points)
Total Grade: 75 points
Comment:
Geek Flora: “I have heard various comments about the inconsistency of the production for the 25 years old. The dram that I had definitely did not come from one of its award-winning bottles. I had high hopes for this expression, but was solely disappointed that it did not live up to its reputation.”
Yamazaki 18 Years Old is released in 1994, 10 years after the success of Yamazaki 12 year old. It was received with much anticipation by the industry. This legendary whisky is a classic and up till today, it is highly praised for its complexity and flavours. Yamazaki 18 years old has received numerous awards, but the most prominent ones are a gold award in the World Whiskies Awards in both 2014 and 2016 as well as Best Japanese Single Malt in 2015.
The price and rarity of Yamazaki 18 years old has steadily increased with the number of awards it won. It is no longer a bottle that you can easily find in duty-free stores, not even in Japan. You can find it on the secondary markets, but at a crazy price.
(1) San Francisco World Spirit Compeition 2005 – Double Gold
(2) International Spirit Challenge 2007 – Gold
(3) World Whiskies Awards 2014 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years
(4) World Whiskies Awards 2015 – Best Japanese Single Malt
(5) World Whiskies Awards 2016 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years
Colour: Copper
ABV: 43%
Nose: Rich fruit cake on Christmas Day comes to mind as you take in the nose. Raisins, apples and cinnamon sticks coupled with dried dates are mixed with woody oakiness, some sulphur and a pleasant smokiness. (17 points)
Palate: Smooth and mellow, with strong raisins and red fruits on the palate before the oakiness and smoke comes in to balance it off. Hint of a rich, sinful chocolate cakes comes in towards the end. A perfect mix of sweet and spice. (17 points)
Body: It is a well rounded whisky that is rich and flavourful. The smooth velvety feel in the mouth feesl luxurious. (30 points)
Finish: Long, lingering finish of a luxuriously rich chocolate cake, raisins, light peat and some wood. (16 points)
Total Grade: 80 points
Comments:
Geek Flora: “I love the Yamazaki 18 years old because of its rich fruity notes. The hints of chocolate adds appeal. Even the wood and light peat is pleasant. Nonetheless, it is still another whisky that I can live without, especially when the price has risen considerably since it started bagging numerous awards.”
The Yamazaki 12 years old is the flagship single malt whisky of the Yamazaki Distillery. Released in 1984, it remains the best selling whisky in the distillery. Due to the shortage of aged whisky in recent years, the Yamazaki 12 years old is getting harder and harder to find in retail shops or duty-free stores. Most of the time, you can only find it in the secondary market.
Despite the popularity of the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask (the winner of the Best Whisky in the Year in 2015), the 12 years old is still a great choice for most whisky drinkers. Its relatively mellow notes makes it a pleasant drink on most occasions.
Colour: Gold
ABV: 43%
Nose: Rich tropical fruits with hints of orange hits first before butter cookies and honey toast makes an entrance. Makes a pleasant nose. Feels like a breakfast cereal. (15 points)
Palate: Tropical fruits and buttery cookies melt on the palate as you chew on the whisky. Citrus notes mix with vanilla and a dollap of honey softens the spice that comes in shortly after. (16 points)
Body: A decent balance with a light body and a velvety feel (29 points)
Finish: Medium finish, notes of sweet malt accompanied by toast, tropical fruits and a slight spice. (14 points)
Total Grade: 74 points
Comment:
Geek Flora: “I drink the Yamazaki 12 years old for some years now. It is getting harder to find, but I can live without it. I enjoyed it as a simple drink that is great for after dinner or a gathering with friends.”
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