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.

Awards

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

Tasting Notes

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.”

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