Product description
Shinjiro Torii began construction of the Yamazaki distillery in 1923, and the first barrel was filled a year later. The distillery is located on the outskirts of Kyoto, near the confluence of three rivers: Katsura, Uji, and Kizu.
Originally equipped with two stills, today it has 16 of them of different sizes and shapes and produces 8 million liters of distillate per year with a dozen or so profiles, from delicate floral-fruity to smoky-peaty (the concentration of phenol compounds in the malt reaches 40 ppm). Yamazaki 18 years old debuted in 1992 and over the years has won many medals and awards, the most prestigious of which is the "double" gold medal at the World Spirit Competition in San Francisco in 2015. The 2019 edition is a blend of distillates aged in sherry, bourbon and Mizunara oak barrels.
Nose: complex, honey, vanilla, sherry, raisins, blood oranges, black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, nutmeg, fresh herbs, traces of cedar and dried mushrooms.
Palate: slightly waxy, dark chocolate, toffee, honey, blackberries, black cherries, raisins, prunes, allspice, nutmeg, black tea, sherry, oak and a fleeting trace of peat.
Finish: long, with notes of raisins and sultanas, plums, dark chocolate, nutmeg, a pinch of pepper and oak.