Suntory Yamazaki 10 Year Old

Color: Soft amber.

Nose: At first green apples, vanilla and oak. Adding water releases fruity flavours: grapes, pineapple and a small touch of banana. It 's all combining very well with a hint of cinnamon.

Taste: I'm getting (again) green apple with some spices, ginger and oak. Water softens the apple and adds some unripe bananas and grapes. It even gets a little 'nutty'.

Finish: The spices warm your mouth for quite a while. There's some caramelized brown sugar that lingers in the back.

Conclusion: A young whisky that shows already some character with his fruity flavours. This 10 year old is getting rare.

My original tasting notes (in Dutch) can be found on my tumblr blog A Tasty Dram: tastydram.tumblr.com/post/50929566952/…

Shinjiro Torii was the first Japanese to start distilling, already in 1923. This entry level whisky, the 10 Year Old, matured solely on bourbon casks. It was released later than the 12 Year Old, which may seem a bit odd.

It is grassy and honeysweet on the nose. Quite a bit of stewed fruit, green grapes, mirabelles and litchees. Light spices that are hard to identify, besides some vanilla and a nice, fresh touch of mint. Very easy going.

The attack is unfortunately rather weak. Between oily and, well, watery. The fruit returns, immediately joined with cider apples, soft peat and more spices than on the nose. It even has a salty lining. The balance is fine. Becomes a bit (but luckily not overly) bitter from the wood.

The finish is medium long and spicy with some ginger and liquorice on the deathbed.

A nice entry level malt, although a tad too easy. The low ABV has a lot to do with that, I suppose, for the palate started off very gently. Does get back on track after that, admittedly.

It's a decent whisky but I've tasted better whiskies for this price (+- €45). Definitely worth tasting but I wouldn't buy a 2nd bottle.

If the rising sun on the packaging or the slightly industrial bottle (reminiscent of a school chemistry lab) has you expecting an inferior malt, think again. The complexity of the oriental dram rivals those of the Celtic nations, and the youngest expression of Suntory's Yamazaki single malt promises much for the distillery's full range.

It pours beautifully, with a rich gold hue that calls to mind a barley field bathed in the fullest smile of a warm sunset, and with a pleasing viscosity. The first scent that greets you is that of dry, smouldering straw, bolstered my a submerged tanginess that arrests the olfactory receptors. A little perseverance unlocks a greater depth, though the delicate suggestion of fire - gently burning, rather than especially smoky - is present throughout. There is a definite nutty quality that recalls toasted pine nuts. The nose matures into a waft of newly creosoted wood interwoven with a certain sweetness.

On the tongue it is surprisingly fiery at first, but quickly develops a soft and rich quality. If anything, the palate is a little disappointing after the complex aromas you've already encountered - but then, this is a whisky that seems to delight in subverting expectations. There is a blunt, biscuity bite as the palate unfurls into surprisingly salty finish with even a hint of an underdeveloped herbaceous quality. It certainly lingers on the tongue. Perhaps the final treat, though, is to nose the whisky once more: all of the above notes are more developed, before being enveloped in the delightful suggestion of a pan of warm caramel being gently heated over an open fire.

It's a glass that seems at once surprisingly mature and at the same time to promise so much more after a few more years in Japanese oak.

This was my introduction to the world of Japanese malts, and to be honest it set me in good stead for the tastes to come. Since trying this i have preferred the whiskies of Japan, enjoying various Nikka, Hakushu and of course Yamazaki malts.

It starts smooth, as i find most Japanese whiskies are, very easy to drink, but without the kick, strength and power you tend to find with older malts. The smell isnt over-powering at all, drawing you in from the moment you open the bottle, and gives you a taste of the joy that can be open to you if you spend the time to work your way through the other Japanese malts.

I enjoyed it and as i mentioned i found it a good way to start with Japanese whiskies. With that in mind, if you havent tried any, then this would be a very good starting point!

I wasn't entirely sure how to approach this, as I am still a rank amateur in this particular field. Still, the best way to learn...

Nose has citrus, with a bit of iodine. Nothing stands out to this whisky lover. The first sip seemed to hold back for a moment, exhibiting some woody tones, then launched an attack of iodine upon my palate, nearly singeing the tip of my tongue in it's fervor. A bit of a rough mouth feel. A generous bit of water helps to mellow the whisky and allow some of the previously very subtle citrus notes to shine through. Less iodine this time, and much smoother on the tongue. The finish is oily and long, reminding you that the Scotch aren't the only distillers after all.