Suntory Yamazaki NAS

Yamazaki distillery was established in 1923 by the Kotobukiya Company, owned by Shinjiro Torii. It is located in Yamazaki, a small town situated between Kyoto and Osaka. Production started in 1924 with Masataka Taketsuru, the future founder of Yoichi distillery, as distillery manager. Kotobukiya changed its name to Suntory in 1929, and their first whisky, a blend made from their single malt and grain whiskies, was released in 1932. The distillery is located near the confluence of three rivers (Katsura, Kizu and Uji), in an area traditionally famous for its good water, and indeed the great tea master Sen no Rikyu chose to have his tea house there. Suntory claims that the three rivers meet each other at different temperatures, which causes mist that is good for storing whisky as it reduces the loss of moisture from the casks. Yamazaki’s first whisky was released in 1929. This no-age statement expression was introduced in May 2012 and replaced the 10-year old expression.

The nose is mild, light and fruity. I got a lot of apricots and oranges, as well as some banana and caramel.

The palate is medium-bodied, mouth coating and fruity. Again there are apricots and banana, this time followed by the rich flavours of crème brûlée. Towards the end it gets slightly peppery and spicy, but overall this is a very smooth experience.

The finish is medium long and warming. Caramel and honey appear, rounding off this very well balanced single malt.

This is a high-quality single malt, superbly balanced and very, very drinkable! In other words a worthy successor to the 10-year old expression.

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