Distiller Notes
100th Anniversary Limited Edition Design. The Yamazaki 12 Years Old Single Malt is comprised of meticulously selected malt whiskies all cask-aged aged for a minimum of 12 years. This special limited-edition bottling was created in honor of Suntory Whisky's centenary. Part of the Yamazaki family, Japan’s quintessential whisky, it is made in Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery which was founded in 1923. Yamazaki means “mountain cape”, referencing its unique geographic location – secluded amongst a range of forest covered mountains. The bottle design pays tribute to Yamazaki, the birthplace of Japanese Whisky, captures this legendary distillery in deep copper tones, and is a reminder to always honor our past.
Sharing a great deal with Scotch in terms of production methods and ingredients, today’s hugely successful commercial market of Japanese Whisky owes much to the research of Masataka Taketsuru. In 1918, this Japanese national travelled to Scotland with the intention of studying organic chemistry but instead became fascinated with Scotch Whisky production. Similar to Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whisky also uses malted barley as the fermentation base and long-term aging in wooden barrels. However, the often-used Mizunara oak, rather than French or American oak, imparts uniquely spicy and citrus-like characteristics to a Japanese Whisky.