Yamazakura 16 Years Old

Yamazakura 16 Years Old is a blended whisky from Sasanokawa Shuzo in Fukushima prefecture, bottled at 40% as an event release. Sasanokawa Shuzo has produced the Yamazakura blend for decades, keeping Japanese whisky on shelves through the lean years when consumer interest had largely moved elsewhere, and the range includes both own-distilled and sourced components in some expressions.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon casks, the 16-year-old bottling carries the quiet depth that extended bourbon wood ageing provides: a leathery, settled quality with vanilla and dried wood in the background. The flavour profile suggests a blend that has had time to integrate and soften, arriving at the glass with gentle rather than assertive character. Bottled at 40%, it is straightforward and composed.