Yamazaki 12 Years Old

Yamazaki 12 Years Old is the core single malt from Suntory's Yamazaki distillery in Osaka Prefecture, Japan's first malt whisky distillery, founded in 1923 in the river valley of Shimamoto where the Katsura, Uji and Kizu rivers meet. This Event bottling sits at 43% in a 700ml format and presents the benchmark expression in characterful, slightly more savoury form.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon wood, American oak gives vanilla and a honeyed base over the distillery's orchard fruit. This particular pour shows cooked fruit, a leathery note and nutty, yeasty depth, the kind of developed savoury tones that surface alongside the softer fruit. The result keeps the balanced Yamazaki signature but leans into its more layered, complex side, a richer take on Japan's reference single malt that rewards unhurried attention in the glass.