Yamazaki Suntory 12 Years Old

Yamazaki 12 Years Old is Suntory's benchmark single malt, made at Japan's first malt distillery in the valley of Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, here in a release bottled for the European market. The distillery opened in 1923 and runs a wide range of still shapes to build its spirit, and the twelve year old has long been the bottling that introduced drinkers to serious Japanese malt.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon wood, this release leans on American oak for its structure. Fresh orchard fruit and citrus lead, vanilla and a nutty sweetness fill the middle, and a gentle chocolate note settles on the finish. At 43% it stays soft, balanced and rounded, the Yamazaki house style in its most recognisable form, composed rather than forceful and built around fruit and oak in equal measure.