Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky

This is single malt Japanese whisky at its most layered: malted barley distilled at Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery and aged 18 years in a blend of American, Spanish and Japanese oak casks, with sherry and Mizunara influences threaded through every sip. The nose opens on raisin, prune and fig over dark chocolate, incense and a whisper of smoke. On the palate it turns silky and full-bodied, with blackberry, espresso, sherry-soaked oak and Mizunara spice held together by a balanced sweetness, before a long, velvety finish of leather, sandalwood and sweet tobacco. Bottled at 43% ABV, it is built for slow, attentive sipping rather than mixing. It suits the collector rounding out a serious shelf and the enthusiast ready to see what extended age and Japanese oak bring to a malt. We carry it because it is a genuine reference point for the category, a bottle worth tasting against anything else in your collection, and one that rewards a quiet evening and a good glass.